Just Played: A Column About Vinyl Records #33
As the price point for a double LP seems to be settling around £40 and deluxe box sets continue to spiral out of control – we’re looking at you, Neil Young – it’s becoming ever more important to know whether to risk your money on new records. October’s releases have been sifted and sampled, with the findings presented below.
Freshly Pressed:
During a time which Paul Weller would later admit was beset by profound writer’s block, and five years on from a solo compilation to which we’ll turn our attention later, 2003’s charmingly packaged b-sides and rarities set ‘Fly On The Wall’ emerged. The vinyl edition was abridged from the splendid 3CD set and will currently set you back several hours of heating. No news yet of a reissue but, instead, there is now a second volume which traverses the best part of two decades that have followed. ‘Will Of The People’ is a triple-gatefold release with a cover neatly inspired by The Supremes and The Four Tops’ collaboration ‘The Magnificent 7’.
Mastered and cut by Matt Colton at Metropolis, this set sounds superb. Continuing the recent tour of pressing plants for this esteemed catalogue, it’s GZ this time and a good clean ensured all three discs played with only light noise on a couple of occasions. Weller offers honest reflections on all of the tracks and Radio 4 sage John Wilson provides a suitably stirring sleeve note. There are some wonderful moments to either revisit or discover in this anthology, from the soulful swagger of opener ‘The Piper’ to the glistening beauty and strummed sway of ‘Devotion’. Throw in the French influences of ‘Dusk Til Dawn’ and the Pet Shop Boys’ exhilarating retooling of ‘Cosmic Fringes’ and this is a winner.
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In the mid-Noughties, ‘The Pirate’s Gospel’ marked Alela Diane out as a unique talent, possessed of a hugely affecting voice. Plenty of excellent records have followed and ‘Looking Glass’ is the latest. If seeking a label, somewhere between folk and Americana would suffice, but Diane’s ability to make intricate tonal adjustments based on the subject matter is masterful. Take ‘Camellia’, with its stark narrative and beautiful melding of metaphor and cliché: “I was white as a cotton sheet in a white room – in a white bed, and I saw myself in the white lights dangling there by a thread.” The delivery is somehow raw but philosophical, weaving imagery from unimaginable fear. The cut is mostly good, presenting the acoustic instruments well and giving that voice a decent amount of space. It’s a little congested towards the centre of the record, with hints of inner groove distortion, and this GZ pressing suffered from several noisy passages, even after a good clean.
Oklahoman indie-folk band Other Lives have several excellent releases to their name, most notably 2011’s ‘Tamer Animals’ and 2020’s ‘For Their Love’. Frontman Jesse Tabish spent lockdown writing and producing a solo effort, largely in association with his wife and fellow band member, Kim Tabish. ‘Cowboy Ballads Part 1’ possesses many of the charms that have drawn people to his day job. Faint hints of atmospheric showdowns in westerns mix with Tabish’s ruffled rasp, while the rest of Other Lives provide the musical backdrop for the studio recordings. Pressed at Deepgrooves in the Netherlands, it’s on gold vinyl and, as is so often the case with that colour, it suffers with some noise. Low-level rustle was present, most notably between tracks, on the first half of both sides. The shuffling cacophony of ‘Fantastik’ is particularly appealing, should you wish to dip in for a sample first.
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Regular readers will likely remember one of March’s highlights was an Acid Jazz release by Soul Revivers entitled ‘On The Grove’. A very fine album devised by two esteemed reggae producers, Nick Manesseh and David Hill, it channelled new songs through a 1970s aesthetic and delivered on the tunes. A single disc companion is now in the racks, entitled ‘Grove Dub’. Reshaping eight of the original dozen, the pair shifted the focus to the dextrous rhythm section and luxuriated in the groove of the grove. The whole thing was mixed live at the studio desk, ensuring a soundstage that feels alive throughout. A GZ pressing that plays with barely a hint of surface noise, this is a worthy extension of this impeccable project.
Attributing some of the experimentation on his fourth album, ‘Time On My Hands’, to the change in priorities brought about by life in lockdown, Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir has nevertheless maintained many of the elements that made his previous work so appealing. Bubbling textures of synth and piano provide a bed for his expressive falsetto. If you preferred Bon Iver when he wrote songs, this might well appeal, although it’s more soul than sax. Indies are offering a glow-in-the-dark pressing alongside the standard black, both manufactured at Optimal. Considering the notoriety of that particular variant, playback was very quiet. The soundstage is refined, etching with vivid colour electronic aspects that can often sound forensic and cold. ‘Borderland’ sounds especially beautiful, if you need a taster.
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While this column is never entirely sure about sub-par audio sources being wheeled out on vinyl, it’s tempting to make an exception for Athens Of The North’s presentation of unreleased material by Lee Tracy and Isaac Manning. The former is a singer with a remarkable, mellifluous voice while the latter was his producer and manager. ‘Is It What You Want?’ is a bewitching, often nonsensical mish-mash of recordings that add up to something quite remarkable. The eye is drawn to the cover of ‘Saving All My Love For You’, but there is a rare talent at play that justifies listening to such lo-fi snapshots. A near-silent Optimal pressing can do little to enhance the rather limited, fuzzy soundstage, but don’t let that put you off.
While few saw Lambchop’s whole-hearted embrace of auto-tune coming, it has become a distinctive part of the band’s identity of late. While it has seemed a little heavy-handed at times, on ‘The Bible’ it feels more integrated, like one of many instruments used across the material. Arguably their best in a decade, it has a dour view of the world and this may account for the more varied soundscape. ‘Little Black Boxes’ is comedown house music, while ‘Whatever, Mortal’ is somewhere on the way to soulful drum’n’bass. The distance travelled from, say, ‘Nixon’ is quite incredible, but Lambchop remain captivating. The orange and black marbled Optimal pressing sadly wastes the fourth side on an etching and has a little light surface noise along the way. The mastering, however, is superb.
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The reunited Suede have now been around longer than their original incarnation and it is frankly delightful that, after all that time, they can turn in album as strong as ‘Autofiction’. Twitchy, punchy and awash with splendid tunes, it was conceived as a record to sound almost as-live, leaving in some studio noise and not agonising about the odd bum note. It roars out of the blocks with ‘She Still Leads Me On’ and doesn’t let up thereafter. Even the more subdued pieces like ‘Drive Myself Home’ still possess the energy of a band in the sweet spot.
Suede vinyl has not been without issues in recent years, not helped by their preferred production sound. The mastering for ‘Autofiction’ is still squashed, but it doesn’t feel anywhere near as oppressive as it has in the past. The black edition of the GZ pressing sampled was quite noisy at points, especially towards the end of side 1. Even after several cleans, some ticks and pops remained. Roulette might see you right, or you could opt for the CD. Either way, the album is a triumph and deserves to be heard.
Feeling remarkably like a rediscovered classic rather than a new release, Mr Bongo serve up Soyuz’s sublime ‘Force Of The Wind’. With all the poise, grace and licks of vintage Brazilian music, this record actually hails from Belarus. The band name translates as ‘Union’ and they are a collective helmed by the gifted trio of composer, arranger and singer Alex Chumak, multi-instrumentalist Mikita Arlou and drummer, Anton Nemahai. Based in Minsk, their songs are sung in both Russian and Portuguese, as well as leaving some pieces to breathe in instrumental form. The Optimal pressing is pin-drop silent and the soundstage is nimble and spacious. Candidate for punt of the month.
The Leaf Library make a welcome return to record shops with ‘Library Music: Volume One’, a collection of singles, compilation contributions and one-off efforts from the first fourteen years of their career. While the band see it as a clearing of the decks before delivering highly anticipated new material, this is on a par – both in terms of genre and quality – with Stereolab’s recently revisited and extended ‘Switched On’ series. The artwork will catch the eye during a rummage in the racks and the music contained within justifies the interest. From dream-pop to drone-pop, the rhythmic drive to their music is insistent and hypnotic. ‘Soundings’ swirls around a hazy guitar line, Kate Gibson’s voice pulling in and out of focus throughout. At the other extreme is the gothic synth onslaught of closer ‘A Gap In Trees’. This month’s quietest GZ pressed release, the double disc set sounds superb.
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The recent growth in the nostalgia festival circuit, has reminded audiences of how much they enjoyed acts like The Lightning Seeds. It has been thirteen years since Ian Broudie last produced an album under that name. In 2019, the 25thanniversary edition of ‘Jollification’ served to highlight the melodic bang for buck of which Broudie is so regularly capable, while Needle Mythology put out a very fine reissue of his solo record ‘Tales Told’. Following several headline tours and plenty of Pub In The Park appearances, it’s time for a fresh outing for the old moniker.
‘See You In The Stars’ hops around the varying directions pursued on previous albums. ‘Sunshine’ is a rather lightweight take on the late Nineties ‘Tilt era while ‘Green Eyes’ deploys a synthetic brass sound that more than slightly evokes early hit ‘Pure’. It’s all very pleasant and Broudie remains in good voice, but there isn’t quite enough that matches those cheeringly bombastic hits of old. Just Played listened to the green version of this Takt pressing and it was pretty quiet during playback. The soundstage is pleasing, with especially good control of the mid-range. A welcome if faintly underwhelming return.
Sub Pop are one of those labels where any new release warrants a listen, based on their staggering track record. Frankie Cosmos are now on their third album for the label, delivering a sound that mixes Seventies singer-songwriter charms with post-punk deconstruction and glistening harmonies. ‘Inner World Peace’ conveys a sense of being a little out of time with its illustrated (and lightly spot-varnished, aesthetes!) sleeve, but the jittery jangle will likely play well with Courtney Barnett fans. The sheer quantity of ideas expended in any one song is remarkable, with gearshifts and tonal tweaks aplenty. It’s an Optimal pressing and the clear vinyl Loser edition played quietly. The soundstage is precise and fairly open, if a little tame on the top end.
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Any serious record collector is likely to have a substantial Brian Eno section, given the potent combination of his Seventies classics and his relatively prolific output of late. It might even be the case that one wonders if the shelves need another ambient–focused offering from the great man. Well, the answer on this occasion is definitely yes. ‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ is his best in some time, presenting a mix of instrumental pieces and those blessed with his wonderful voice, like being massaged by a low, resonant piano note. The eco-friendly packaging is a neat touch, eschewing the customary shrink-wrap, and the artwork is typically enthralling.
An Optimal pressing, it delivers a near-silent background throughout, so important for this spacious, delicately evolving music. When pieces are so clearly designed to dissolve the speakers, it’s a pleasure to encounter a presentation that offers no distractions. Listen to the early moments of ‘Garden Of Stars’ to get a sense of how this cut delivers, especially when the double-tracked vocals beam in from some celestial service. The beauty of ‘These Small Noises’, featuring Clodagh Simonds, is a good place to start, but this oddly ornate set won’t be for everyone. Those kindly disposed towards Eno, however, will likely find this to be a sensory treat.
It was with a degree of excitement that Just Played removed the shrink-wrap from ‘The Globeflower Masters Vol 2’ by Glenn Fallows and Mark Treffel. Those who’ve been with us for a while may recall the first volume making waves last autumn, with its enveloping library music atmospherics. The Axelrod influence of old remains, but things shimmer rather more this time. The first release was excellent, but this surpasses it. These tracks construct vivid, widescreen imagery before you, ‘Convention IV’ transporting me to bleary late-summer evenings where you’d do anything to keep the light a little longer. Once again, the mastering and cut are magnificent. The drums have such presence, with the sense of a full kit before you. Mastered at Finyl Tweek and pressed at Optimal, playback is near silent. This one will stay the course.
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The enduring double act of Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott serves up a pointedly titled new set, ‘N.K Pop’. One of Britain’s greatest and most consistent songwriters, Heaton has rarely sounded better than when working in unison with Abbott, whose vocals are quite remarkably aligned with his. Never short of hooks, the pair’s latest effort address toxic masculinity, interminable politicians and the prerogatives of the press. You may well have heard the deeply affecting advance track, ‘Still’, which looks at the absence left by the early loss of a child.
Resplendent in a striking gatefold, the album was pressed at GZ and is fairly quiet during playback. The soundstage is solid if not expansive, layers defined but not reaching too far up or out. Things get a little congested towards the centre and, inevitably, the staggering performance of ‘Still’ has been tucked at the end of side A. More strident pieces like ‘Sunny Side Up’ and the neatly melodically referential ‘Baby It’s Cold Inside’ have plenty of heft making it a satisfying listen for a very endearing album.
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A couple of months back, this column featured the tremendous new record by Bastien Keb. Hot on its heels comes this collaboration with Claudia Kane under the name Grandamme. Their luscious retro sound makes for an intoxicating late night listen, Kane’s careworn vocals possessing a timeless quality that gives them weight amongst the filmic soundscapes. Inspired by the 1973 movie of the same name, the title track is excellent and there are plenty of other cinematic nods to be uncovered. It’s a largely, though not completely, quiet pressing done through Optimal. Just Played listened to the green edition and the soundstage delivers, keeping the intricately sculpted bottom end in check. Well worth exploring.
All Kinds Of Blue:
The big news in the Blue Note Classic world this month is that Big John Patton’s ‘Oh Baby!’ arrived with the disc, curiously, in a plain paper inner. Accident or design? Who knows. There’s no discernable impact on the sound, so let’s all regain a sense of perspective, eh? It’s an organ-driven, mid-Sixties delight, aided by the masterful presence of Grant Green’s guitar. Fans of Ramsey Lewis and Lee Morgan will feel immediately at home during the oddly titled opener ‘Fat Judy’, while things shimmy and slink for ‘Each Time’. As ever, Kevin Gray’s all-analogue cut allows these performances the space in the mix and beyond the speakers. A near silent Optimal pressing, this offers some straightforward but no less enjoyable thrills.
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Suggesting Patton suffered a sleeve slip up, Stanley Turrentine’s ‘Common Touch’ gets the usual poly-lined treatment. An artist with more than their fair share of the Tone Poets now appears in the Classics. While his tenor sax drives proceedings, Shirley Scott’s nimble organ work neatly underpins so much and Bob Cranshaw’s bass perfectly highlights the magic of this traditional mastering process. A slightly throwaway cover of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ aside, this 1968 release is a fine addition to this exemplary series.
Flex your wallets as we move into Tone Poet world. Grant Green’s ‘Feelin’ The Spirit’ is a pleasure from the distinctive cover art on in, Reid Miles using a Francis Wolff shot that captures the artist truly lost in his performance. Herbie Hancock is on piano for this 1963 release and his distinctively emphatic contributions make for an ideal accompaniment to Green’s always intricate constructions. Given how accustomed we are now to these RTI-pressed analogue marvels, it felt like the right time to do another comparison between its sonics and the readily available digital counterpart. A CD resolution stream had clarity but very little space. Butch Warren’s bass on ‘Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho’ sounds like a physical instrument on this Kevin Gray cut rather than something pushing against the speakers on the digital. Whether the quest for audio perfection warrants a £40 outlay for each title is a more significant question than ever, but this certainly delivers.
Snap, Crackle & Pop:
Ah, the irony of appending the phrase ‘As It Should Have Sounded’ to a remixed reissue of an album and then delivering it via a relentlessly noisy and slightly off-centre Takt pressing is quite something. Kevin Rowland & Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ label has done exactly that with the certified classic, ‘Too-Rye-Ay’. How is the remix? Reasonably compelling, but when your attention is drawn to the volley of pops and clicks delivered across this woeful vinyl edition such thoughts fade quickly. Indeed, I actually found myself wincing at some of the noise. As much as this column shines a light on which titles to seek out and which to avoid, the basic desire is for things to be excellent and reduce the risk of people wasting their hard-earned on frisbees. Great songs, but categorically avoid this pressing.
Going Round Again:
There was a time towards the end of the Nineties when it felt like you couldn’t walk through a Virgin Megastore without tripping over a display for Paul Weller’s ‘Modern Classics’ compilation. It helped that it emerged on a variety of formats including a collectable but hardly audiophile 4×7” boxset. However ubiquitous it seemed at the time, the original 2LP set regularly commands triple figures in the second-hand market and is finally getting a fresh pressing. As with that 1998 release, the first disc squeezes in sixteen belters and the second disc captures a set of ‘Live Classics’ recorded in London’s Victoria Park that same year.
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Despite some fairly congested grooves, this is an excellent sounding Record Industry pressing. As a result of being near silent over four sides, the music can be cranked a little and the soundstage is very pleasing. The bottom end is surprisingly full-bodied considering the length. The compilation covers Weller’s solo output up to ‘Heavy Soul’, so it’s not lacking in highlights. Even for someone with all of the respective studio albums, it’s a well-sequenced tour of some gorgeous singles. The live set is no slouch either and well worth seeking out. Both ‘Wild Wood’ and ‘Broken Stones’ seem to find a new level in that performance. It’s another £40+ reissue, but it has been done with considerable attention to detail and features a print from the shoot for the sleeve.
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A number of readers were keen that this column should review the recent reissue of Supergrass’ self-titled third album. Such interest has its roots in the appalling 2LP edition of ‘In It For The Money’ that stunk up plenty of turntables last year. Would the label learn from its mistakes? Mostly, is the short answer. While the neon orange disc sampled is not revelatory, it has some dynamics and is mostly free from surface noise. It’s a GZ pressing that has been mastered and cut by Lewis Hopkin at StarDelta. The sonic signature is consistent, unlike the 2021 project, and the soundstage is reasonably open.
The most obvious point to test any copy of ‘Supergrass’ is the transition from the first verse of ‘Moving’ to its seismic chorus. On the 1999 original, it explodes into the room with euphoric, visceral strength. It is one of the most enjoyable few seconds in my entire record collection. This new edition does a solid but unspectacular job of this. It’s far from neutered and the shift is still substantial, but it doesn’t feel like a force of nature as the bottom end is a little boomy. This is the case for the album as a whole, as the textured majesty of ‘Shotover Hill’ keeps its sprightly acoustic flourishes but feels a little weighed down below them. The remarkably nimble ‘Pumping On Your Stereo’ is absorbingly taut on the original, but a little heavy handed and chunky on the 2022 cut. Ultimately, a disaster averted but room for improvement.
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Twenty years after its original release, Rough Trade have served up a number of different anniversary editions of The Libertines’ potent debut, ‘Up The Bracket’. Arguably the defining release from the scene where all band names started with ‘The’, its energy is inarguable. Slightly ramshackle playing and a rapidity that is all-enveloping ensure it’s still a whirlwind listen. Most formats pair the main album with a ‘Live at the 100 Club’ live disc, but those with deep pockets might fancy the super deluxe set which features white variants of the vinyl and adds bonus 7”s plus shedloads of demos over several CDs and a cassette.
Just Played listened to the standard 2LP black Optimal pressing, cut by John Davis, and it’s as good as your correspondent has ever heard this distinctly non-audiophile recording presented. Playback was silent throughout and the soundstage had a decent sense of depth. The live set is absolutely as you would expect. It’s a little thin sonically, but an accurate snapshot of a band in the ascendency. It often gives the impression that they’re only seconds away from the whole thing falling apart and, in that sense, is the perfect way to mark their initial impact on the British music scene.
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Despite a truly appalling sleeve design, Daryl Hall & John Oates’ 2003 album ‘Do It For Love’ suggested that the duo could still channel their hook-laden Seventies magic. Speaking recently, John Oates talked of making the record while “pop music was in transition,” but it’s a little disingenuous to suggest they were especially notable in that landscape by the early 21st century. Their niche was clear and this wasn’t going to win them a mass of new fans, but it sounds uncommonly good for a recording made during the peak of the loudness wars. Indeed, the new 2z45rpm, Optimal pressed reissue is a sonic delight. While the songs may occasionally feel a little Kenny Thomas, or even Backstreet Boys on ‘Forever For You’, the separation of instruments and its sparkling mid-range are very pleasing indeed. Opener ‘Man On A Mission’ is especially infectious and, if Hall & Oates are in your wheelhouse, this is a very safe purchase indeed.
Sixteen years on from its original release, Clark’s ‘Body Riddle’ has received a Record Industry pressed reissue from Warp. Remastered and cut by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering, it sounds enormous. An array of percussive elements is carved into a substantial soundstage that fills the room before the listener. It is sonically more expansive than the digital version, handling the presentation of the highs in a lively but absorbing manner. The discs are pin-drop silent and it is one of the most dynamic deliveries of electronic music I can recall hearing. When ‘Herzog’ takes off, the palpable shift in volume and expansion of the music far beyond the speakers is very special indeed. A close contender for the pick of the month.
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The Chrysalis half-speed remasters have delivered some wonderful titles in recent years and the latest pair does nothing to tarnish that brand. First up is the second album by The Selecter, ‘Celebrate The Bullet’, originally released by the label in 1981 after the band switched from Two-Tone. Pressed to the kind of clear vinyl that has the colour of mayonnaise left at room temperature for several hours, it is a superb sounding cut. There’s some minor surface noise to contend with at points, but the presentation of the music is sufficiently satisfying. While it doesn’t extend too far up, there is a real width to the soundstage and the all important bottom end is well marshalled. At the end of side 1, ‘Washed Up And Left For Dead’ keeps its shape and Pauline Black’s vocal is finely sculpted in the centre. Phil Kinrade from Alchemy Mastering at Air has done a grand job on this Vinyl Factory pressing.
The second from Chrysalis this month is an expanded edition of Ultravox’s fifth album, ‘Rage In Eden’. The double LP appends a selection of bonus bits including single mixes and contemporary b-sides. The faithful will likely be eyeing up the 4LP clear vinyl box or the 5CD and DVD deluxe incarnations, but your columnist listened to the more affordable end of things. The pressing is almost silent during playback and has a sharply drawn bottom end. Things felt a little heavy in the mids but the top end was nicely balanced. ‘We Stand Alone’ was captivating, thanks to the breadth of its soundstage, but the title track did feel a touch boomy. These are minor complaints, as this offered a welcome chance to explore a less prominent part of their history. Peter Saville’s sleeve design is augmented with an unnecessary obi of sorts, but it remains suitably striking.
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You know the story by now, right? The same audio separation software used by Peter Jackson’s team for the endlessly fascinating ‘Get Back’ films has been deployed to the four-track tapes of The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ in order to allow Giles Martin to continue the remixing programme begun in 2017 with ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. As with the last two projects, ‘Abbey Road’ and ‘Let It Be’, the vinyl and CD box sets are identical in their musical content. The accompanying hardback book is a desirable item in its own right, and it slides into a rigid slipcase alongside a copy of the new stereo mix, a fresh cut of the original mono master, a double LP of demos and outtakes and a 7” EP with the new mixes and original mono of the contemporaneous single, ‘Paperback Writer’/’Rain’.
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While there’s much to enjoy here, the price of entry feels noteworthy. For roughly the same amount, Wilco recently delivered 11LPs, a CD and a similarly plush hardback book in a box set for ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’. It’s hard to escape the sense that, at around £170, this set is more than mildly taking advantage of both the power of the brand and the fact that it’s the fifth in a series of reissues that many will already be keenly collecting. Still, at that price, we must be talking audiophile pressings, right?
Well, Sean Magee has completed the fresh mono cut using the same production notes he did for the 2014 catalogue box, Miles Showell has half-speed mastered the new mix and Alex Wharton has taken care of the bonus discs. Unlike previous sets via Optimal, however, the discs have been pressed at GZ. The four LPs all come in poly-lined sleeves and most played with only occasional surface noise. That is, apart from the second disc of sessions which had pretty intrusive clicks and pops over several tracks. Sure, you can swap but they should be perfect at this price.
The mono seemed a little louder than the 2014 cut to these ears, despite being otherwise sonically pretty similar. Bass felt marginally heavier on this edition and there were occasional light clicks. The sessions sound excellent and the four versions of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ as it takes shape are at least as bewitching as Lennon’s entirely unexpected early version of what would become ‘Yellow Submarine’. The soundstage is clear and open for all of this material. The 2022 remix is a little hotter than everything else, in keeping with the nature of this series, but it still sounds nuanced and has a good sense of dynamics.
At The Front Of The Racks:
Alice Boman’s 2020 album ‘Dream On’ emerged just before the initial lockdown and its spacious, dream-like state provided the perfect accompaniment to the screeching disorientation with which we were all faced. ‘Wish We Had More Time’ took on additional significance and the whole record remains one of my absolute favourites from that year. Be sure to acquaint yourself if you haven’t already done so, as you’ll then likely be keen to try the follow up, ‘The Space Between’.
Cocteau Twins and Aldous Harding fans will surely find plenty to enjoy in the delicately constructed pieces on this new album. Perfume Genius duets on ‘Feels Like A Dream’, Mike Hadreas’ voice a fine companion for Boman’s emotive but hushed tones. On one of a number of highlights, ‘In Circles’, the mastering is exquisite, creating the effect of Boman hovering at the centre of the song. The presentation of space, so often an issue on modern discs, is impeccable. Indeed, Simon Davey’s cut is perfect, keeping the soundstage wide and three-dimensional. An Optimal pressing, the translucent edition sampled was near silent throughout. The record utterly dissolves the speakers and extends out into the room, allowing this beguiling music to overwhelm the listener. Embrace it.
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All of the titles reviewed above were cleaned before playback using the ultrasonic record cleaning machine, Degritter. A full review of its capabilities can be found in a previous column and you can find local dealers at www.degritter.com
Words: Gareth James (For more vinyl reviews and turntable shots, follow @JustPlayed on Twitter)
