The final single of Heavenly‘s career was a double-edged sword. It was catchy, fun, and instantly lovable; the band were at the top of their game, having released their finest album to date, their unexpected swansong, Operation: Heavenly.
Yet tragedy would be looking around the corner, with the sudden death of founding member and drummer Mathew Fletcher. “Space Manatee” was a fast-paced, organ-driven pop number, with the happiness and ebullition on lead singer Amelia Fletcher‘s shining bright through the vinyl. If a song were destined to be a hit, it surely would have been this; alas, it was not to be.
On the flipside, the band paid tribute to two of its inspirations. First up is a fine, lovely cover of The Flamin’ Groovies‘ classic “You Tore Me Down,” followed by a brief punky cover of The Jam‘s “Art School.”
After a time of grieving and recovering, they would regroup as Marine Research, which would then give way to the very fine Tender Trap.
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