KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION - Love Is Hell (One Little Indian)

I picked up three of the Kitchens' four albums for a dollar apiece in Seattle years ago. Every time I listen to one of them it's like I'm hearing it for the first time, and I don't mean that kindly...

But singer Patrick Fitzgerald was openly and pointedly gay at a time when that was unusual for rock musicians, so though I feel reductive and kind of stupid doing it, I keep listening to his records every so often looking for an insight or observation that will surprise me. I find, instead, that shoegazer guitars block empathy for me. I like Fitzgerald's voice and the lyrics are okay on paper but in the end those guitars are a gentle, swirly assault on me, and I react rather than absorbing or listening.