The Decline and Fall of Heavenly

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The Decline and Fall of Heavenly album cover
Album Information
EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 8   Total Length: 25:19

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Barry Walters

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
Heavenly, The Decline and Fall of Heavenly
Label: Sarah Records / Virtual

This Oxford, England quintet trumped its American counterparts (and US label mates) Beat Happening by drawing from similar roots (the Velvet Underground, DIY, '60s girlie-pop and feminism) but sang on key more often, played their instruments with a competence that eventually matched their enthusiasm and left behind punky pop for speedy new wave. On their second, shortest and arguably best album, lead vocalist Amelia Fetcher trades knowing lines with keyboardist and backing vocalist Catchy Rogers on snappy tracks like "Skipjack" and the unforgettable title "Sperm Meets Egg, So What?" Shortly before the release of 1996's rockier Operation Heavenly, drumming brother and primary songwriter Mathew Fletcher committed suicide, and Heavenly was no more.

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you won't be disappointed!

stopbeatingme

Amazing album. My only complaint is that it's too short. And the last track is a bit of a throwaway. But the rest is brilliant. Too bad tragedy had to cut down this band with so much promise.

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They Say All Music Guide

Heavenly has always rooted their music pretty firmly in upbeat ’60s pop, and The Decline and Fall…, more than any of their other albums, points this out. While their previous (and probably best) release, Le Jardin de Heavenly, was well in line with indie-pop conventions, and the release that followed (Operation Heavenly) drifted into almost new-wave rock, The Decline and Fall… is a cleanly produced sequence of bouncy, guitar-based pop songs — and fans of the band know just how good they are at writing bouncy pop songs. The only problem with The Decline and Fall is that it’s so painfully short. – Nitsuh Abebe