Prefab Sprout are a band that have been around since the late '70s, yet they have never achieved the level of attention they so richly deserve.
Lead singer Paddy McAloon is a naturally talented songwriter, and Cars and Girls, released in 1988 from the album "From Langley Park to Memphis," is one of his crowning moments. The song is one of the catchiest I have heard, with simple-yet-memorable riffs and vibrant, dynamic vocals.
It is an upbeat, energetic track, but it also has a lot of hidden meaning. McAloon wrote it as a response to Bruce Springsteen, whose lyrical style he saw as narrow in terms of song themes; hence the line, "some things hurt more, much more, than cars and girls."
Ironically, it became a cult hit as a driving song, and made its way onto various compilations of that nature.
The thing I love about this track is that it manages to project its anti-materialistic message whilst still managing to show great musical craft and thought. The drums set the beat and tempo, and the vocals and riffs all work so well. The vocal ad-lib at the beginning and end sums the whole piece up, and I often find myself whistling it to myself without consciously realising it.
Prefab have a huge back catalogue and even a long-time fan such as me discovers new gems every so often. There is much to hear and admire, and even after 20 or more years, they still retain their timeless quality.
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