Full of brilliant lyrical imagery from Jarvis Cocker, 'The Fear' set the darker tone for the rest of their sixth album, which arrived three years after the band's hugely successful 'Different Class' LP. Some people consider it to be the final Britpop album, although I'd say Blur killed it off the previous year, and that its sound is more post-Britpop. However, there is an argument to suggest that 'This Is Hardcore' took up the role of officially closing the curtains on the optimism of the 90s. Whatever it is, it was a magnificent album. Pulp would release their next LP 'We Love Life' a few years later before splitting. A comeback tour a decade later would produce no new songs or albums, aside from a newly recorded version of the old demo 'After You'.
