Fishing is almost a love song, veering between romanticism and apathy.  It's a tale of being attracted to the right person at the wrong time; too consumed with internal conflict to be able to truly give.  This ineptitude of communication can be traced to societal and political causes, yet it is cultural influences such as television and the internet, along with their "shared experience" that are most damaging to individual expression.  We must break free of the programming and recognise that there are certain battles that must be continually fought.  The most important thing in the world is being able to make choices for yourself.

Dirtysomething.  This slice of silliness is about getting older and discovering that certain appetites have become sleazier.  We are all pornstars now.  We want to do it.  We want to show it.  Tonight...  What?  Don’t you ever feel like just taking it all off?  The playing on this track is very raw but somehow conveys what we meant.  The sample is clearly Derek & Clive.

Veil Of Health.  This song is probably not about any one girl in particular, as the lyrics were co-written by Chris & Joe using the David Bowie inspired method of cut-ups. However, the song still manages to repeat certain themes, especially to do with relationships. These include the enchantment and obsession for somebody, which morphs into possessiveness and ultimately leads to a destructive relationship, filled with bullying, the loss of reason (including that boring “who loves who more?” game.) and lies, most clearly signposted in the ‘pretence of well-being’ mentioned in the title… After all of this erosion of personality, the positive appears at the end, as there is the sense that a lesson has been learnt.

"And half the books you own, you haven't even read..."

The Mask.  This song is about the different masks we wear with different people, so that we can get by.  But, if someone wears a mask, do they become the mask? Redemption and evolution are clearly not easy processes and the easy answers aren’t always apparent.  All that is clear is that escaping once in a while, even if only in your head, is preferable to no change.

Taken For A Ride. This song is about time, the wish to control it and the inevitable disappointment knowing that time waits for no man, and that the movement of the tides and the seasons cannot be ordained by the egoistic will of one person.  The song is also a cautionary tale warning that chemical assistance to enlightenment may mean you miss out on several key stages on the road to self-knowledge.

Friends Are Free. The song is about making necessary life changing events; heading into an uncertain future and sighting new shores… whilst still trying to preserve one's roots. Perhaps our most optimistic song, it was written at a time when great promise filled the air, and we all still believed in democracy.

Why Have Silver? This is a song about a boy and a girl in a destructive relationship... They avoid their friends, make unnecessary yet traumatic life changing events and are dragging each other down... The song's choruses communicate an optimistic plea about not settling for second best and refusing to make those easy yet negative choices.

"Blotting paper lovers and friends, I soak up the ink that spills from your pens."

"It's what you are. It's who you're with. It's how you earn your way to live."