Review: “Picture This” by Wet Wet Wet (CD, 1995)

Today’s Pop Rescue from a fate unknown, is the 1995 fourth album by Scottish pop-rock band Wet Wet Wet. Will this album bring you a realisation that Love Is All Around, or is it just a damp squib. Read on…

Wet Wet Wet - Picture This (1995) album. — Wet Wet Wet – Picture This (1995) album.

The album opens with a gentle swoop down to Marti Pellow singing the first verse of single Julia Says. This has a sombre, regretful tone, giving us a slow plodder to start with. There are elements of some of the narrative style songs that you’d get from the likes of The Beatles. Despite this sadder song, the track took the group to #3 in the UK singles chart.

That leads on to After The Loves Goes, and this gives us a brighter more cheerful upbeat song. Marti gets to throw his vocals around throughout, allowing us to hear his range. There’s an underlying thread of country music nestled in here musically and vocally. The chorus really shines brightly and rightly. Sadly, this didn’t see a single release.

Somewhere Somehow is next, and this gives us another more mellow track. The track sounds like it should be some old rock cover, given the familiar plod, and heartfelt vocal performance from Pellow, but it’s not – it’s a Wet Wet Wet original. The track was the album’s fourth single, and took them to #7 in the UK chart. It finishes with a slightly odd jazz club ending.

Next up is Gypsy Girl, starting with some wonderful acoustic guitars, and vocals from Marti that makes this narrative track sound like something borrowed from John Denver – again, it’s an original, but it is a warm and gentle song filled of strumming and vocal harmonies. It’s also the track with the album title in it.

That leads on to Don’t Want To Forgive Me Now and this lifts the tempo, and gives us what is probably our most upbeat and pop-ish sounding track so far. Alongside the vocals and simple beat, a piano comes forth in the chorus alongside some little notes from the brass section too, helping to give this track a really nice full-ness and momentum. Rightly, the track acted as the album’s third single, and took them to #7 in the UK singles chart.

Following this is She Might Never Know, with lyrics written by Chris Difford of the group Squeeze. This returns us back down to another mid-tempo track, opening with some nice guitar riffs and bursts of brass. The track builds nicely, and gives us some flashes of funky catchiness as it all comes together by the mid-point. It’s a nice track.

Someone Like You is next, and this slow track gives us plenty of sliding steel guitar from B J Cole that could almost summon a Kenny Rogers. At times, vocally and with a sort-of ethereal dreamy piano, it takes on a wafting dreamy feeling.

That leads seamlessly into Love Is My Shepherd, again with Difford on lyric duties. There is a tantalising stringed sequence that hints at a James Bond theme that slides in and out during this track. Marti gets to shine with the bigger vocals here, and he’s given plenty of time and space to do so. It’s another nice track.

The lights dim for a sultry saxophone in the intro of She’s All On My Mind, and this is a slow heartfelt track, with soft vocals and a string section. This gentle plodding track was the album’s fifth single, but failed to repeat the success of earlier singles – reaching #17.

Next up is Morning, the album’s sixth and final single. This once again is a slow, soft, track, although guitars growl slightly during the chorus as Marti gets to lift his voice a little. There’s a nice dreamy sequence where Marti’s vocals are affected, and this works really well, before returning him back to the walk-in-the-park formula of this song.

Then it’s Home Tonight, and the continuation of the slow, mellow, sound, this time with a returning those twangs of slide guitar, gives this a its-been-a-hard-day-at-work feel. It’s sleepy, familiar, and mostly how i’m feeling after hearing many tracks in this format.

The album closes with Love Is All Around – a cover of The Troggs’ hit from 1967. The song was number one for 15 weeks in 1994, mostly due to its inclusion in the hit film Four Weddings And A Funeral, but as a hugely familiar song for a generation. Wet Wet Wet manage to pull off and refresh this version well, with some great guitar, and Pellow’s vocals suiting the track perfectly. I remember every week of the chart countdown on Top Of The Pops, only to find out that it was still there, and the numerous appearances of Reg Presley (of The Troggs) on TV shows to talk about it. A great cover, a rightful hit, and a nice resurgence in Troggs interest too. It’s the only ending this album could have.

Wet Wet Wet’s lead single ‘Love Is All Around’ (1994).

Verdict

Over all, this album pretty much plays it safe with the band’s tried-and-tested formula in the shadow of a huge hit.

Love Is All Around is certainly the star song here, and it returned Wet Wet Wet from what must have felt to many, as obscurity despite having hit #20 just months before with their single Cold Cold Heart (remember that?). Amongst the other highlights here are Don’t Want To Forgive Me Now, Gypsy Girl, and She Might Never Know.

The rest is pretty much just nice safe music – the M. O. R. that the Wets have mastered throughout the years, with slick musicianship, gentle lyrics, and a soulful vocal. Occasionally there’s some glimmers of excitement that stand out but they seem to hold back from really trying something brave and new, but ultimately it’s just solid good work.