killing time

1. FIRST
2. HEADLESS
3. PUSH
4. PAINT MY FACE
5. FRIENDS
6. FALL
7. TRIP AND SLIDE
8. SHOTGUN
9. SURROUND
10. TANGLE

released 1992

Bleach's debut album makes heavy listening at first, but, as with much of their stuff, sticking with
it will reap it's rewards. First is a truncated version of the track First and Last from the Shotgun
single, which, if you're used to the full song, is disconcertingly shoved aside halfway through by
 the riotous intro of Headless, which opens with the album title repeated mantra-like over
furious guitars and a manic bassline. Push is a similar sounding track, fast angry Bleach, at first
almost indistinguishable from Headless. The pace slows down a little for Paint my face, which,
although nothing outstanding musically, has great lyrics about being someone you aren't to
please others, a recurring theme in Bleach songs. In a similar vein, Friends is another tirade
about backstabbing and two-facedness, with some great glam-like drums for an intro, and a great
ending. Fall is another fast angry Bleach song, big drums, loud guitars, the usual. Trip and slide
has one of my favourite intros, fading in to the usual wash of sound, with Salli doing her soft
vocals again. It also has some of my favourite Bleach lyrics ("if there was one moment I could
treasure all my life I'd take this one ") Shotgun is exactly the same as the single version, infectious
as ever, before fading in to the superb Surround. Classic Bleach stuff, Salli switching from soft
to hard to great effect over white noise guitars. This would probably have been better as the final
track, as Tangle is another slow number, offering little more to the album. Still, no-one's perfect,
as Bleach's lyrics clearly testify again and again, which at least gives the album a definate feel
throughout - betrayal, disappointment and bitterness.

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