Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

King Creosote

Not One Bit Ashamed

Label: 679 Recordings Release Date: 06/03/2006

12809
Rrrachel by Rachel Cawley March 3rd, 2006

Such a handsome song. Aristocratic, with its chin jutted out in stance of stoic solidarity. “It’s not good enough, it’s not good enough” he insists, in affirmative clipped Scottish syllables, hands on hips, hardened and nearly aloof. “It’s not good enough.” He has given his all to this relationship, and she hasn’t reciprocated. This is the heavy-brow haughty break-up, evidence displayed with all the oratory of the skilled lawyer on case: “I gave up half of my heart, and you gave a half-hearted shrug”. Stalwart and soldiering, tuba and piano are the regal accompaniment to such a dignified termination.

No matter how handsome and imperial a man, there will always be an element of façade. No-one can really be wholly unemotional, even Hollywood informs us of that. So as he lowers his chin to adjust his waistcoat lapel, scuffs one shoe against the other and the wind taunts his otherwise fetchingly ruffled hair; his veneer cracks for just a moment. Cries of “You’re not one bit ashamed” echo across an emptying room. It’s the sound of a slipping front and the one stray tear leaving dark eyes. A song at once solid and fragile and thus, necessary.

Special mention must go to B-side ‘Acquaintance’ and Deaf Mute’s remix of ‘The Someone Else’. Also fence collective types, they offer a complete reinterpretation of an already immaculate song. Accompanied now just by piano and violin, traversing new harmonic ideas, the song takes on airs and graces of incredible elegant mourning.

  • 8
    Rachel Cawley's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Death Cab For Cutie at Astoria, London, Tue 28 Feb

Mobback
12826
7094

The Go! Team, The Grates, Smoosh at Koko, Camden Town, Wed 01 Mar

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    news


    Can You Help?

  • 105927
  • review


    Kate Nash - Made Of Bricks

  • 26283

    feature


    DiS is 6: Our 66, the top six

  • 95297
  • DiSband


    DiSband #7: Viva Brother

  • 77972

    Playlist


    15 Years of DiS in 15 Videos (Vevo Playlist)

  • 101593
  • Column


    Drowned In Sound's 40 Favourite Songs of 2014

  • 98608

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • Column


    Lost Albums 2000-2015

  • 101481
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND