Music

Judge declares infamous post-punk singer Mark E. Smith "hard to hear"

by Jesse Locke

Mark E. Smith, frontman of Manchester post-punk iconoclasts The Fall, is known for two things: 1) The perpetually rotating line-ups of his backing band (“If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s a Fall gig,” he is immortally quoted) and 2) His oft-indecipherable crankanease vocal style.

Now, a judge presiding over a copyright case about the band’s lyrics has admitted they were “hard to hear” due to Smith’s singularly smush-mouthed delivery. The singer is currently embroiled in a three-way dispute with former bandmate Julia Adamson and producer Steven Sharples, contesting creative ownership of The Fall’s 1999 song “Touch Sensitive.” Hear it below.

“Mr Smith delivers the lyrics in a manner which at some points makes it hard to hear the words,” said recorder Amanda Michaels after listening to three different versions of the chune. “I accept the contention that the line is not ‘And a Star Wars police vehicle Paul’s off’, but the more comprehensible ‘And a Star Wars police vehicle pulls up’.” Yep, we’re just as confused as you are.

The timing on this case couldn’t be more convenient, with The Fall’s 31st album Sub-Lingual Tablet set for a North American release on June 9. Proving they’ve still got it, song titles include “Stout Man”, “Fibre Book Troll”, and “Quit iPhone.”