Follow the Pied Piper: The Cinematics' A Strange Education

Take all of those moments from the 80’s and 90’s, those flashes of a perfect combination of dance and rock, and see how they’ve been funneled into the Cinematics’ A Strange Education. Charlatans UK, Inspiral Carpets, Simple Minds, the Fixx, ABC, New Order, Dead or Alive, U2, Howard Jones, the Cure, Big Country, the Psychedelic Furs, Echo & the Bunnymen, Oasis, the Smiths. The well-chosen, well done cover of Beck’s “Sunday Sun” only proves to emphasize the band’s musical heritage. Plus, the disc comes with two music videos that are like classic MTV moments—band in action with odd little storylines to accompany the song.

The Cinematics lay down something like Radio 4’s disco rock backdrop while leadman Scott Rinning delivers heart-on-sleeve Britrock vocals. Captured on the music videos and two live videos, Rinning seems poised to be the next big front man of rock, wielding his rhythm guitar as if he wants to sing with his hands but he’s got to keep strumming the chords. That charisma will propel the Cinematics beyond many of the other 80’s/90’s comparisons that I hear in the music—the Mighty Lemon Drops, the Origin, Diesel Park West, House of Love, a-ha. Rinning could capture hearts in a way that may mean the Cinematics will outshine those bands.

Many of the recent music videos for Morrissey have featured Morrissey walking and singing with his band playing follow the leader, staying a few paces behind, doing a bit of joking around, as much a part of Moz’s entourage as his fellow artists. It’s a device in these music videos that spotlights Morrissey’s pied piper role.

It would not surprise me to see Scott Rinning take that same role. If the music of the Cinematics doesn’t get you to follow them through the streets, Rinning as pied piper will entrance you.

Thanks to the Cinematics and TVT Records for the review CD.