How's It Hold Up? Lucy Ford

by Atmosphere

This was my first Atmosphere album, although it must be said that I picked it up after hearing Slug collaborate Murs on 'Felt'; I didn't pick it up when it first came out. That said, this is, to me, the seminal Atmosphere record, and one that I feel deserves to be listened to at least once a year still.

There are a lot of great songs on here. 'Don't Ever Fucking Question That' was an early favorite, although now I think it has been eclipsed by 'Guns and Cigarettes' and 'It Goes'.

I was amused about a year ago to be wandering around Blockbuster and realizing that some movie preview they were blaring across the store made use of the hook for 'The Woman with the Tattooed Hands', minus the line about biting her bottom lip.

What I like most about this album is that I feel as if Slug and Ant (and the odd guest producers) are still trying to find their voice as a group, and are therefore experimenting with their sound in a way that isn't seen again until "When Life Gives You Lemons".

This is a classic album, that holds up remarkably well.