fast

1. TEENAGE MONK
2. HATE SONG
3. COSY
4. IF WE ARE DEAD
5. ACTION TIME
6. RELAX

released 1993

This is the second of Bleach's two mini lp's, immeasurably better than Hard, and, if not for the
last two tracks, could be their best release. Teenage Monk is fast, hard, has some real groovy
bass in the middle, and even some very un-Bleach like doo-doodoo-ing in the middle, but it
works well. Hate Song is the song the band have been waiting to sing for four years, a rallying
call to the emotionally estranged and bitter amongst us, starting off theatrically with it's long
 intro, before the ire starts in earnest. Cosy marches along in a military style, but still sounds soft
and, well, cosy, with some nice lyrics. If We Are Dead is obviously a favourite as you may have
guessed, fading in and building up with hard Salli outlining the day to day monotony and
frustration of her futile existence, before soft Salli comes in to tell us " the perfect moment is
here, and I am falling apart ". Classic Bleach, but, after that, the standard slips a little, Action
Time would maybe have been more at home on Hard, and the lp finishes with a curious cover
of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax. Great novelty value, but it soon wears off after a few
listens, leaving you wondering why they covered that particular song and wether these are the
same people who wrote songs like Burn, Headless and Hate Song. Surely not?

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