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Against Perfection

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Against Perfection

| type = studio

| artist = Adorable

| cover = Adorable Against Perfection.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{start date|1993|03|01|df=yes}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = {{flatlist|

  • Greenhouse Studio, London
  • The Beat Factory, London}}

| genre = Shoegaze{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mILFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|title=Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music|first1=Michael|last1=Goddard|first2=Benjamin|last2=Halligan|first3=Nicola|last3=Spelman|date=18 July 2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA|via=Google Books}}

| length = 48:50

| label = Creation

| producer = Pat Collier
Alan Moulder (track 5)

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Fake

| next_year = 1994

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Against Perfection

| type = studio

| single1 = Sunshine Smile

| single1date = 20 April 1992

| single2 = I'll Be Your Saint

| single2date = 13 July 1992

| single3 = Homeboy

| single3date = 26 October 1992

| single4 = Sistine Chapel Ceiling

| single4date = 25 January 1993

| single5 = Favourite Fallen Idol

| single5date = 12 April 1993

}}

}}

Against Perfection is the debut album by the British alternative rock band Adorable.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/adorable-mn0000599278/biography|title=Adorable Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=AllMusic}}{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12439-footnotes-92-94/|title=Adorable: Footnotes 92-94|website=Pitchfork}} It was released in the UK on 1 March 1993 on Creation Records{{cite journal |title=Unsung: The 100 Greatest Bands You've (Probably) Never Heard |journal=Spin |date=Aug 2009 |volume=25 |issue=8 |page=68}} and in the United States by SBK. The band supported the album with a North American tour.{{cite news |title=So Adorable |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=30 July 1993 |page=D5}}

"Still Life" was recorded without the inclusion of drums.{{cite news |last1=Paul |first1=George |title=ALTERNATIVE |work=Orange County Register |date=June 18, 1993 |page=P49}} "Sunshine Smile" was a college radio hit.{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Jae-Ha |title=CLUB HOPPING |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=July 30, 1993 |department=WEEKEND PLUS |page=5}}

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/against-perfection-mw0000096293 |title=Against Perfection – Adorable |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=1 November 2014 |last=Parisien |first=Roch}}

| rev2 = Select

| rev2score = 3/5{{cite magazine |title=Adorable: Against Perfection |work=Select |issue=34 |date=April 1993 |last=Kessler |first=Ted |page=73}}

}}

The Washington Post wrote that the album "sometimes balances the harsh and the lyrical in the manner of My Bloody Valentine, but ultimately seems more indebted to the minor-key epics of early Echo and the Bunnymen."{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Mark |title=Adorable Cuts Up, Echoing Bunnymen |work=The Washington Post |date=23 July 1993 |page=N16}} The Waterloo Region Record noted that "all twelve songs on this release sound pretty much the same, with Piotr Fijalkowski's very power-wave British vocals set against guitars that threaten to jangle but usually just screech."{{cite news |last1=Randall |first1=Neil |title=Against Perfection Adorable |work=Waterloo Region Record |date=29 July 1993 |page=D9}} Trouser Press praised the "sharp, varied songs that are by turns pretty, soaring and brooding."{{cite web |title=Adorable |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/adorable/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=31 August 2022}}

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked Against Perfection at number 42 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9966-the-50-best-shoegaze-albums-of-all-time/?page=1 |title=The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time |work=Pitchfork |date=24 October 2016 |accessdate=12 May 2018 |page=1}}

Track listing

;UK version

  1. "Glorious" – 4:17
  2. "Favourite Fallen Idol" – 2:41
  3. "A to Fade In" – 4:50
  4. "I Know You Too Well" – 3:41
  5. "Homeboy" – 4:30
  6. "Sistine Chapel Ceiling" – 3:34
  7. "Cut #2" – 4:43
  8. "Crash Sight" – 4:02
  9. "Still Life" – 2:37
  10. "Breathless" – 5:18

;US version

  1. "Sunshine Smile" – 5:03
  2. "Glorious" – 4:17
  3. "Favourite Fallen Idol" – 2:41
  4. "A to Fade In" – 4:50
  5. "I Know You Too Well" – 3:41
  6. "Homeboy" – 4:30
  7. "Sistine Chapel Ceiling" – 3:34
  8. "Cut #2" – 4:43
  9. "Crash Sight" – 4:02
  10. "Still Life" – 2:37
  11. "Breathless" – 5:18
  12. "I'll Be Your Saint" – 3:32

;Japan version

  1. "Glorious" – 4:17
  2. "Favourite Fallen Idol" – 2:41
  3. "A to Fade In" – 4:50
  4. "I Know You Too Well" – 3:41
  5. "Homeboy" – 4:30
  6. "Sistine Chapel Ceiling" – 3:34
  7. "Cut #2" – 4:43
  8. "Crash Sight" – 4:02
  9. "Still Life" – 2:37
  10. "Breathless" – 5:18
  11. "Sunshine Smile" – 5:03
  12. "I'll Be Your Saint" – 3:32
  13. "Summerside" – 2:49

Personnel

  • Piotr Fijalkowski – vocals, guitar
  • Robert Dillam – guitar
  • Stephen "Wil" Williams – bass
  • Kevin Gritton – drums

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col"|Chart (1992)

!scope="col"|{{unbulleted list|Peak|position}}

{{Album chart|UK2|70|date=19930307|accessdate=27 July 2019|rowheader=true}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1993 debut albums

Category:Creation Records albums

Category:Adorable (band) albums

Category:Albums produced by Alan Moulder