The Distractions were a quintet from Manchester, England who recorded only one album. That 1980 album, Nobody's Perfect, has long been out of print, and it's our loss. The band split up in early 1981, after the album failed to attract much attention. Their commercial failure wasn't caused by a lack of effort. Their small body of work demonstrated that these new-wavers were avid students of music history, and they skillfully applied their knowledge to their own enjoyable music.
Before recording their one full-length album, the Distractions released a few singles and a 4-song EP in the U.K. The 1978 EP, titled You're Not Going Out Dressed Like That, already showed that they did not intend to limit themselves to the usual new wave sounds. These four songs (one of which, "Nothing", was remade for the album) show influences including Elvis Costello, early Kinks, early Byrds (singer Mike Finney sounds uncannily like Gene Clark on this EP), and dashes of surf-rock and psychedelia. And this was just a rough warm-up for the album to come.
Nobody's Perfect is easy to identify as a new wave album of its time. "Paracetamol Paralysis" and "Valerie" are punk gems; "Waiting For Lorraine" and "Untitled" have the punk attitude, if not necessarily its ethos. But the Distractions took an educated approach to new wave without over-intellectualizing it. Nobody's Perfect draws inspiration from all three decades of rock and roll that preceded it. The band emulated everyone from Buddy Holly ("Wonder Girl", "Still It Doesn't Ring") to Phil Spector girl groups ("Boys Cry", "Looking For A Ghost") to Elvis Costello ("Something For The Weekend") and the Talking Heads ("Sick And Tired"). The wistful "Leave You To Dream" sounds like the Cars interpreting the third Velvet Underground album. Finney's sincere and sometimes somber vocals give many of the songs unexpected emotional depth. A unique and eclectic album from an intelligent and sophisticated band, Nobody's Perfect is truly one of rock's lost treasures.
Track Listings:
YOU'RE NOT GOING OUT DRESSED LIKE THAT
1. Doesn't Bother Me 2. Nothing 3. Maybe It's Love 4. Too Young
NOBODY'S PERFECT
1. Waiting For Lorraine 2. Something For The Weekend 3. Boys Cry 4. Sick And Tired 5. Leave You To Dream 6. Louise 7. Paracetamol Paralysis 8. (Stuck In A) Fantasy 9. Nothing 10. Wonder Girl 11. Still It Doesn't Ring 12. Untitled 13. Looking For A Ghost 14. Valerie
