It's Immaterial - "Life's Hard And Then You Die" (1986)

The hit Driving Away From Home was played frequently on the radio in 1986, I was 14 years old, was in eighth grade and my more ambitious interest in music was starting to form. I still had no clear direction in my musical taste and I was open to suggestions and influences. With some confusion, but also great curiosity, I searched my way through the big forest of music, trying to find out what path was mine. Life's Hard And Then You Die was a station on this search.

At this time in life a purchase of a record was a big deal. Due to financial reasons it didn't happen often (yes, I bought my records and didn't shoplift them, as some others ...) with the result that each album became extremely valuable, and the relationship that was formed with each record was deep. After some time, thanks to regular, focused listenings, you knew every inch of the album, all of its strengths and weaknesses, and of course could sing along to almost every song.

The Liverpool band It's Immaterial was created in 1980 and consisted at the time of the recording of Life's Hard... by John Campbell (vocals) and Jarvis Whitehead (guitar and keyboard). This was their first album of two (read about the latter album here). If you compare the two albums, Life's Hard... is a little more fast-paced and varied than the latter Song, though the melancholy regularly makes an appearance also on their debut album.

Often you hear Campbell "talk-sing" through the verses and then lets his beautiful singing voice blossom in the choruses. These choruses are often sweeping, grandiose and beautiful, which is a nice contrast to the more restrained verses. Personally, I'm weak for such choruses.

The album is strongly associated with my early teens which to some extent affect my experience of it, but if I try to ignore this relationship and listen to the record more objectively, it's a really great album. I usually complain about the music from the '80s, but here is an exeption. Here and there you can hear some Pet Shop Boys, even if It's Immaterial feels a bit more melancholy, and with some good will you might hear a little of the English band James, primarily in the sweeping choruses.
The production is nice and the sound is impeccable. Even the drum machine that is heard in certain songs feels OK. I was actually a bit surprised by the great sound, but it probably says more about my prejudices and expectations of the music from the '80s.

In summary, I recommend this album. It's a relatively laid-back album with a rather large variety and beautiful songs. It feels like It's Immaterial could have become bigger than they did, but the market apparently wanted different.

Tracklist

Side A
1. Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) 4:12
2. Happy Talk 5:29
3. Rope 3:37
4. The Better Idea 5:42
5. Space 3:59

Side B
1. The Sweet Life 4:38
2. Festival Time 3:52
3. Ed's Funky Dinner 3:05
4. Hang On Sleepy Town 4:20
5. Lullaby 6:21