VENUE MAGAZINE

 

The Various Artists

‘Solo Album’

(Bristol Archive Records)

3/5

 

One of the more confusingly titled releases out there, part of the ever increasing Bristol Archive Records roster – and an absolute belter of a post punk best-of it is too, in the main, simultaneously period-piece dated and absolutely fresh, despite the fact that they were rocking Ashton Court when I was barely out of nappies. Recorded on BrisBath twixt ’79 and ’82, you can almost hear the Thatcher-era discontent, the porkpie hats and skinny ties.Maybe it’s because the late 70’s sound was so influential, but much of this sounds eerily familiar, seemingly channelling everything from Squeeze and The Specials to Elvis Costello and The Jam. The rhythm section’s superb, powering through ever-relevant credit-crunch bounce along ‘Money Matters’,whispery,early Cure-ish noir funkier ‘Still Building Pyramids’,ska-tinged,The Beat-like ‘Hard Luck Stories’- plus no less than 16 other box fresh bites of Bristol pop history. A treat.

(Mike White)

 

VENUE MAGAZINE

 

Electric Guitars

‘Jolts’

(Bristol Archive Records)

3/5

 

Is this the new Brooklyn boho sensation mixing up tribal funk with an oh-so-fashionable Talking Heads influence?Nope.Instead,it’s another offering from Bristol Archive Records-the band date from a bygone era of Kid Jenson radio sessions and Thompson Twins support slots. Try and find a more 80’s lyric than ‘Limbo dancing with language problems’. But its nervy scratching funk, interlaced with metal percussion and marimbas, has aged surprisingly well and would sit comfortably alongside Gang of Four, The rapture and Radio 4.’Fatman’a and ‘Scrap the Car’ are timeless twitchy funk with a fine post-punk rhythm section, shouty singer (‘there’s something in my yoghurt!’) and the irresistibly groovy ‘Food’ has propulsive keyboards straight out of ‘Stop Making sense’. Perhaps they should reform and get a tour support slot with Vampire weekend? Definately deserving of reassessment.

(Kid Pensioner)

 

 

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