Take Fountain is a double breakup album. Not only did David Gedge split from keyboardist Sally Murrell, but he also ditched their post-Wedding Present band, Cinerama. Sort of. In actuality, Weddoes Version 2.0 consists of all the Cinerama folks, minus Murrell -- and, sadly, that's just what it sounds like. Instead of returning to the rushing guitars and strident vocals that made the Present so thrilling in the '80s and '90s, Gedge opts for Cinerama's plodding tempos and moony singing. There are some good moments here. In one song Gedge -- who usually plays the ultimate cad -- complains about a woman who only wants him for sex, and in another he waxes amusingly sentimental: "And when we bought that weird pornography/ Yeah, that was a good day." But except for a couple of giddy numbers, Gedge seems content to mope along in midtempolandia. This Present is nothing like the past, and holds little hope for the future.
