What Else You Wanna Know

Life is Sweet enters its quietest phase yet as we get the tale of what may or may not be a suicide pact. To be honest, I’ve long ago given up trying to work out what most of the songs on Life is Sweet are about but, for the most part, that doesn’t matter. Ambiguity may add intrigue and I get the feeling, with What Else You Wanna Know, that we’re probably better off not knowing what it’s about, as the chorus arguably lays the album’s guignol elements on far too heavily.

I actually don’t have that much to say about What Else You Wanna Know, although, thanks to its haunting and dream-like verses, it’s one of my favourite tracks.

Having said that, the chorus isn’t quite as inspired as those verses, and Susan Otten’s (I assume they’re hers) backing vocals are somewhat lacklustre. I assume that lack of vitality’s deliberate, or presumably Maria would have done them herself but that’s not to say it’s an idea that actually works.