It’s astonishing to think that the release of the three track ‘Want It Bad (The Pep Talks and Playing Fields of Old England)’ comes five years after Colin Moulding shared ‘The Hardest Battle’, but the XTC man has never been the most prolific of recording artists.
The title cut of the EP will instantly feel familiar to anyone who heard and enjoyed ‘The Hardest Battle’ since it captures a similarly homespun quality. It’s actually a little richer in terms of overall melody, however, since its best moments play like a demo of a ‘Mummer’ era number. This should be enough to please long term fans. From the moment Colin’s voice appears, slightly cracked, over a blanket of keys, the melody and tone has a very familiar quality, and although the melody in hand is a simple one, the way Colin layers everything with a world of multi-tracked harmonies makes it feel much richer. Lyrically, he explores the themes of comfort within Britain’s sleepy hollow, and how a need for reaching out for something more interesting might benefit the song’s protagonist, which brings the provincial qualities of his ‘Mummer’ era songwriting further into focus. Although the budgetary restrictions of this recording are very obvious, Moulding’s knack for a great pop melody shines through, while also allowing for a world of “ba ba ba”s to reach for that ultimate earworm. [Fans who like to hear songs taking shape should also find some enjoyment from a demo version of the track that also features on the EP. Although not markedly different from the final recording, the earlier take presents Colin’s voice and core melody against a much louder rhythm track. The subtle changes were definitely changes made for the better.]
Joining ‘Want It Bad’, Colin shares the previously unheard ‘Something About The Boy (James Bond Demo For Female Voice)’, which presents a breathy vocal against a buzzing synth melody. At first, this all feels a little jarring: the synth is rather loud and unsubtle, leaving Colin feeling a little lost. Allowing time for the musical sketch to “warm up”, there’s some great ideas lurking within. Not only does the vocal sound more like a slightly younger Colin (suggesting that this has been lurking in the vaults for a while), but his use of light backing vocals shares a great melody that makes it much easier to sense the heart of a potentially great track. Those vocals sound like something lifted from ‘Nonsuch’, and as things progress, the way the uglier synths are offset by a harpsichord sound taps into Moulding’s rich sense of melody in a way that, as good as it is in its own way, ‘Want It Bad’ doesn’t manage anywhere near as effectively. Despite not being a “finished” track, this is actually the EP’s highlight – a genuine treat for the Colin Moulding fan.
It would be great to hear Colin approach music with the full bells and whistles again and the kind of perfection/expense that comes through on ‘Skylarking’ and ‘Oranges and Lemons’, but a couple of spins shows how this material doesn’t necessarily require much more than a homespun heart to pull in the fans. Those people will still recognise Colin’s love of the pastoral, and of his English roots, and although these tracks are occasionally hampered by their less than polished production sound, they sit very comfortably alongside the performer’s other (sporadically shared) solo recordings, with familiar vocal tones and old fashioned pop hooks that work well enough to win over most of the old guard.
Buy the CD from Burning Shed here.
September 2026