I first came across Hefner via their starring role in John Peel's 1999 Festive 50. My database shows that I got this album 18 months later, and the sticker indicates it was £7.99 from Polar Bear on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield. Those are the facts.
The only songs I know at all well are the ones that nearly topped the Festive 50, the two hymns, for the alcohol and the cigarettes. Darren Hayman's writing is invariably smart, as in I Stole a Bride, wherein he manages to combine shapeshifting folksong with classical tragedy and modern manners. The official website has all the lyrics, plus diaries and allsorts.
I was impressed when I found, shortly after we met, that Lucy had a couple of Hefner CDs. In fact I think I copied at least one of them — in case we split. We saw Darren play upstairs at The Lion in Stoke Newington a couple of years ago. Very crowded. Quite good. That's all I remember.
 MusicBrainz entry for this album
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