New Wave (1993)

New Wave is the 1993 debut album by British rock band the Auteurs. In 2014, British independent record label 3 Loop Music re-released the album on 180gsm Vinyl and as a 2CD Expanded Edition which included b-sides, rarities, radio session tracks and the original 4-track demos that led to the band's signing with Hut Records.

Background

After the demise of the Servants, musicians Luke Haines and Alice Readman formed the Auteurs; former Dog Unit drummer Glenn Collins joined soon after. The trio made their live debut in April 1992 at the Euston Rails Club in London, signing to Hut Records, a subsidiary of major label Virgin Records. British press saw the band as part of a potential glam rock revival, while American press would plainly compare them to Suede. Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that New Wave laid the groundwork for what would subsequently become Britpop.

Release and reception

"Show Girl" was released the lead single in December 1992, ahead of New Wave, which appeared in early 1993. By this point, celloist James Banbury joined the band. By mid-1993, Collins was replaced by Barny C. Rockford.

Thompson referred to the album as a "university thesis on how to build Brit-pop, shot through with such startlingly intelligent perversity that the end result is more of a template than a tribute." He singled "Show Girl" and "Junk Shop Clothes" as highlights. Stereo Review wrote that "Haines is a brooder who tends toward minor keys and bleak but arresting lyrics that obsess on the darker side of showbiz and celebrity." The Washington Post concluded that "not all these songs are as catchy as 'Bailed Out' or 'Early Years' but those who empathize with Haines's self-mocking boho sensibility will find New Wave immensely appealing."

In a retrospective review, Jake Kennedy of Record Collector said it was not the band's best effort, but considered it a "canny time capsule, bundled up with all the retro glam of the era", with a number of lyrical topics which "confuse and charm in equal measure".

Thompson said that it was one of the most acclaimed albums in 1993. It was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. It is now included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list.

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.

• The Auteurs
• Luke Haines – guitar, piano, vocals
• Alice Readman – bass guitar
• Glenn Collins – drums
• Additional musicians
• James Banbury – cello
• Chris Wyles – percussion
• Kuljit Bhamra – percussion
• Joe Beckett – percussion
• Production
• Phil Vinall – engineer, producer
• Luke Haines – producer
• Stefan de Batselier – photography
• Peter Barrett – sleeve design
• Andrew Biscomb – sleeve design