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Title: The Cracks Were Showing
Review: Slagging the Pogues isn't something I like to do, but if you're going to be true to the bands you like, that means they have to take the criticism as well as the accolades. And the fact is, this album misses the mark by far.By any other band it might even be a 3- or 4-star affair, but not by the Pogues. Spider Stacy claimed that 'it's not timid... it's raucous when it has to be.' but this is hogwash. The songwriting is uninteresting, the conviction of the band (especially shane's vocals) is found wanting, and the album never really gels as a 'Pogues' release.Matt Johnson's subsequent TheThe releases following 'Infected' are similar, in that they're a total departure, and they might be saluted as an artistic (read: maturity) change, but they're less interesting as a result.If you find it used--cheap--you might want to pick it up, but otherwise forget about it. I'm sure the Pogues already have.
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