Kitchens Of Distinction

Watch Our Planet Circle

Six-CD set of the trio’s four studio albums from 1989-96, plus extras.

Kitchens Of Distinction emerged somewhat imageless, and with a particularly clunky name, at the start of the neo-psychedelic shoegazing trend, with a rather disjunctive trademark sound of Justin Swales’ treated, echoed guitar billowing extravagantly across a grounded, indie approach to song and rhythm. Into the Britpop ’90s, bass guitarist and singer Patrick Fitzgerald’s lyrics, some of which frankly addressed gay issues, were rather harder to market than the androgynous teasings of Suede’s Brett Anderson. Their debut Love Is Hell is somewhat foursquare and their songwriting chops were just still coming together, but on the superior Strange Free World and The Death Of Cool, both of which charted in the UK, their eclectic sonic elements knitted together powerfully. Cowboys And Aliens is a more polished set, but failed to chart and spelt the initial demise of the band. Good quality extras include BBC sessions and sundries.