Hungry Beat

During The Fire Engines' brief career they released 3 singles and a mini-LP, all of which are contained on this new compilation Hungry Beat. They premiered with the self-released 'Get Up and Use Me', single of the week in the NME and Sounds. They then signed to Pop Aural records, a new imprint from post-punk pioneer Bob Last of Fast Product, the label that gave us the Human League, Mekons and Gang of Four. For their first collaboration, the 'Lubricate Your Living Room' mini LP Lubricate Your Living Room, Last suggested the band not wait and put out a conventional album but record some "extreme muzak", improvised functional wallpaper music for a new generation. For their next release they were taken in the other direction. Starting with their clearest pop song yet, 'Candyskin', over the top string sections and back-up vocals were added. Of course that just made the grating guitar hooks and tribal drums that much more interesting, while the flipside, 'Meat Whiplash' was one of their most frenetic songs yet. After this critically-acclaimed single the Fire Engines released one final stab at the charts. Big Gold Dream, with it's female back up singles, funky rhythms and catchy chorus would be their most accessible record, and it would be their last.