Influences: Jarvis

I get pretty excited when I hear a song and think, "I know who was listening to this!"

I've been spinning Dream Academy's first album (side 1 in particular) a bunch in the last month, and one day it just hit me...Jarvis Cocker must have listened to this singer!

While it's true that Pulp predates this 1985 Dream Academy song, Pulp's first album, "It", doesn't feature the vocal swagger and nuance of the more familiar "His 'n' Hers" material onward (Pulp's second album came out 1986) though you can hear that Jarvis is leaning in that direction.

Take a moment and listen to "This World" below. Note the breathy vocals that transition into a full-throated chorus, the way Nick Laird-Clowes plays with the rhythm of the words, making them staccato or stretching them. Nick isn't afraid to go for "whoa whoa whoa" bridge, either. These are all very BJE (before Jarvis era) Jarvis-sounding vocals.

Now listen to a bit of this track, and you'll hear what I'm talking about! Try not to get too distracted by Jarvis' dance moves ;)

As a footnote, the lyrics to "This World" have seriously Pulp-like lyrics as well. Great minds?

Also, I must now go watch Pulp videos...! 90s rock videos forever!