3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ambitious studio-crafted pop from New Zealand, September 11, 2005
This review is from: Songs from Departure Loun (Audio CD)
Much more poppy than many of their jittery island mates, a Kiwi version of the Go-Betweens' panoramic reach mixed with the Scots ambitions of Prefab Sprout, this 80s band made a half-dozen or so records but remains pretty much a footnote among New Zealand groups. Before buying this, I had not heard of their songs outside of one Flying Nun compilation, for instance. They never gained the foreign label distribution of some of the label's more post-punk bands. Fans of the softer side of later David Kilgour or the Finn Brothers might find this album a wonderful purchase. Honestly, my tastes tend towards more restless sounds, so my three star rating is more my personal reaction; the quality of the music, objectively speaking, would rank this album considerably higher.
This generous sampler chronologically surveys their career. It shows their command of a lush, intelligent, and perfectionist approach to their songs. It lacks the raw clash of hubristic reach vs. musical limitations that I find so appealing in many NZ bands of the era. Ironically, because this group seemed to be better suited towards a smoother sound, their songs perhaps would be more suitable for an Adult Alternative rather than a college radio audience, to use marketing niches. Flying Nun may have found them rather an anamoly, therefore!
The liner notes lovingly detail the band's saga, and they went as far as they could, since their scope widens as the album's tracks progress. It does not leap out of the speakers but lingers back waiting for you to embrace it, a more hesitant attitude. This deferential stance means that its appeal lurks more within the grooves and less from an assertion. If you like this type of musical come-on, this group's your soundtrack.
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