Pulp - 'His 'N Hers' (Island) Released 11/09/06

Do you remember the first time? Oh yes, Jarvis we do. An incredible 12 years after its original release, the money-spinning powers that be are re-releasing ‘His N’ Hers’; part of three classic Pulp album reissues with all the obligatory, bumper bonus material crammed on top. In the mid-nineties, as British guitar music was going through nothing short of a renaissance, five unsuspecting Sheffield outcasts who’d been doing the rounds for the better part of a decade, released ‘His N’ Hers’ - an album that manage to carve the band their very own niche in a crowded market; an iconic geeky frontman, witty tales of pre-millennial northern life, brilliant melodies – qualities that, clichés aside, sound as fresh and relevant as ever today.

Undeniably, it’s the chart-denting hits that provide the muscle. The buoyant ‘Do You Remember The First Time?’ sees Jarv slipping between his impassive, breathy croon and urgent yelps to dazzling effect, while their first top-twenty hit ‘Babies’ is pure carefree and soul-wrenchingly uplifting. Yet the strength, in ‘His ‘N Hers’ like most Pulp material is its sheer depth in character. The almost funeral march paced ‘Someone Like The Moon’ is a lesson in suspense and haunting undertones, the brilliant ‘Lipgloss’ is full of flamboyant flair and the brooding ‘She’s a Lady’ simmers and snarls and comes complete with a killer electronic groove. The album truly provides the blueprint for the phenomenally successful ‘Different Class’ and in its own unsuspecting way is very much a classic.      

Augmenting, but thankfully not weighing down, the release is the bonus CD of rare treasures. The Radio 1 sessions for John Peel and Mark Goodier sound polished, the B-sides too pack a punch – most notably the emphatic ‘His N’ Hers’. But it’s with the previously unheard demos that the package excels. The live recording of ‘Space’ goes all seventies prog rock on our asses, ‘You’re Not Blind’ and ‘Watching Nicky’ are incredibly naïve yet beguiling attempts at re-writing ‘Babies’, while the dark ‘Frightened’ hints at the avenue the band would take six years later with ‘This Is Hardcore.’ An emphatic package that serves as a pertinent reminder of why we fell in love with Pulp so.