Look Blue Go Purple are simply another shining example of why New Zealand's Flying Nun Records was so great in the 1980's. They were an all female combo from Dunedin that played shambling lo-fi acoustic psychedelia with haunting harmonies. This Cd is a compilation of their recorded output, 3 Eps. At worst, their music is charming mesmerizing Velvety garage pop. At their best, their songs rival the best of the artists on this legendary label.
The band is comprised of Denise Roughan (guitar,vocals), Lesley Paris (drums), Kath Webster (guitar, vocals), Kathy Bull (bass), Norma O'Malley (keyboards,flute,guitar, and vocals). At times the music on this album is so mesmerizing, with swirling organ and the piping of the flute. I'm imagining Norma O'Malley playing the flute and organ at the same time, but I guess they were probably recorded separately. They remind me a bit of the Velvet Underground and at times Nick Drake. As far as Kiwi bands go, the instrumentation reminds me a bit of the early Kaleidoscope World era Chills.
As Does The Sun reminds me a lot of Nick Drake or the band Love, particularly in the opener. The flute on this song is really fantastic. Safety In Crosswords has a nice 60's mysterious garage edge to it. Days of Old, which concludes the album is in marked contrast--it sounds to me like a medieval madrigal. If you noticed above, three band members sing so there are some tremendous harmonies here and group singing, almost like a Greek chorus, if we knew what they sounded like. My main regret is that I can hardly understand what they are singing, and there are no lyrics included. I'm sure my sound damaged ears are partly to blame. I love the music here, and I'm sure what they are singing is interesting, but I just don't know.
My favorite song is the exhilarating and powerful I Don't Want You Anyway. Full of energy and great group lead vocals. In my view one of the great Kiwi songs. Cactus Cat is another one of the choice tunes here. You don't have to love cats or deserts to enjoy this song, but if you do, you need this song. Circumspect Penelope is a hypnotic classic also. Listening to it is putting me into a trance as I type, in the same way I get when I listen to the narcotic crooning of Neko Case. The tribal beat of Hiawatha is not making things any better on that front. The song Grace is a charming melodious song with extremely sad lyrics about a woman who is falling apart. "You used to look so pretty, but now you look dead".
Look Blue Go Purple were only together from 1983-1987. They were such a talented outfit--it's unfortunate that they never put out a full album. That might be why they do not seem to be as appreciated as some of the better known New Zealand acts of the era. Which is unfair. I can hear a host of influences here, but they are blended together to make something original. I can't think of a band that sounds quite like this. I prefer them to bands like The Bangles and The Go-Go's, bands that I do happen to like. Listen to a song like Year Of The Tiger; it's an absolutely stunning song! A band would be justified selling their soul to come up with something this good.
The talented women of Look Blue Go Purple went on to other projects after the bands demise. Denise Roughan was in the 3Ds and Ghost Club. Norma O'Malley was part of the group Chug. Lesley Paris was in the band Olla, and Kathy Bull was in Cyclops. So check this great disc out. It is still in print on Flying Nun--it can be had for a decent price.
No comments:
Post a Comment