Separations

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineSeparations is the birth of the modern Pulp. Not only does the record feature the lineup that would eventually break through into the mainstream, it is the first album to contain the fusion of pop, dance, and rock that would take them to the top of the charts in the mid-'90s. More than anything, the influence of acid house and raves weighs heavily on Separations, as the band stretches out into the disco groove of "Countdown" and the long jam "This House Is Condemned." But what is especially noticeable about Separations is how Pulp is finally starting to write some fully realized songs. "My Legendary Girlfriend," the song that earned the band its first Single of the Week in NME, is the leader of the pack with a brilliant, sly lyric and vocal from Jarvis Cocker, and an appropriately melodic and slightly dirty instrumental backdrop from the band. "Countdown," with its insistent beat, is nearly as good, as is the loping opener, "Love Is Blind." Pulp isn't able to keep the pace throughout the album -- there are several weak spots, particularly the awkward stab at house, "This House Is Condemned" -- but Separations is the first album that illustrates the band's potential and exactly what it could accomplish.