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noman loveyoutobits
Artist: No-Man
Title: Love You To Bits
Genre: Alt-Pop / Experimental
Release Date: 22nd November 2019
Label: Caroline International


Album Review

Essentially a project for Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson plus various collaborators and guests over the years, the UK’s NO-MAN have been releasing quirky, experimental Pop since the late 80s. This is their first re-emergence in over 11 years, and it charts the end of a relationship from different perspectives - split into two sections, ‘Love You To Bits’ and ‘Love You To Pieces’. So far so ever slightly nauseating a concept.

It all starts off interestingly enough, a pulse of urgent synths and a spluttering beat before the vocals somewhat over-announce themselves and the thing gets a real kick-start. Lyrically it’s all a bit obvious and rhymey, and there’s something just slightly cringe-worthy about “I love you to bits, I love you to pieces” being sung endlessly with such sincerity, like it’s the deepest and most passionate thing anyone ever dreamt up to say. In ‘part 2’ “Eyes are tired of weeping, over you” before some funky fusion in ‘part 3’ scatters that emotion across the floor of a sweaty 70’s disco. This is certainly one hell of a break-up.

In ‘part 4’ our protagonist is still “Falling, falling…” but doing it over a BEE-GEES soundtrack. Perhaps dancing helps the poor wee lamb. The first half ends as it begins, same refrain, just a bit of extra groovy percussion. All a bit strange. Swapping ‘Bits’ for ‘Pieces’, it’s all sounding a lot more maudlin and depressed in ‘part 1’, at least to begin with. But then it’s the same refrain yet again, and it’s now just irritating. There’s some interesting electronica and treated vocals next, which breaks the monotony and repetition, before some utterly dreadful jazz noodling come inexplicably to the party and start showing off to no purpose whatsoever. Baffling. If this is a concept, it’s one of those highly secret ones known only to the proud genius who thought it up and wrote it on the back of a fag-packet down the pub one night.

Where are we up to? Ah yes. ‘Part 3’ “felt like the future, there was stardust in your eyes” but I’m not convinced. There’s some dreamy floaty stuff going on next, and then some late night self-pity to conclude. By this point you are so glad she dumped him, you want to send her flowers and wish her all the best in her new life. This is all a bit of a pointless mess if truth be told. It’s almost completely lacking any real emotion, and its endless regurgitation of the central theme just serves to frustrate and annoy. In the end this is all just bits and pieces…


Tracklist

01. Love You To Bits 1
02. Love You To Bits 2
03. Love You To Bits 3
04. Love You To Bits 4
05. Love You To Bits 5
06. Love You To Pieces 1
07. Love You To Pieces 2
08. Love You To Pieces 3
09. Love You To Pieces 4
10. Love You To Pieces 5


Line-up

Tim Bowness
Steven Wilson


Website

http://no-man.co.uk / https://www.facebook.com/nomanofficial


Cover Picture

noman loveyoutobits


Rating

Music: 5
Sound: 5
Total: 5 / 10




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