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Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

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Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Studio album by
the Sundays
Released15 January 1990
Recorded1989–1990
Genres
Length38:23
LabelsRough Trade, DGC
ProducersThe Sundays, Ray Shulman
The Sundays chronology
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
(1990)		 Blind
(1992)
Singles from Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
  1. "Can't Be Sure / I Kicked a Boy"
    Released: February 1989
  2. "I Won"
    Released: November 1989
  3. "Here's Where the Story Ends"
    Released: January 1990

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band the Sundays. It was released on 15 January 1990 by Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom and by DGC Records in the United States.[1] The album's title is a play on the name of the band's hometown, Reading, Berkshire.[2]

Background

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Harriet Wheeler and David Gavurin met while attending the University of Bristol in the mid-1980s.[3] Wheeler studied English literature, while Gavurin pursued a degree in Romance languages.[4] After graduating, the two began writing music together in their free time before recruiting bassist Paul Brindley and drummer Patrick Hannan to form the Sundays in 1988.[5]

The band developed their initial repertoire, writing songs outside the conventional touring schedule. After recording demo tapes, the band attracted attention following a performance at the Vertigo Club in London in August 1988. The band subsequently attracted interest from several record labels[6][7], and signed with Rough Trade Records, with DGC Records handling distribution in the United States.[1]

The Sundays released their debut single, "Can't Be Sure", in early 1989.[7] Over the following year, they continued developing their material, and a session for BBC radio presenter John Peel later appeared on their debut album.[7] Gavurin said that the band had relatively few songs prepared when they began work on the album, and that he and Wheeler found it difficult to write under a deadline. Wheeler similarly said that they were more concerned with their own assessment of their work than with the expectations of the press.[8][7]

Music and lyrics

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In a retrospective review for The Quietus in 2010, Iain Moffat identified vocalist Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin as central to the album's appeal. He highlighted Wheeler's vocal range and expressive delivery, particularly her shifts between animated phrasing and intimate vocals on "Skin & Bones", as well as the contrast between her singing and the everyday lyrical details of "You're Not the Only One I Know". Moffat also praised Gavurin's melodic guitar playing, noting influences from Johnny Marr and James Honeyman-Scott while emphasising the distinctive character of his performances.[9]

Moffat interpreted the album as a reflection of student life and the uncertainty associated with the transition to adulthood, and perceived "Hideous Towns" being about apprehension about the future, and "I Won" as an unusual treatment of tensions surrounding shared accommodation. Praising the songwriting for its wordplay, poetic imagery and observations drawn from everyday experiences, Moffat citied "My Finest Hour" as an example of the band's ability to find significance in an apparently mundane event.[9]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
Chicago Sun-TimesStarStarStarStar[11]
Classic PopStarStarStarStarHalf star[12]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[13]
NME8/10[14]
QStarStarStar[15]
Record MirrorStarStarStarStarHalf star[16]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[17]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[18]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties MusicStarStarStar[19]

Reviews were generally favourable toward Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. The Toronto Star compared lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler to Edie Brickell, noting that "the two bring the same trippy sense of coquettish, off-the-cuff muse to a foundation of quirky, guitar-based arrangements."[20] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the album "carries just enough mystery and grace to recall the early promise of 10,000 Maniacs".[21]

Ira Robbins of Rolling Stone described the album as "a collection of uncommonly good songs graced by Harriet Wheeler's wondrous singing". He praised Wheeler's expressive voice and the melodies and lyrics, which he characterised as offering offbeat observations about life, love, and the English climate.[17]

In a retrospective review for Stylus Magazine's On Second Thought series, John Polewach argued that the album became more rewarding with repeated listening, despite initially reminding him of the Smiths. He distinguished the Sundays' treatment of love and desire from what he regarded as the Smiths' more pessimistic perspective. Interpreting songs including "Can't Be Sure", "Skin & Bones" and "My Finest Hour", Polewach discussed their treatment of physical desire, emotional connection and uncertainty, arguing that "My Finest Hour", particularly its closing section, encapsulated the album's central themes.[22]

Similarly, Ben French of Nude as the News described the album as "a masterpiece, by any standard" and wrote that repeated listening became more rewarding. He praised Wheeler's vocal range and expressiveness, the instrumental arrangements and the band's songwriting, highlighting the gradual build of "Can't Be Sure" and the bass-led arrangement of "Joy". French compared the group's sound to a combination of the Police's rhythmic precision and the more upbeat material of the Cure.[23]

The album has also appeared on retrospective lists of notable albums. Pitchfork ranked it 15th on its list of "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums".[24] The publication also included it on its list of "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s", describing its bookish character and contrasting Wheeler's vocals with Gavurin's guitar playing.[25] In 2024, Uncut ranked the album at No. 134 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s".[26]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by David Gavurin and Harriet Wheeler.

No.TitleLength
1."Skin & Bones"4:16
2."Here's Where the Story Ends"3:54
3."Can't Be Sure"3:22
4."I Won"4:23
5."Hideous Towns"3:46
6."You're Not the Only One I Know"3:50
7."A Certain Someone"4:25
8."I Kicked a Boy"2:16
9."My Finest Hour"3:59
10."Joy"4:10
Total length:38:23

Personnel

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  • Harriet Wheeler – vocals
  • David Gavurin – guitar
  • Paul Brindley – bass
  • Patrick Hannan – drums
  • Lindsay Jamieson – tambourine

Charts

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Chart performance for Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Chart (1990) Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[27]40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28]56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29]37
UK Albums (Official Charts)[30]4
US Billboard 200[31] 39

References

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  1. 1 2 Brennan, Carol (1997). McConnell, Stacy A. (ed.). Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 20. Gale Cengage. ISBN 978-0-7876-1177-4.
  2. ↑ Vice, Jeff (3 September 1990). "'Sundays' Will Add Hot Stuff to Cool Repertoire". Deseret News. Retrieved 26 September 2026. employs a pun involving the band's hometown (actually pronounced RED-ing not REED-ing)
  3. ↑ Tortorici, Frank (26 June 1999). "The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler". VH1. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. ↑ Brennan, Carol (1997). McConnell, Stacy A. (ed.). Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 20. Gale Cengage. ISBN 978-0-7876-1177-4. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Brennan, Carol (1997). McConnell, Stacy A. (ed.). Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 20. Gale Cengage. ISBN 978-0-7876-1177-4. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  6. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "The Sundays biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide To Rock. Rough Guides. pp. 1033–1034. ISBN 1-84353-105-4.
  8. ↑ True, Everett (20 January 1990). "School's Out! The Sundays". Melody Maker. pp. 24–25.
  9. 1 2 Moffat, Iain (10 February 2010). "30 Years On: Remembering The Sundays' Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". The Quietus. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – The Sundays". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  11. ↑ McLeese, Don (11 May 1990). "Sundays take elementary approach to perfection". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
  12. ↑ Wallace, Wyndham (October 2026). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic / Blind / Static & Silence". Classic Pop. No. 109. p. 93.
  13. ↑ Sandow, Greg (20 April 1990). "Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  14. ↑ Williams, Simon (13 January 1990). "Teachers' Pets". NME. p. 25.
  15. ↑ Aston, Martin (February 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Q. No. 41.
  16. ↑ Southwell, Tim (13 January 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  17. 1 2 Robbins, Ira (14 June 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing And Arithmetic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Hannaham, James (1995). "Cranberries". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  19. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. p. 381.
  20. ↑ Potter, Mitch (20 April 1990). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Toronto Star. p. D16.
  21. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (1 July 1990). "Drum Roll, Please: The Mid-Year Top 10". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 63. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Polewach, John (17 August 2004). "The Sundays - Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic". Stylus Magazine. On Second Thought. Archived from the original on 24 May 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  23. ↑ French, Ben (16 January 2003). "The Sundays: Reading, Writing And Arithmetic". Nude as the News. Archived from the original on 16 January 2003. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  25. ↑ "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s". Pitchfork. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s". Uncut: The Archive Collection. No. 7. 2024. p. 47.
  27. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  28. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  29. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  30. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 21/1/1990 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  31. ↑ "The Sundays > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
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