Classic Album, Supergrass, In It for the Money
Posted on 25th Jun 10 by Sean Gildea | 
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With Supergrass splitting earlier this year, it’s ripe time to address the impact that the band have had on the British music scene since their 1995 debut, I Should Coco. Their first album was a terrifically energetic display of pop-punk prowess, but it was their second record, In It for the Money, that would remain [...]
With Supergrass splitting earlier this year, it’s ripe time to address the impact that the band have had on the British music scene since their 1995 debut, I Should Coco. Their first album was a terrifically energetic display of pop-punk prowess, but it was their second record, In It for the Money, that would remain their masterpiece throughout an eclectic but hardly prolific fifteen year career.
Supergrass, In It For The Money
Supergrass emerged in mid-1994, at the peak of the Britpop-era – but even by belonging to a genre that tried to pigeon-hole groups such as Blur, Pulp and Radiohead – they still managed to seem like the outsiders of the pack. They didn’t have the swagger of Oasis or the Modness of Ocean Colour Scene. With the success of their 1995 summer anthem Alright, they seemed destined to be forever known as the happy-go-lucky, “Alright” kids.
But with their 1997 follow-up, In it for the Money, Supergrass happily shredded their image as Britpop’s good time kids, by creating a much darker and more mature record than their first. Whereas I Should Coco had a spirited rawness about it, In it for the Money is a high-end production – but it never seems overly polished.
The album opener, and title track, starts things off with an organ sound that makes you feel like you have stepped into a haunted house; before a dark, distorted guitar kicks in. The song gradually builds up until it reaches an explosive crescendo; and before you know it, you are listening to a grand-scale pop epic courtesy of the trumpets and harmonies that bellow loudly among the guitars and drums.
It all comes to a sudden halt before you are sucker-punched by the brilliant Richard III. The second track is a dark, brash and ferociously loud rocker, with snarling vocals and filthy guitar riffs. It is about as far from Alright as Supergrass get, and is a clear statement of their intentions to be taken seriously.
That is not to say that there are no radio-friendly pop-rock singles in the mix. Tonight, Sun Hits the Sky and Going Out provide a perfect balance to the darker ballads such as Late in the Day and Hollow Little Reign. Late in the Day in particular stands out as a demonstration of the twenty year old Gaz Coombes‘ maturity beyond his years.
It’s Not Me is a dark and brooding, acoustic driven number, but it remains incredibly melodic throughout; and it is this double edge sword of pop sensibilities combined with a slight sense of despair that make In It for the Money great.
That said, this is not a gloomy record, and there are many examples where you can tell that the band are enjoying themselves and having fun. None more so than in the album’s closer, the psychedelic, Sometimes I Make You Sad, where the band’s low pitch grunts provide the rhythm section to the fantastically strange song. With a mellatron and organ combined with creepy harmonies, the track plays out like the soundtrack to the scariest kids film ever. It is a song that will catch you off guard, but is nonetheless, an excellent finish to an excellent album.
Supergrass may have split, but their second album remains one of the finest albums of the 90s. If you don’t already have it, get it.
Drop-d Rating 9/10
Tags: blur, Britpop, CLASSIC, classic album, Gaz Coombes, In It for the Money, oasis, ocean colour scene, Pulp, radiohead, Supergrass
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