Album of the Week #5

Sidi Bou Said — Bodies

This is another release that comes recommended to me from a friend and is much older compared to some of the new material I’ve been covering lately (more of that in the coming weeks!). Sidi Bou Said’s sophomore record, Bodies is an intriguing mix of alternative, grunge, goth that shows it’s age as a mid-90s British release, but certainly situates itself as an album that many current-gen artists seem to draw inspiration from.

While doing some research for this release, I was surprised by how little information there was about Sidi Bou Said and their career. From what can be gleaned, Sidi Bou Said was a four-piece group consisting of Claire Lemmon, Lee Howton, Gayl Harrison and Melanie Woods. Hailing from London, they were signed to The Ulimate Recording Company and released their debut album, Broooch in 1993. Taking their name from the touristy town in Northern Tunisia, they worked closely with the fairly prominent Cardiacs.

In fact, it was members of Cardiacs (including none other than Tim Smith) that produced their first three albums, and Sidi Bou Said often contributed to their concerts. Admittedly, I have not listened to a lot of Cardiac’s material, but there are some connections between Blur’s work and Sidi Bou Said, as Blur has often cited Cardiacs as an influence on their music. I’ll touch more on inspiration and narratives later.

Turning to Bodies, my initial reaction is just how dark, gritty and visceral it is. Many of their songs centre around such themes as religion, human anatomy, and references to classic films and fables. The opening track, Hyde, is a very thematic and dark take on the classic tale of Jekyll and Hyde, that appears to centre the listener as the one grappling with the duality of their psyche. I really enjoy when songs appear to situate the listener into a situation, and this sense of darkness and upbeat creepiness seeps through the rest of the record.

Many of the other reviews and opinions I read about this album seem to centre on Sidi Bou Said’s approach to addressing feminism, objectification and body image. Rather than the in-your-face approach of groups such as Veruca Salt, they rely on their abstract lyricism and allusions to the stories they craft. While I don’t necessarily disagree with this assessment, tracks like Brittle and Lefthanded are so clear in their message and in-your-face, that, backed with the big orchestral sound that accompanies them (complete with violins, harpsichords and a whole wack of other instruments), it’s hard to argue that Sidi Bou Said aren’t making a statement.

This one of the aspects of this record I really like; sure its visceral and weird, but these monumental tracks that build on one and other and tackle such integral subjects create an album that subverts expectations. There’s a push to make you WANT to tune in, even if you can’t really understand it.

It leads me to think of some of the current day artists I think officially unofficially draw inspiration from Sidi Bou Said, or at least get compared to them. Many folks describe them as similar to the Pixies, due to the themes of their songs, though I would also go as far to suggest they’re elements of the Cure as well especially with the sounds they use and aesthetic of their music. Surprisingly, I find myself thinking that bands like Franz Ferdinand tend to take a lot from them, especially on the track Practice Walking. Franz Ferdinand has this high-class grittiness, and air of nonchalant formality that is shared with Sidi Bou Said. Tinged with wit, sarcasm and a similar ability to craft stories out of their songs, I can’t help but feel that the Glasgow-based outfit must have gotten something from Sidi Bou Said, at least for their first three albums. I mean, they were able to create an entire image AND hit song from the death of an archduke (yes, Take Me Out is about what Franz Ferdinand’s wife, Sophie would have proclaimed shortly after her husband’s assassination).

Similarly, their large sound and ability to drill down to the describe the life through the eyes of the mundane is something I notice a lot with Blur’s discography. Whether that is pulled from their direct nod to Cardiacs or a cursory connection to Sidi Bou Said is up for discussion, it’s at least clear that this is a common theme they all shared as staples in the British alternative scene, maybe to match their grey weather.

Bodies is a record wrapped in anonymity that hints at something bigger. It’s focus on strange and frankly, much-needed topics situate itself as a release that is still relevant to this day. It has certainly driven me to delve more into their associated acts and explore some of the other artists that looked to tackle some of the music industry’s historically cemented stereotypes and damaging practices, along with many of the attitudes in local scenes throughout the 90s. Especially that capture it in such an artistic and subjective way.