Review by Andy Kellman
The Correct Use of Soap is a bit of a return to more standard operational form for Magazine, who thawed out after the recording of Secondhand Daylight to throw this bouncy batch of rhythmically intricate and colorful songs together, which is something of a surprise when considering that they enlisted Martin Hannett (Joy Division), master of the gray hues, as producer. A poppier and funkier record than its predecessors -- and not just apparent from a faithful cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Thank You" -- it features the rhythm section of John Doyle and Barry Adamson at their non-showy best and guitarist John McGeoch at his most cunningly percussive; save for the called-for razzle-dazzle on "Sweetheart Contract," keyboardist Dave Formula takes more of a back seat, using piano more frequently and no longer driving the songs to the point of detracting from the greatness of his mates, as the biggest complaint of Secondhand Daylight goes. Howard Devoto's lyrics are also a little less depressive, though they're no less biting. The closing "A Song From Under the Floorboards" includes Devoto zingers like "my irritability keeps me alive and kicking" and "I know the meaning of life/it doesn't help me a bit." His themes of distrust and romantic turbulence remain focal, evident in "You Never Knew Me" ("do you want the truth or do you want your sanity?") and "I Want to Burn Again" ("I met your lover yesterday/wearing some things I left at your place/singing a song that means a lot to me"). Finally, let it be said that "look what fear's done to body," from the opening "Because You're Frightened," is a paranoiac's slogan for the ages. The whole record is post-punk for the ages.
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