Obscure alternatives

The band's debut album, Adolescent Sex , was unsuccessful in the UK charts. In this regard, Ariola Hans a demanded that the group record another album, which this time focused on the American and European markets, where rock music dominated on radio stations . And in the summer of 1978, the recording of the album Obscure Alternatives began , produced by Ray Singer ^[3] . The single Sometimes I Feel So Low was released on October 19 (the same month it also appeared on the back of the single Adolescent Sex ), and the album was released on October 27 ^[4] . Obscure Alternatives was also unsuccessful in the UK, but ranked 21st in the Japanese charts ^[5] and 41 in the Netherlands.

In 1982, after the breakup of the group, David Silvian in an interview with Smash Hits magazine admitted that this particular album was to be their debut work:

I regret the first album, Adolescent Sex , in the sense that we were too young, too naive to do it. The people around us had to understand this and not release it. The second album would be quite suitable as a debut one.

Original text

I regret the first album, 'Adolescent Sex', in the sense that we were too young, too naive to make it. The people around us should have realised that and not had it released. The second album is okay as a first album. ^[6]

The Tenant 's final composition was the first noticeable shift in the direction of their subsequent creative material ^[7] .

Trouser Press rated the album as “unfavorable”, pointing out the following reasons: “not melodic songs, inconspicuous production. If you listen quickly, you can confuse the imitating junior league with The Rolling Stones ” ^[8] . Trouser Press writes that the album “added a lot of keyboards, but the band still relies on droning guitars and David Silvian’s sneaky vocals . ” Some songs from the album contain elements of reggae and funk ^[8] .

AllMusic, in turn, rated the album more positively: “although the album is not on an equal footing with the debut album, you can listen to it quite well” ^[9] . Critic Amy Henson described the song “Automatic Gun” as “shining like a braid and shocking punk backed up by pop guitars . ” The title track was described as “surprisingly atmospheric and at the same time a little intimidating,” while the song “Love Is Infectious” was called “putting the band in the discordant house of art post-punk . ” “... Rhodesia ,” writes Hanson, “returned funk and instilled in him a Caribbean entity” ^[9] .

All songs are written by David Silvian , except those noted.

• Notes: In the original full-length version, the first side contains tracks 1-4, the second side 5-8.

• Album on AllMusic
• Album on Nightporter
• Album on Life in Tokyo
• Album Review by Paul Rigby