THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH / 0898 Beautiful South (1992)

Twelve more catchy and intelligent Pop songs from a band that don't care what anyone thinks of their approach to song writing.
It's not the Beautiful South album I would give to a new listener, but if you're already a fan, then make sure and pick it up because it rewards your good taste with some solid tracks that hide the usual Heaton bite beneath a sugary surface.

Songs of Note: Old Red Eyes is Back; 36D

3 things to deal with later out of 5

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH / Welcome to the Beautiful South (1989)

It's hard to dislike the Pop-friendly, Jazzy lullabies that The Beautiful South offer up. When the caustic lyrics sink into your brain after a few listens, and you realise that it's not as safe as it pertains to be, everything begins to make a strange kind of sense. Lyricist Paul Heaton sounds like a choir boy grown up, but he's the choir boy that had a well-thumbed Samuel Becket novel hidden in his songbook.

Songs of Note: Woman in the Wall; You Keep it All In

3½ corpses in the wall out of 5

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH / Blue is the Colour (1997)

The soulful Pop music, the beauty of Jacqueline Abbott's voice and the soft lull of Paul Heaton's may make you think that you're hearing songs about sunny days on the beach; delve deeper and you'll find lyrics filled with bitter sarcasm, cynicism, and unabashed pessimism, with subject matter you can only appreciate fully if you've experienced it yourself. It's typical Beautiful South, but this time at max level. It's some of the most uplifting songs about misery you're likely to find.

Songs of Note: Don't Marry Her; Mirror

4 blonde and beautiful is dull and dutiful out of 5