McCarthy 'Red Sleeping Beauty' (The Pink Label, 1986)

I have to confess to having only recently encountered this song and then only via a Mojo magazine cover CD (the indie shame!). However, I have fallen for it's spiraling guitar charms and can see what a pivotal record it was (or should have been).

My awareness of McCarthy is more for the likes of 'Should The Bible Be Banned' (a more straightforward song with a provocative lyrical theme), the fact that Stereolab's Tim Gane was in them (and also Laetitia Sadier on a later album), and that this record was produced by The Wolfhounds' Dave Callaghan who went on to form the amazing Moonshake band.

'Red Sleeping Beauty' has a more ambitious sound that the polemical rockabilly of 'Should The Bible Be Banned', encompassing swirls of guitar, urgent drums and a gorgeous melodic sweep. The choppy guitar chords it opens with bring to mind the wonder of Sebadoh's 'Soul and Fire' (will have to blog that one day). The cascading guitar lines that overlay it bring the rolling rhythm to life so that the vocals can sound a yearning tale of the waking dream/nightmare of (presumably) Thatcher's Britain.

Splendid stuff.

Download McCarthy 'Red Sleeping Beauty' (mp3) (Mediafire)