One record at a time: 411. Soft Cell – This Last Night In Sodom

If the artwork failed to dissuade a casual observer from purchasing this record then the title would undoubtedly have done so. Even those daring enough to overlook the packaging might have found themselves bemused by this rather strange album.

The word I see most commonly associated with "This Last Night In Sodom" is....'dark'.  I suppose it can still be classed as synth-pop - but this is a different version of the band that fist emerged in 1981. In the search for something new and more fulfilling, Dave and Marc decided to produce their final album themselves and the electronic sheen of their debut was consigned to history. 

The subject matter of these songs sticks to the Soft Cell tradition of turning over the rocks that others dare not as Marc sings about drug addition, prostitution and murder. As they cast about creating sounds with the PPG Wave 2.2 and Oberheim DMX, the band seemed to fall on electric bass, Hammond organ and even, god forbid, guitar to underpin their new sound.

Opening number "Mr Self Destruct" picks up where the unfortunate "The Art of Falling Apart" left off with a frantic wall of sound that robs the song of its melody. Happily tracks like "Rough little rhinestones" and "Meet Murder My Angel" prove Dave and Marc could still write a fantastic song. There are some signs this was the band's first production as the double tracked vocals sometimes slip out of sync and the (intentionally) monaural sounding mix leads to a bit of a mush sometimes, but generally the songs win the day.

I find the track "Slave to This" fascinating as it sounds as close to Nine Inch Nails as anything I have ever heard that isn't actually written by Trent Reznor. My favourite track is "Surrender to a Stranger" which is positively bristling with ideas and hooks. The single "Soul Inside" is a bit disappointing but the more raucous "Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It The Most)" has some neat touches and has added poignancy when you consider it was probably intended to be the last thing we ever heard from the group.

My copy of this vinyl is from 2016 (back when you would get a card with a digital download code) and is pressed by Optimal in Germany. There is some sibilance on "L'Esqualita" but otherwise it offers a faithful reproduction of the music. This record might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is miles better than "The Art of Failing Apart" and it is definitely better than some might have led you to believe. 3/5