It’s Immaterial ‎– Life’s Hard and Then You Die (1986)

Life’s Hard and Then You Die is the debut album by English art-pop combo It’s Immaterial, released in 1986 on A&M.

airy, light accordion, 6/4 piano accented “Happy Talk”flamenco touches, trumpet laced, mid-tempo, E “The Sweet Life”Cm locomotive rhythm, piano/acoustic churn, prominent chorus, harmonica “Driving Away From Home (Jim’s Tune)”uptempo, punchy sax, pizzicato cocktail guitar, droning/open-cadence bass amid constant pulse, flowing vocals “Festival Time”soft harmonies, snare drive, Hammond sustain, ascending horn refrain “Ed’s Funky Dinner”dark (Bb), misty mandolin/violin waltz, drawn vocals “Hang on Sleepy Town”lengthy gentle vocals, rubbery 1/5 bassline, echoey rhythm box… celesta/woodblock “Lullaby”…glockenspieldropping 1/5 bassline in B, metronome, piano-accented key changes, subdued vocals… kalimba “The Better Idea”

Tracklist:
A1. “Driving Away From Home (Jim’s Tune)” (4:10)
A2. “Happy Talk” (5:28)
A3. “Rope” (3:35)
A4. “The Better Idea” (5:41)
A5. “Space” (3:57)
B1. “The Sweet Life” (4:39)
B2. “Festival Time” (3:51)
B3. “Ed’s Funky Dinner” (3:07)
B4. “Hang on Sleepy Town” (4:20)
B5. “Lullaby” (6:20)

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