Nervous Flashlights
Nervous Flashlights is the eighth studio album by Australian indie rockers, The Fauves, which was issued in June 2006 on Shock Records and was co-produced by the group with Wayne Connolly (You Am I). Eleven of its twelve tracks were written by the band's vocalist and guitarist, Andrew Cox. DetailsCox later said, "We got a grant for this one. Like lottery winners passing a bedraggled busker, the government leant in to the guitar case at my feet and generously deposited a few notes. Quailing with panic, taxpayers reached for their rear pockets only to find their wallets already gone."[1] On their website they related, "The song 'Clive of India Curry Powder' earned us our first ever sponsorship deal when the makers of the iconic spice blend sent us a box of their products as acknowledgment of the brilliant job we had done in promoting their brand."[2] ReceptionGarrett Bithell of FasterLouder opined, "nothing particularly memorable about [the album]. Musically the tracks are formulaic and generally uninspiring, but lyrically they are witty and literate. The problem is the guys are attempting to tread that very fine line between self-effacing tripe and culturally critical self-indulgence. In doing so they unfortunately fall into a well of gimmicky mediocrity."[3] The Sydney Morning Herald's George Palathingal observed, "The opening couplets of new album Nervous Flashlights could make you laugh out loud ('True love waits/So hit the brakes/Take your hands/Out of my pants ..."') while plaintive 'Down All Day' is just delicately lovely. Elsewhere, Cox references everyone from Jim Fixx, the so-called godfather of American jogging who died of a heart attack while running, to David Coverdale, singer for '80s hair-rock embarrassment Whitesnake."[4] The reviewer for Glovebox.com.au website rated it at 61% and explained, "As veteran mock-rockers, the [band] have left it until late in their career to discover their sensitive side, with [this album] being easily their most emotionally fragile release to date... It seems that at the heart of the Fauves is a sense of romanticism that was less apparent in their earlier works, but has become more pronounced as age has not wearied them but tempered their attitudes towards life."[5] Track listingAll tracks are written by Andrew Cox,[6] unless otherwise noted
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