Freaks
is so different than
It
that it nearly sounds like a different band. Granted, that is largely due to the fact that
Pulp
was a different band, apart from lead vocalist
Jarvis Cocker
. After the unsuccessful showing of
, the band broke up, leaving
Cocker
to assemble a new lineup. The most significant new member was
Russell Senior
, who brought a fascination with art,
noise
, and neo-gothic overtones to the band. But that change in sound isn't the only reason why
is the darkest record
ever made, or ever will make.
's lyrics are neurotically gloomy and paranoid, obsessed with failures and outcasts. While this would become a signature theme for
's songs,
's outlook on
is oppressively bleak -- he finds no future for the mis-shapes and misfits in his songs. Not only are the songs hopeless, so is the production. The very sound of
is muddy and impenetrable, making it difficult to find the occasional rewarding moment on the album, such as
"Master of the Universe,"
"They Suffocate at Night,"
or
Senior
's
"Anorexic Beauty."
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine