I have done all my "things" for the weekend.
Well, all the things that I needed to get done anyway, so now I'm trying to craft out a few hours at the keyboard to work on my sadly lagging "book project".
On the upswing, I can also listen to another of the long lost Cassettes that were recently liberated from the spare bedroom closet, this Blow album by a little known band called Swallow.
Disclaimer: I advise you exercise extreme caution should you decide to Google this album on your own, specifically if using the search words swallow and blow ...
Anyway, it's been so long since I've even thought of this British-based duo of Mike Mason and Louise Trehy, much less this album released in 1992. Probably around the same time I last saw this particular cassette which was around, oh, 1992 ... thirty-one years ago!
Essentially, this is a terrific example of early-90's 4AD albums with strong similarities to the Cocteau Twins -- unfortunately, Swallow's vaguely danceable grooves add about three cups of water for every cup of pure art-rock influence, and the album comes across as a dated exercise in marginal blissfulness which, ya know, when you're tying to mindlessly craft out paragraphs about bugs and filth, is pretty damn cool.
Take that, University Self!
There's a certain pop appeal to the album's tracks, and it probably won't disappoint those who are utterly dedicated to the arty genre defined by 4AD releases, but Blow simply doesn't distinguish itself from the legions of similarly inspired records that swept Britain during the label's heyday hence it's relative obscurity -- even today.
Oh, and similar to two weeks ago, as a bonus tag-on to the end of Side B is the Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales EP by William S. Burroughs, a spoken word collaboration featuring Burroughs reading excerpts from his books set to music by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.
How's that for a mash up?
Ya know, I think I'll be hanging onto this cassette for some time year.
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