Description
You Make Me Hate Music is the sophomore full-length album by the American indie-pop band Fine China, released on Tooth & Nail Records in 2002. The album was recorded by Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 at South County Sounds with Martin and Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos fame producing. All songs written by guitarist/vocalist Rob Withem.
Fine China features Rob Withem on guitar and vocals, Joshua Block on keyboards, Greg Markov on bass, and Thom Walsh on drums. Wayne Everett of The Prayer Chain and The Lassie Foundation fame provides percussion on the album.
The title of Fine China’s new album may be a bit deceiving. After thoroughly digesting ‘You Make Me Hate Music’, I found that it helped me to develop a love of good music and only hate the cliché, pop/rock music that clutters the airwaves of popular radio. When the title is taken in that context, this latest composition from a band based on originality and using music as art, ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ can be seen more as a commentary on what true music is and isn’t.
Lead singer/guitarist Rob Withem admits to admiring and being strongly influenced by Joy Electric and Starflyer 59. These influences are quite easy to spot. The slower songs easily bring Starflyer 59 to mind, while the faster ones sound much like Joy Electric would with a full band instead of synthesizers. Even the vocals of Withem easily remind me of Joy E’s Ronnie Martin. Starflyer 59’s Jason Martin co-produced ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ and it’s easy to hear his touch to this album, one that should draw many comparisons to recent Starflyer 59 releases.
The sound of ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ is much more guitar-driven than Fine China’s first Tooth & Nail outing ‘When the World Sings‘. Depending on the song, the guitar could be a softly-strummed acoustic («Boo to the Freaks») or an electric with fuzzy distortion («Don’t Say Nothing»). Throughout the album, no matter what the tempo of the song, there is a strong orchestrated feeling to the music that works in holding this collection of songs together as a cohesive unit.
The lyrics on ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ deal with issues of life that almost everyone will face at some point. The words refrain from shocking topics and even when they seem dark, the music is joyful enough to see hope no matter what the occasion. Some of the topics touched on in ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ include friendship («Hug Every Friend»), having very little money («The Unsuccessful»), being critical of people («Boo to the Freaks»), and the animosity of others («The World Wants Me Dead»). The songs are rather serious but comforting in that they are easy to relate to and appreciate.
Fine China has strove to make a quality album for lovers of fine music, and certainly succeeded. For those of you who couldn’t get enough of Starflyer’s ‘Leave Here a Stranger‘ last year, ‘You Make Me Hate Music’ could spend a lot of time in your CD player. I know it will find a home in mine. [Trae Cadenhead, The Phantom Tollbooth, 4/3/2002]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/you-make-me-hate-music/724130822)
CD tracklist:
01. Hug Every Friend
02. The Unsuccessful
03. Rock Can’t Last Forever
04. Don’t Say Nothing
05. You Were A Saint
06. Boo To The Freaks
07. The World Wants Me Dead
08. Your Heart Was Made Of Gold
09. You Ain’t Happy
10. Forget The Experts
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