The Fat Angel Sings

English alternative rock/shoegaze band Pale Saints were formed in 1987 in Leeds by singer-bassist Ian Masters, guitarist Graeme Naysmith and drummer Chris Cooper.  Initially influenced by Primal Scream’s early sound. But by the time they recorded their first EP, “Barging Into the Presence of God”, released in 1989, the band went into a direction that displayed a mix of Ian Masters’ ethereal, choirboy-like vocals along with dark and atmospheric and noisy pop. As the band developed, their unique strain of dream pop by synthesizing elements of connected bygone movements such as West Coast psychedelia, the paisley underground, and the C-86,movement applying avant-folk, pure pop, and spectral post-punk advancements.

The band was signed to 4AD Records after their first London show by the label’s chief Ivo Watts-Russell. Their three albums of increasing scope and sprawl, “The Comforts of Madness” (1990), “In Ribbons” (1992), and “Slow Buildings” (1994), left lasting imprints.

That July, the trio, joined by the Edsel Auctioneer’s Ashley Horner on second guitar, recorded a BBC session for John Peel’s program.

Barging Into The Presence Of God EP

The first release by Pale Saints making their 4AD debut was the “Barging Into The Presence Of God” EP from September 1989 and two songs from this EP ended up in the Peels Festive Fifty. “Sight Of You” a heartsick ballad showcasing Masters’ chorister-like voice is a mid tempo throbbing monster, so simple yet very powerful, guitars arpeggiate around two chords and there’s an element of uncontrolled chaos. And above it all, Ian Masters sings like a heartsore angel, lyrics which cut to the teenage condition of love so perfectly. 

“She Rides The Waves” is faster, just as simple musically, only a few chords, but crashes like the titular waves – guitars spit and rage, drums are hammered, and it’s a speedy rush of joy. The third song on the EP can’t compete and settles for atmosphere over melody, but two classics out of three songs isn’t too bad a start to a career.

The Comforts Of Madness (30th Anniversary Remaster)

Signed to 4AD Records by the label’s chief Ivo Watts-Russell. The group’s first album, “The Comforts of Madness”, released in February 1990, On the eve of a post-Thatcherite Britain, the Pale Saints, alongside the likes of Lush, Ride and Slowdive, were ushering in a new wave of British indie. And in 4AD Records, they found a perfect home for their music – an exciting & undeniable meld of noise and dream-pop.

Their debut album, “The Comforts of Madness”, didn’t disappoint, now standing as one of the best of its era. Pitchfork placed it in their Best 50 Shoegaze Albums Of All Time saying, “There’s a restless urgency, particularly when the volume swells and the rhythms intensify. That energy not only keeps (it) vital, it emphasizes Pale Saints’ inventiveness, how they channelled softness and rage into something distinctive.”

That rare thing, a debut so perfectly formed that anything else the band releases pales in comparison. Every song is a gem, there isn’t a moment wasted across the forty one minutes, even the silences between songs are filled with little noises and extracts of melodies (an idea stolen by My Bloody Valentine a year later on Loveless). And the songs are wonderful, each and every one. From the powerful one two opening punch of “Way The World Is” and “You Tear The World In Two“, through the dreamy atmospherics of “A Deep Sleep For Steven” and “Sea Of Sound“, across the perfect guitar pop of Language Of Flowers and Insubstantial … Even the sped up cover of Opal’s “Fell From The Sun” fits the album neatly. 

“Time Thief” closes “The Comforts Of Madness” perfectly – sometimes slow, quiet and foreboding, other times loud, fast and melodic, the tempo speeds up and slows down as the tension rises, guitars and drums hammering to a noisy climax. The song is like a microcosm of the whole album – the off kilter sound the band make, the shifts in tempo, dropped bars, the stops and starts, the swerves into dissonance, the peculiar logic that makes these songs so special. And over it all Ian Masters continues to sing odd words in his high choirboy-like voice, slightly disturbing words. The album hangs together beautifully and should be in any self respecting indie rock fan’s record collection. 

The album includes the Opal cover version of “Fell from the Sun” . The Sunday Times called it “an unintended indie manifesto: music that is at once wayward and concise, dissonant and beautiful.”

The debut, a Top 40 U.K. hit upon release, is particularly well-regarded, and was expanded and recirculated by 4AD records in January 2020, 4AD released a remastered and expanded 30th anniversary edition including the Peel session and an album’s worth of demos.

Half Life EP

The EP of four new songs the Chris Allison produced, “Half-Life”, came out that October, by which point the band was a quartet with the addition of Meriel Barham, An original member of Lush strongly recommended by that band’s Miki Berenyi. Barham not only contributed to Pale Saints’ song writing process but also shared lead vocal duties with Masters, Barham contributed backing vocals and guitars to “Half-Life” EP, then joined permanently for the Nancy Sinatra cover “Kinky Love”, which gave the band a minor hit single as part of “Flesh Balloon” EP. 

The title track, “Half Life Remembered”, pounds along on a rhythm section slightly derived from Soon by My Bloody Valentine, with a vocal melody slightly derived from Joybringer by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (itself derived from Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets). Regardless of the derivation, its a rattling little song, and the rest of the EP showed new directions too. “Two Sick Sisters” was pure uneasy atmosphere, crackle and noises too dim to ascertain. “A Revelation” was a skewed pop song with waves of guitar noise, but best of all was “Baby Maker“. This was Pale Saints in excelsis; guitars as loud as bombs, drums crashing here and there, a chord sequence which swerved when it should go straight, a song with so many twists it’s hard to keep up, and where the hell did those tympani drums in the middle eight come from? And somewhere within, Masters sings “The only way is down” as if he’s secretly relishing the prospect of imminent failure.

Ian Masters left the band in 1993, citing his lack of enthusiasm for touring, unlike the remaining members of the band and their record label 4AD. Former Heart Throbs bassist Colleen Browne joined afterwards.

The Flesh Balloon EP

This would be their only release of 1991, “The Flesh Balloon” EP. It starts with six and a half minutes of pure unrest named “Hunted“, a song in 5/8 time just to confuse anyone who may be attempting to dance to the song. That’s unusual enough, but Masters’ lyrics are dark too – threats, strange laughter, nothing is clear but it’s not happy. And the band match that feeling, leading to a second half where Masters sings peculiar harmonies in the middle distance while a synth plays a forbidding melody and the drums turn martial until the song fades into a sea of echoes.

Next was “Porpoise“, an instrumental which builds on a simple drum machine and bass guitar loop, adding insistent drums, chiming keyboards and rocking guitars – but while it progresses, it doesn’t seem to resolve in any way. Then there’s “Kinky Love”, a cover of a Nancy Sinatra song sung by Barham

Meriel Barham, joined the band permanently for the Nancy Sinatra cover of “Kinky Love”, which gave the band a minor hit single as part of “Flesh Balloon” EP.

Finally the EP closed with a demo of a song called “Hair Shoes” which did have the tension and edge lacking in “Kinky Love”. A phalanx of hovering mandolin styled guitars, another guitar like a two note siren and Masters singing quietly and scared.

In Ribbons (Expanded 30th Anniversary Reissue)

The band recorded their second full-length album, “In Ribbons”, A farther-ranging set with some of the band’s most powerful, wraithlike, and hypnotic songs. Released in the U.K. in March 1992,

Having previously worked well with producer Hugh Jones (Echo and The Bunnyman, Modern English, The Sound), he did a brilliant job recording their second album, “In Ribbons”  despite some studio tensions. Brooklyn Vegan said in a recent celebration of the album that it was the “push and pull between Masters’ outsider tendencies and (the rest’s) commercial interests that makes “In Ribbons” so good. If some of the wild, ragged edges of “Comforts of Madness” have been smoothed off, the album makes up for it with scope and beauty. And there’ still no shortage of weird.” 

squealing guitars and the linking pieces between songs have disappeared. There’s also still plenty of odd time signatures, dropped beats and off kilter rhythms, not least in the assured album opener “Throwing Back The Apple” which can’t decide which direction to go in, but still packs a punch, as does Ordeal. Then, “Thread Of Light” derails the train. It is Barham’s first lead vocal on the album and while the song is pleasant enough, it lacks the twists and turns which had made the previous two songs so thrilling. This happens over and over; a string of songs set up a dark mood then it is spoiled by a Barham song. There’s nothing wrong with her songs, but they stand out amongst the main album and they jar the flow of the record. But when the record is good, it is fantastic. “Shell” is a ballad that makes the nerves tingle, cellos and acoustic guitar and xylophones and chord sequences that swerve in all the right places.

The closing three songs work beautifully together – “Never Ending Night” sounds like a tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross, “Featherframe” is a Barham song which fits in well with the album, more martial drums and a return to noise, while “A Thousand Stars Burst Open” is a glorious closer, as richly textured as Cocteau Twins, euphoric yet melancholic too.

During the late 80s and early 90s there was a trend amongst indie bands to include a free 7 inch single with their vinyl albums, and Pale Saints were no exception to this. However they made a slightly different free single – rather than recording two more songs, they asked the Tintwistle Brass Band to arrange and record two Pale Saints songs. These versions of A Revelation and A Thousand Stars Burst Open are really rather special – they highlight the melodic beauty of Pale Saints’ songs but also give a glimpse of an alternate universe, where shoegazing meets traditional Yorkshire music. A unique record by a unique combination of talents.

If Pale Saints were one-step-ahead they might’ve been coping 91’s ‘loveless’, but instead they were returning to the icy dream pop landscapes of 88’s ‘isn’t anything’. somewhere between Sarah Records jangle-pop and Sonic Youth noise pop, ‘In Ribbons’ offers a buffet of the sleepy, gasoline-huffin’ rock. songs like ‘shell’ and ‘hunted’ are delicate and haunted, yet contain a great hook to keep your interest and keep you coming back, much in the same way of the Breeders.

Missing its original release date last year due to Covid delays and a production plant in meltdown, “In Ribbons” finally gets the 30th Anniversary celebration it deserves with a special double LP / CD release – the first disc being the UK version of the album, the second a bonus disc of never before heard demos (including their first attempt at Slapp Happy’s ‘Blue Flower’ and Ian’s 4 track recording of ‘Kinky Love’) and two brass band versions by The Tintwistle Band. 

Coming in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, the limited double LP edition is being pressed on unpigmented vinyl by The Vinyl Factory in West London. A single disc, black vinyl version is also released.

After a perfunctory release of “Throwing Back The Apple” as a single (featuring a cover of Slapp Happy’s “Blue Flower” which the band had been playing live for over a year), Pale Saints disappeared.

Dissatisfied artistically, Ian Masters left the band in 1993, citing his lack of enthusiasm for touring, unlike the remaining members of the band and their record label 4AD. The Heart Throbs’ Bass player Colleen Browne joined shortly afterwards. effectively replaced Masters on bass, while Barham stepped to the fore. 

Fine Friend EP

Sticking with producer Hugh Jones, the group released the “Fine Friend” EP in mid-1994, followed by their third album, “Slow Buildings”, Pale Saints’ final LP, alternated between succinct, driving pop and sprawling balladry. 

There have been few calls for Pale Saints to reform, but you never can tell these days. In the meantime, their music is still available, still likely to shock (you will never forget your first listen to “The Colour Of The Sky”, an uncredited fifth song on the “Half-Life” EP) and still thrilling to hear. 

The last Pale Saints concert was on June 14th, 1996 at 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., United States.

Check out the “Mrs. Dolphin” A Japanese release containing “Barging Into the Presence of God” and the “Half-Life” EPs with the tracks “Colours and Shapes” and “A Deeper Sleep for Steven”

Their final studio recording was a version of Tom Waits “Jersey Girl” released on the tribute album “Step Right Up. Meriel Barham departed in September 1995, and the group eventually disbanded in 1996.

Guitarist Graeme Naysmith died on 4th April 2024.

Studio albums:

• The Comforts of Madness (February 1990) UK #40
• In Ribbons (March 1992) UK #61^[7]
• Slow Buildings (August 1994)

Compilation albums

• Mrs. Dolphin (10 Jan 1991), A Japanese release containing Barging Into the Presence of God and the Half-Life EPs with the tracks “Colours and Shapes” and “A Deeper Sleep for Steven”

Singles/EPs/demos

• “Children Break” (1988)
• Barging Into the Presence of God EP (September 1989)
• Half-Life EP (October 1990), 12″ contains a bonus spoken-word track “Colour of the Sky” 
• Kinky Love (1991) 
• Flesh Balloon EP (June 1991)
• “Porpoise” (1991)
• “Throwing Back the Apple” (May 1992)
• Fine Friend EP (August 1994)
• “Fine Friend” (1994), US promo including “One Blue Hill” live acoustic @ KCRW
• “Angel (Will You Be My)” (1995), US promo

thanks to Toppermost for some words

Los Angeles-based rock duo Slothrust have kept busy since they released their “I Promise” EP back in October. Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin set off on an extensive month-long US tour to promote the album after its release, playing shows alongside The Front Bottoms and Pronoun—and not long afterward they hit the road again in January to celebrate 10 years of their breakthrough 2014 album “Of Course You Do”. 

With a month-long respite in this second US tour, the band seems to be feeling nostalgic for their “I Promise” shows, as evidenced by their new video for the single “Maybe Maybe” from that release.

The clip compiles footage of the band’s impassioned performances of the tune, as well as plenty of backstage antics—including some interesting outfits they put together for their Halloween show in Nashville. “Since we always wait until the last minute to sort costumes, the pickings were slim, but I managed to snag a matching Bert and Ernie costume for myself and our bass player,” Gorin shares. “I do have a competitive edge, and when our crew was making bets on how many songs until I take off the mask, well, I took that as a challenge and ripped the entire set in character. But the behind-the-scenes character you didn’t get to see is someone we call ‘BDSM Bert.’ Perhaps he will make an appearance in the future…”

From the EP, “I Promise”, available now on Dangerbird Records. Released October 20th, 2023

All songs performed by Slothrust

“Fragile” the 1972 album by Yes is being reissued as a six-disc super deluxe edition. A 4CD+blu-ray+LP set features a newly remastered version of the original album, new 2024 stereo mixes, instrumental mixes, rarities, live recordings and more.

“Fragile” marked keyboardist Rick Wakeman’s debut with Yes, who joined the band from the Strawbs mid-way through 1971 to replace original keyboard player Tony Kaye. The album featured four band tracks, including the perennial live favourites “Heart Of The Sunrise” and “Roundabout”, plus a piece from each of the individual members. It was also the first Yes album to feature artwork by Roger Dean. The band included Jon Anderson (lead vocals), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), and Steve Howe (guitar). After he joined in the summer of 1971, the band recorded nine songs for the album, four group arrangements (‘Roundabout’), and five individual compositions, including Anderson’s ‘We Have Heaven’ and Howe’s instrumental ‘Mood For A Day’.

Among the rarities are previously unreleased live versions of “Long Distance Runaround/The Fish” (Schindleria Praematurus), “Perpetual Change” and “Yours Is No Disgrace“, recorded at New York’s Academy Of Music in February 1972. 

The lacquers for the included vinyl record have been cut by audio engineer Bernie Grundman. This new reissue of “Fragile” will be packaged the same as The Yes album and comes with a booklet.

It will be released on 28th June 2024, via Rhino.

This September, Matt Johnson’s The The will release “Ensoulment”, their first studio album for almost 25 years. Encompassing characteristic topics ranging from love & sex, war & politics, life & death – to “the meaning of what it is to be human in the 21st century” “Ensoulment” was written, demoed and mixed at Studio Cinéola in London, the base of the band’s frontman and creative force, Matt Johnson.

The songs were later refined in rehearsals ahead of a six-day session at Real World Studios near Bath, where Matt was joined by long-standing band members James Eller (bass), DC Collard (keyboards), Earl Harvin (drums), and Barrie Cadogan (lead guitar). The album has been co-produced by Warne Livesey, who previously worked on “Infected“ (1986) and “Mind Bomb” (1989).

“Ensoulment” features some of Matt Johnson’s late brother Andrew (AKA Andy Dog)’s artwork, both on the front cover and in the booklets for vinyl and CD, maintaining the distinctive visual language of the past.

The The’s last proper album was 2000’s “NakedSelf”. Since then Matt has concentrated on soundtrack work. In 2021 the band toured for the first time in decades, resulting in The Comeback Special album/box set which was filmed/recorded at the Royal Albert Hall.

The first single from the album is ‘Cognitive Dissident’,  “Ensoulment” is a 12-track album and is available as a hardcover media book CD set with 32-page booklet (no bonus tracks). There’s also a jewel case version. On vinyl, this is a 2LP set with black and indie ‘crystal clear’ vinyl options available. All vinyl editions come with a large format 32-page booklet to show off Andy Dog’s art.

“Ensoulment” will be released on 6th September 2024 via EarMusic.

NEW Live Colour vinyl LP Featuring The Smiths Pressed on purple vinyl, this album showcases the Smiths’ stellar concert at the Theater de Meervaart, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 21st April 1984, during the band’s The Smiths Tour.

This concert, put together to celebrate Dutch music magazine Vinyl’s fifth anniversary, was the Smiths’ first show in a country where the main language wasn’t English. Everything went well but Morrissey sounded rather reserved at first. He was probably intimidated by the language barrier, but by the end of the show he appeared to be more comfortable. He did say a few words in between songs but didn’t really alter lyrics the way he sometimes did in England where the audience was more familiar with the Smiths’ material.

“Miserable Lie”, “I Don’t Owe You Anything” and “These Things Take Time” returned to the setlist. They were rarely performed at this point in time. The latter two titles were almost at the end of their live career.

Featured here are a number of The Smiths’ most celebrated songs such as ‘Hand in Glove’, ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’, ‘This Charming Man’, ‘This Night Has Opened My Eyes’, ‘Still Ill’, ‘Handsome Devil’ and more.

During their recent tour of the UK “Hand In Glove” had been the standard set opener and its intro extended by a few bars. For some reason, even if the song was still opener in Amsterdam, the normal intro was brought back. After the latter number Morrissey introduced the next planned one by saying: “Thank you, this song is called ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’.” The song had just been recorded and it was planned to be released as a single one month later, so this live performance was much closer to the studio version we are familiar with.

“Girl Afraid”, which was next on the setlist and planned to be released as the latter single’s b-side, had also just been recorded in the 4-week break between the end of the recent UK tour and this concert. So not only was “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” closer to its definitive version, but so was “Girl Afraid”. In the instrumental bridge in the middle of the song, Morrissey hummed “Mmmmm that mistake again”, as he does on the studio version. He had never done this before. “This Charming Man” was introduced as being “…a song about a bicycle.” Before going into “Barbarism Begins At Home” Morrissey told the audience “Coincidentally, it’s a great privilege to be here… so…”

Before introducing “Miserable Lie” Morrissey enquired “Can anybody here speak English?… So?” The following planned number was “Still Ill” and it was simply introduced with a shout of its title. Then the next one was introduced with the line “This song is called ‘I Don’t Owe You Anything’…” When the band returned to the stage for the first encore Morrissey shouted “Handsome Devil”! before the band launched into the song. When the band returned to the stage for the second encore, Morrissey’s final words to the audience were “Thank you, we didn’t expect this, thank you…”

The Smiths live at the Meervaart Theatre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 21st of April 1984. Full Show. 0:01 – Hand In Glove 2:50 – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now 6:14 – Girl Afraid 9:08 – This Charming Man 12:08 – Barbarism Begins At Home 17:52 – This Night Has Opened My Eyes 21:20 – Miserable Lie 26:12 – Still Ill 29:54 – I Don’t Owe You Anything 34:21 – What Difference Does It Make? Encore #1: 38:53 – Handsome Devil 41:41 – You’ve Got Everything Now Encore #2: 46:12 – These Things Take Time

Interesting details about this show: – This was the first and only time The Smiths would play in The Netherlands.

Former Advert’s singer TV Smith may be decades after his first band broke through, but he has never sounded more urgent with this great set of songs that spark with emotive melody and brilliant lyrics.

The Adverts were one of the finest of the 1977 punk bands. Their flurry of fame may have been brief, but those two albums they left were full of great songs and lyrics, and it felt like within their raw thrills, one of the finest songwriters of that generation had announced himself. TV Smith was the charismatic impatient scarecrow who wore his heart on his junk festooned sleeve, and with Gaye Advert was part of the photogenic core of the band whose influence has touched everyone from The Stone Roses to Henry Rollins.

Smith may have then spent decades on the fringes but his talent has never been dimmed, and “Handwriting” could arguably be the greatest post Advert’s work that he has delivered, which is a high accolade in the context of his releases. His years of performing, often armed with an acoustic guitar only, have given the songs an acoustic edge, yet they are delivered with the high IQ ferocity of the Adverts, and you are constantly reminded of the poetic urgency of his breakthrough band as well as his brilliant rush of phrases and emotional song writing.

“The perfect album” Henry Rollins, “If you only buy one album this year…let it be ‘Handwriting'” Goldmine

“Handwriting” is the title track from the forthcoming album by TV Smith, produced by Gerry Diver, release date 12th April 2024. Video directed by Kevin Winiker.

After two EPs that made them a regional success in Ireland, the alt-rock quartet moved to London to record their debut LP, “Madra” the Irish alt / rock collective NewDad release their debut album, “Madra” on Fair Youth / Atlantic. Awash with spiralling guitars and a hypnotic bassline, singer/guitarist Julie Dawson finds inspiration in TV show Euphoria, as she ruminates on the destructive relationship of characters, Rue and Jules: a storyline that she herself gravitated towards.

“Madra” meaning “dog” in Irish is an 11-song, guitar-stacked visceral outing, as singer/guitarist Julie Dawson embarks on a journey of self-exploration, self-sabotage, and reflection. Soaked in dysfunction, “Madra” searches for solace in pain, tackling themes of bullying (‘Where I Go’), self-medication/depression (‘Madra’, ‘Let Go’), destruction (‘Change My Mind’, ‘White Ribbons’), co-dependency (‘Nosebleed’) and resistance (‘Nightmares’). The album artwork, photographed by Irish creative, Joshua Gordon, shows a broken doll that serves as a metaphor for the album’s themes of fragility and vulnerability.

The album finds NewDad reconnect with their musical roots, digging deep into the shoegaze/rock sonics that sound tracked their formative years (the band cite Pixies, The Cure and Slowdive as some of their biggest early influences), together with glimmers of indie/pop that harks back to their earlier material: ‘Waves EP’ (2021) and ‘Banshee EP’ (2022). Written in their home city of Galway, Ireland, before the band moved to London this year, and recorded at the legendry Rockfield Studios (Black Sabbath, Queen), the album has been produced by NewDad’s long-time collaborator Chris Ryan (Just Mustard) and mixed by Alan Moulder (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Wet Leg).

Bound together by Julie’s ghostly vocal – a vessel for her weighty, introspective song writing –“Madra” firmly marks NewDad as one of Ireland’s most promising debut guitar bands.

Their breakthrough 2022 EP, “Banshee”  Now the band have signed to Atlantic Records, NewDad are primed to become a Stateside sensation with their first full-length

By the time NewDad released their hotly tipped debut LP “Madra”, the group led by Julie Dawson had begun engaging with the material in a different way. The album, which arrived at the end of January via Atlantic Records, was completed in February of 2023.

Its diaristic nature and heart-on-sleeve lyricism made it an intense personal reflection of Dawson and her bandmates’ world at a particular moment in time. But by the time “Madra” was released, the group wasn’t necessarily in the same mental headspace as they were when they wrote these songs. It taught Dawson to detach from her work, to view creation as something fleeting, temporary, and ultimately, for her listeners.

Imbued with the ethereal vocal harmonies of Cocteau Twins and the gothic jangle of The Cure, “Madra”, the debut long-player by Galway-based indie band NewDad, channels Julie Dawson’s ghostly voice into a nocturnal spirit walk that guides listeners through the melancholic realm of dream-pop and more than earns its spot among the best albums of 2024.

With plays on BBC Radio 1, 6Music and KEXP under their belt, and their anticipated third album released in January, Manchester’s Chemtrails are gearing up for a big year in 2024.

The post-garage-punk and psychedelic power pop anomaly Chemtrails return with their third album – their boldest yet with a more danceable and rhythm-driven style, armed with their trademark fuzzy guitars and playfully sinister melodies. Working with producer Margo Broom (Fat White Family, Goat Girl) this time around, the group has traded in their DIY approach for a more hi-fi studio sound, remaining just as raw and wild as ever, but with a whole new level of focus and intensity.

The post-garage-punk and psychedelic power pop anomaly that is Chemtrails started out as the DIY bedroom recording project of romantic partners Mia Lust and Laura Orlova, evolving into a full band in 2016. Their uncanny talent for blasting out weird but irresistibly catchy pop songs was quickly noticed by Swedish label PNKSLM Recordings, who signed them just after their first gig — at Trans Pride Brighton. After relocating from London to Manchester in 2019, Lust and Orlova joined forces with a ferocious new rhythm section, putting the final piece of the puzzle into place. With Ian Kane on bass and Liam Steers on drums, the Chemtrails machine is now souped up with a turbocharged rhythmic engine, propelling the hook-filled songs to new levels of raw power, as the band sashays between sleazy punk, frantic krautrock and sardonically sassy grooves.

Served on a bed of twangy and fuzzy guitars, primitive synths and polychromatic pop, Mia Lust’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics tackle alienation, the absurd, the human condition, the impending apocalypse and, occasionally, her place in the world as a transgender woman. The band cites their biggest influences as Pixies, Blondie, Oh Sees, Fat White Family and sixties psych and garage punk, but what has always held the whole project together is the endless supply of catchy melodies, delivered with the band’s relentless excitement and energy.

The sixth album from Still Corners is “Dream Talk”. Beautifully arranged, elegant and wistful, “Dream Talk” is a set of ten carefully crafted classic songs.  From the autumnal opener “Today is the Day” to the hot summer night finale of “Turquoise Moon”, Still Corners have created a sound that is focused, stylish and seductive. Tessa Murray says, “The genesis for a lot of these songs came from dreams.  Every night I would write down the dreams I could remember. 

While recording I would pull out my book of dreams and sing over various looped phrases Greg had been working on, the repetitive nature of the looping and singing almost felt like going into a trance.  A lot of the songs came from that process, it was fun and what I thought were sort of ramblings ended up surprising us with their various meanings and imagery.”

Still Corners new album “Dream Talk”, out April 5th 2024 on Wrecking Light Records.