Rocktrospectiva: The Raw And Danceable "Automatic" Turns 35

Released on 9 October 1989, "Automatic" was the third studio album by Scottish alternative band The Jesus And Mary Chain, practically it was just the Reid Brothers and a drum machine to provide percussion and synthesised bass. The album spawned two singles "Head On", & "Blues From A Gun". 

Practically their third album was a box full of surprises, with a more agressive sound that their predecessor "Darklands", under the production of the brilliant Alan Moulder, his job was determinant to find a way to make sound the band uncommercial, and find the brothers just on the point in spite of drumming machines, Bobby Gillespie did a great approach in order to fit the style of the band. 

The tracklisting was intenses "Sidewalking" is just a pure T.Rex hommage, what about the rock and roller "Head On", the brawling "Blues From A Gun" and the intense of "Her Way Of Praying", providing a different level of energy, while other tracks shines alone just like "Coast To Coasr", the nice "Halfway To Crazy" and the brief "Drop". 

The álbum is not an indie dance collection, is more a rock and roll record with slices of the genres and danceable styles that dominate back them, is full of reverberation and experimentation, a nice example of what rock and roll could be without losing its touch and soul. 

Despite the album faile to generate and favourable critical buzz as its predecessor, "Automatic" still sound fresh and challenger, its vibes has risen since, and instead to vanished into forgotten, the effect has been the contrary, this is because each album by this band never sound the same, it has a unique personality that helped to define the implosion of indie rock until the end of the 90's., also, one of the biggest reason of why this record still so relevant 35 years later, is because it's a record that you can dance to, definitely their career peak.

 

Automatic Track List:

1. Here Comes Alice

2. Coast To Coast

3. Blues From A Gun

4. Between Planets

5. UV Ray

6. Her Way Of Praying 

7. Head On

8. Take It

9. Halfway To Crazy 

10. Gimme Hell

11. Drop

12. Sunray