XTC – Apple Venus Volume 1

 

XTC – Apple Venus Volume 1

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You lead a successful band for 15 years. You’ve transcended genre, going from glam to post-punk to college rock and finally your own blend of sophisti-pop. Then you enter litigation with your record label and are forced to take an eight-year break from recording.

So was the story of XTC. The Swindon-based band – really a duo of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding – had formed in 1972 and released a handful of classic albums. But problems with their record label Virgin led to a forced sabbatical in 1992.

That all changed in 1998 when XTC were finally freed from their contract. And in 1999, a brand-new album was released on TVT Records entitled Apple Venus Volume 1. Certainly, the years apart would have an effect on the music. But would it be as enticing as their previous work?

Things get off to a shaky start with the repetitive, art-pop groove of “River of Orchids.” Partridge seems fascinated by the way that words of English language sound when inverted – specifically “circus” and “circle.” And it is fascinating from a linguistics perspective. Just not for five minutes and fifty-three seconds. 

However, the track does set the stage for the stronger moments, utilizing syncopated strings. They transform the track from a clunker into an interesting – albeit skippable – introduction to the “new” XTC sound. Track 2 is where the real fun begins.

“I’d Like That” boasts a chugging palm muted acoustic guitar, clever wordplay, and gorgeous harmonies. Partridge seems to be having fun making comparisons between his partner and himself with doomed lovers of famous lore. But it’s not the only song of doomed love.

“I Can’t Own Her” speaks of Partridge’s unrequited love towards an unnamed woman, and the resigned sadness it brought him. Chilling strings and a fingerpicked acoustic guitar announce the track in grand fashion. But Partridge’s harmonious vocals bring it to another level. 

However, the most bitter tune on the album – as well as one of the best – is “Your Dictionary.” A sharpened barb to Partridge’s doomed marriage, it is extremely effective at displaying the singer’s contempt. 

“Your Dictionary” is relatively simple musically, but the lyrics are some of the most unique heard in pop. By spelling out a word and describing the antonym, it is an apt metaphor for the mind games and emotional abuse which can end a relationship.

Elsewhere, we hear Partridge combining psychedelic pop with Spectorian wall-of-sound production on “Greenman,” and harking back to childhood memories on “Harvest Festival.” The strings are out in full force on the former, and it’s a joy to hear through headphones. On “Harvest Festival,” we hear a sound not too distant from early Beach Boys. 

But it’s his sidekick – bassist Colin Moulding – who delivers perhaps the most satisfying track on the album in “Frivolous Tonight.” The song begins with a piano theme combined with horns, sounding not unlike Burt Bacharach. And the lyrics take it to another level.

Moulding tells a tale of people only want to talk about “trivial things.” And it’s all delivered in dry British humor (or humour, as they say.) When some poor soul wants to talk shop, he is ejected from the party in dramatic fashion.

Once the chorus hits, the listener is greeted by absolutely gorgeous harmonies by Partridge and guitarist Dave Gregory. It’s a defining moment on the album, and quite possibly of XTC’s discography as a whole. 

Sadly, this would be one of the last tracks to feature Gregory, as he left the band shortly before the record’s completion. A member of XTC since 1979, Gregory’s departure had a profound impact on the chemistry of the band – both personally and musically. XTC would release only one more album before disbanding in 2006.

Most bands – particularly a band that had been around for several decades – couldn’t take an eight-year hiatus and stay motivated. But XTC were not an ordinary band. Picking a favorite XTC record is often an exercise in futility, but Apple Venus Volume 1 makes a strong case as the pinnacle of the Moulding/Partridge partnership.

TVT/1999

 

 

Kathleen Edwards – Back To Me

 

Kathleen Edwards – Back To Me

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Your mid-20s are a time of identity crisis. As Ethan Hawke says to Winona Ryder in the film Reality Bites, “the only thing you have to be by the age of 23 is yourself.” But what if you don’t know who that person is or what they should be? Few artists articulate this feeling better than Kathleen Edwards.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario but raised overseas – her father was a diplomat – she began recording in 1999 with an extremely limited EP entitled Building 55. Fast forward to 2005, and Edwards released her second full-length album Back To Me coming two years after her official debut Failer.

From the first notes, Back To Me is leaps and bounds ahead of her previous work, both in terms of maturity and execution. 

While Edwards is the main voice – and the primary author of the material here – her collaborator Colin Cripps is her secret weapon. Playing lead and/or slide guitar on every track – except the solo acoustic “Away” – as well as producing, they were a musical match in heaven. Cripps’ atmospheric, creative playing perfectly compliments Edwards’ honey and grit vocals.

In “Summerlong,” Edwards – and Cripps who co-wrote it – spin a tale comparing a temporary fling to a childhood game of hide-and-seek over chiming Rickenbacker guitars. Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers even shows up on the track to add gorgeous piano touches.

And in “Copied Keys” Edwards has written possibly the saddest song about feeling alone with the one you love since “Unsatisfied” by The Replacements.

Over a crying slide guitar and violin, the narrator describes her life in the starkest terms possible – her friends, her streets, and her identity no longer belong to her.  She has been treated like a piece of furniture in her partner’s apartment. When the song reaches its climax towards the end, it is a total highlight of the album – and 2000s Americana in general.

But perhaps no song is greater than opener “In State.” Over a monster riff that will be stuck in your head for days, Edwards compares a cheating lover to an outlaw – and duly threatens to turn him into the authorities. It’s the kind of song on which entire musical careers are made.

In a just world “In State” would have been a major radio hit. In fact, if it was released in 2015 rather than 2005 it very well could’ve been.

Although she predated the alt-country renaissance by a few years, Kathleen Edwards achieved the pinnacle of the genre in Back To Me.

Zoe Records/2005

 

The Reputation – The Reputation

 

The Reputation – The Reputation

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

 

Being in a band can be tough. Playing at dingy bars, operating on very little sleep, being malnourished on long van rides. It’s no life for the faint of heart. But try doing it while attending law school. 

So was the case for Elizabeth Elmore while fronting The Reputation. While she was used to the riggers of the road – she previously fronted Champaign, IL stalwarts Sarge – she was not used to juggling that with studying for the bar. 

All of which informed her writing on The Reputation. The self-deprecating tone and power pop guitar riffs of her previous work are out in full force. But now they are flanked by the experiences of someone who has actually lived.

Take the eight-minute, mellotron flanked epic “For The Win.” Beyond the dense sonic landscape she creates, Elmore tells a story of a relationship which has become purely physical. The glacial pace only adds to the emotional resonance. 

Another set of high points are the back-to-back introspective tracks “This Town” and “Alaskan.” “This Town” describes an almost universal feeling of not fitting in and being shunned by peers.

It gets to the point that the singer blames herself for the rejection, and it’s easy to empathize with her plight. Musically the track resembles Pavement’s “Starlings of the Slipstream” with majestic electric guitars. It also features an organ solo played by Wilco’s Jay Bennett.

“Alaskan” is a mid-tempo rock song with an R&B flare to the vocals. This is where the self-deprecation comes in. Elmore seems to know that she doesn’t have the vocal chops to truly pull it off, but she sings with just enough conviction for it to avoid sounding amateurish.

Speaking of amateurs, “The Stars of Amateur Hour” is perhaps the greatest highlight. A chiming pop-punk riff introduces a sordid tale of drunk nights and hungover mornings. When Elmore quips “welcome to the grown-up world,” it is the ultimate diss on adult children.

But the album closer might be the most surprising cut. After two minutes of silence following “For The Win,” the listener is treated to a cover of “Almost Blue” by Elvis Costello. It’s just Elmore on vocals and Jay Bennett on piano, but the haunting delivery and gender reversal is oddly effective.

Elizabeth Elmore is no longer active in the music scene. She went on to be a war crimes prosecutor in The Hague, which certainly has a wider impact than leading an indie band.

Although Elmore moved onto bigger and better things outside of music, her legacy as a heart-on-the-sleeve songsmith still shines.

Initial Records/2002