Ruins of Manchester/Cromer

Recording information: Cromer Studios, Manchester (11/2002-01/2005); Manchester, England (11/2002-01/2005); Cromer Studios, Manchester (2009-2011); Manchester, England (2009-2011).
Photographer: Tim Gravestock.
A two-disc package that brought together both the reunion album for most of the original lineup plus a further release with a slightly different lineup, The Ruins of Manchester/Cromer is the kind of engaging release that makes no pretense about changing the world when it's composed of veteran performers who just want to have an enjoyable time. Common enough throughout much of music, perhaps, but Dislocation Dance's eye and ear for understated funk/post-punk with a certain retrospective glance make these efforts almost perfectly conceived. Cromer, originally released in 2005, kicks off with the easygoing jazz-pop of "Sanctuary on a Train," Andy Diagram's trumpet and brush drums helping to set an immediate mood that the rest of the album pretty readily maintains. Said brush drumming from Dick Harrison really comes through at certain moments, as on "Button Your Lip," a way to underscore Ian Runacres' easy delivery with a bit of sharp punctuation. In contrast, The Ruins of Manchester, while an openly retrospective release in terms of its theme of looking back at said city in the '70s and '80s, features a revised lineup with only Runacres and Phil Lukes, recruited from Brightside for Cromer, continuing onward under the name. The audible differences at points are sometimes surprising: hearing the VERY polite but still present beats and noises on "Snakes & Ladders" is enough of a startling moment to warrant further attention, though of course it's still very slinky and understated. Similarly there's the polite glam stomp of "Crash" and the sharper rock edge of "Night & Day," reflecting a change in emphasis that's not radical, but still noticeable. A slight edge keeps turning up lyrically as well, with "Hangfire" and its repeated refrain "Peace and love this ain't" an uneasy, powerful moment. ~ Ned Raggett