This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
“Everybody wants to be the DJ / everybody thinks it’s all so easy,” says Soulwax’s Stephen Dewaele.
He knows better — he and his brother David are known in clubland as the Dewaele Brothers, two of Belgium’s top wax spinners. Here, they try to make the career leap to a slightly more respected musical station: Pop act. And damned if they don’t pull it off superbly. On Much Against Everyone’s Advice, the brothers show they are just as adept with guitars and pop hooks as they are with turntables and samplers. Utilizing plenty of melancholy melody and witty wordplay, the brothers recall Elvis Costello or perhaps XTC — but when the crunchy guitars kick in, so do thoughts of Matthew Sweet and Afghan Whigs. This may be the best recent album you haven’t heard yet.
