By Jim Rowland
Originally released in 1997, ‘Despite Yourself’ was the second and final album from Brit alt-rockers Headswim, hitting the Top 30 in the album charts, and featuring the single ‘Tourniquet’ which was also a Top 30 hit. Now Trapped Animal Records reissue ‘Despite Yourself’ on CD and for the first time ever on vinyl, with a whole host of bonus tracks added.
Despite that chart success, Sony weren’t satisfied with the return on their investment and the band were ultimately dropped before a third album could be completed, so ‘Despite Yourself’ remains the swan song of their short-lived career, although the various members went on to new projects like BlackCar, Tenebrous Liar and Mew.
Opening the album, the single ‘Torniquet’ remains an imperious ’90s anthem that has stood the test of time well, and the album’s standout track. Its high quality song writing, sophistication and inventiveness characterizes much of the album, from the catchy, up-tempo ‘Hype’ to the dark drama of ‘Clinging to the Wreckage’ to the rousing ‘Old Angel Midnight’ and the progressive tendencies of ‘Devil In My Palm’ and ‘Moving On’.
‘Despite Yourself’ is an album with high production values, and a clever and appealing fusion of traditional rock with strings and electronics. Of particular interest to fans of old will be the seven bonus tracks included here, retrieved from the Sony archive and certainly not substandard outtakes. The twisted acoustic flavour of ‘Black Car’, ‘Last Subway Coma’ and ‘Recovery Position’ owe much to the influence of Radiohead, a comparison that cannot really be ignored across the album, whilst the catchy ‘The Seed’, the heavy ‘Plagued’ and the electronic ‘No Ticket’ all head in a more upbeat direction. Capping it all off, and finishing where it started, is an alternative more string-orchestrated mix of ‘Torniquet’, which has not been previously released.
Released on double vinyl and deluxe CD editions, this is the perfect opportunity to re-discover and reassess this nugget from the Nineties.