Stacks

For the B-sides to the ’93 “Razzmatazz” single, Jarvis indulged his literary ambitions with Inside Susan: A story in three songs. (A fourth part showed up as a B-side to another single.) The first part, “Stacks” could’ve been an A-side in its own right. While the rhythms shimmy and the stylophones bleep, Jarvis saucily unfolds a tale on burgeoning teenage hormones. In one light, “Stacks” could be a dry run for “Disco 2000.” It’s clear that Susan has captured the boys’ attentions just as Deborah did in the latter song. But whereas “Disco 2000” collects memories of adolescence, “Stacks” occurs in the present tense. And so, along with the descriptions of lust, there are reminders that “the world is bigger every day.” Susan’s opportunities seem limitless. For now, anyway.