“Sound Clash Vol One” Lovetrain vs Distant Cousins

Released on Limited Edition Vinyl (100 copies) – 25th April 2025 via Bristol Archive Records

There have always been rivalries, competitiveness and soundings off between post Elvis era acts. In the 60’s it was The Beatles v The Rolling Stones. During Britpop, Blur v Oasis, with the Mancunian sibling rivalry thrown in. However, at Bristol Archive Records we are rather more gentlemanly in our contests. We put Cousins up against Love – Distant Cousins v Lovetrain.

This is the first in a prospective series of compilations that will compare and contrast the merits and outputs of two Bristol acts who may, or may not, have connected with a wider audience in their time. It may also be one of the first of its type since the infamous Track Records early 70’s offerings that set The Who up against Jimi Hendrix!

Private Dicks were a 1970’s punk/new wave era forerunner to the Cousins for the singer Gavin King. They had been rather cruelly referred to as ‘reclaimed pub rockers with skinny trousers and ties’ but had at least had seen tracks on the original and subsequent seminal John Peel acclaimed early 1980’s Avon Calling compilation and a later 00’s double pack.

King was part of the 80’s revamp with new members as a fresh entity, Distant Cousins – not to be confused with several later bands of that name – where they shed any connections to shoddy couture. Now there was a full-on attack – alive, direct, disciplined, with economy, coming four-fifths out of Bath with tracks recorded at SAM studio in the centre of Bristol.

The Cousins knew which buttons to push. The first of the on offer sizzling songs ‘The Search’ taps into the Foxx era of Ultravox, skin deep flow motion systems of romance, all snippy, jagged edges. ‘You Lied to Me’ ties the band to an angst laden, Seagulls style Nightmares cross-buzz banner, well nailed down and Fixxed.

In trying to keep ‘down’ moments (in) check the DC’s hit a real pop moment with…. ‘Check’. This was a full-throated, chorus-driven, amphetamine gazelle assault on Duran Duran’s castle of supremacy in this zone. But if there is a track that sums up the essence of this, on its merits, Bristol/Bath variant of a Distant Cousins it is ‘Red Oasis’ – tough, muscular, sweating in bullets, an empire of dance. It is a true statement of searching and intent, exotic, other worldly, an enticement to follow.

Lovetrain’s focal point, brothers Jon-Jo and Robin Key, were major contributors to Art Objects, Various Artists and Robin had a stint with Blue Aeroplanes, all noted acts in 70’s onwards hipster Bristol. But within Jon-Jo and Robin was a muse that could blend classic song writing voiced with passion and panache, allied to classy musicianship that could fill a stadium.

It tips the hat to the spirit of America that can be found in the widescreen epic that is ‘Dreamworld’ and in the throwaway intonation and occasional quick-fire delivery found via ‘Jackie’. But the guiding force is always intrinsically bittersweet British, nay English, wry observational in many respects. Lloyd Cole, Paddy McAloon and Elvis Costello swirl into the overall lyrical lexicon.
Lovetrain got signed in the 80’s by the Virgin label imprint Siren, which was seeing huge sales achieved by Cutting Crew and T’Pau in that big hair part of the decade. Sadly, the band put out a strong album that got some what lost in the morass of the other, rather too similar white bread/AOR type acts on their roster.

In this sound-clash both acts play out a dazzling score draw. Neither of them lost out, other than not fully getting the recognition they deserved from the big, bad world at the time this great music was produced. This compilation makes a start at righting that wrong. The chance to delve into their respective oeuvres is too good to miss. Just don’t be too competitive!

“Sound Clash Vol One” is released by Bristol Archive Records on Limited Edition Vinyl (100 copies) on 25th April 2025, distributed by Shellshock and available from good retailers worldwide.

 

bandcamp