Trouble is, in Devoto's language, it can become at most one hell of a novel, making several of these songs word-heavy. Indeed, most of the songs, no matter the subject, are burdened somewhat by the weight of Devoto's dreams. He even quotes Proust, for Pete's sake. In common with other men. My suggestion is that you drink in the music a few times before opening the CD booklet.
Headphones are a good idea, too.
Though the CD does give more of an edge to Noko's guitar accents compared with the perfectly fine LP version, neither format alone can fully sort through the intentionally busy production. However you listen, enjoy an album that already belongs on your Ten Best list for 1988 - and take pleasure in the notion that 1989 and the Nineties will be very good musical years if bands like Luxuria are able to thrive. So intense is Devoto's delivery and so extreme his heights of romantic lyricism that without even raising his voice he can sound perilously close to losing his grip on reality. But as he proves on Luxuria's first album, Devoto holds as much, if not more, control over his senses as most other singer-songwriters. Those who listen carefully will find even finer surprises in Devoto's lyrics, which tend to symbolist poetry.