The Church - Séance +

The cover may have looked like something of a Goth record of the era, though then again not many Goths would have used pink (or purple as they did for the UK release) as the dominant colour of an album. On this, the band's third full album, the band consolidated the advances of Blurred Crusade well; if Séance isn't as immediately striking as the first two albums, it still has its share of winners, starting with the opening "Fly." Its string-synth touched, stripped-down arrangement almost sounded like something from the Chameleons' quieter moments, but the following "One Day" returned the Church to more familiar ringing-yet-forceful guitar territory. One very curious thing about this song and many of the others on the album has to with the drumming; while Ploog very much remains the key credited drummer, here and on many other cuts nearly everything sounds produced by a particularly muffled drum machine. Whether or not one was used, the result is at once stiff and more than a little underwhelming, making what should be stronger songs sound more run of the mill than they are. Even the otherwise excellent remastering of the early catalogue when the albums were reissued on Arista can't save some of the problems. Aside from this major flaw, Séance keeps at the understated guitar groove that the Church rapidly made its own, containing marvellous songs like "Disappear?" and the nicely paced "Electric Lash." Experimenting with keyboards more provides some nice results, as the Kilbey-and-synth introduction to the lovely "It's No Reason" shows. Meanwhile, the interplay between Willson-Piper, Koppes, and Kilbey on their respective instruments remains strong, with many noted strong points: the dramatic, tense build of "Travel By Thought," the low-key combination on "Electric" bursting into keyboard-touched life on its choruses, and the quick, punchy "Dropping Names."

Released in June 1983, Séance stands as the most fascinatingly polarizing and pivotal album in the early catalog of Australian alt-rock masters, The Church. Serving as their third studio effort, the album represents a sharp, intentional break from the shimmering, radio-friendly jangle-pop that defined their previous breakthrough, The Blurred Crusade. Frontman Steve Kilbey took complete creative control of the songwriting here, guiding the band away from safe territory and plunging them into a shadow-drenched, neo-psychedelic wilderness. The result is a deeply insular, haunting record that prioritises mood, texture, and existential dread over straightforward pop hooks.

The most striking—and historically debated—aspect of Séance is its icy, distinctly 1980s production aesthetic. Engineered by John Bee, the record famously submerged Richard Ploog’s drums in a massive, synthetic gated reverb that acts as the album's steady, mechanical heartbeat. When paired with Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper’s intertwined guitar lines, which shifted from chiming 12-strings to sharp, atmospheric scrapes, the band created a uniquely gothic landscape. Tracks like "Electric" and the lead single "It’s No Reason" benefit immensely from this sonic chill, wrapping Kilbey’s monotone, poetic vocals in a dense web of cold synthesizers and melancholic basslines.

Structurally, the album balances short, acoustic breathers with expansive, avant-garde experiments. The brief opener "Fly" gives way to the propulsive, driving rhythm of "One Day," showcasing the band’s ability to inject urgency into their newfound gloom. Meanwhile, the chaotic "Travel By Thought" stands out as a radical departure, ditching traditional melody entirely for a dense, improvisational soundscape of spoken-word poetry and swirling psychedelic noise. It is this fearless willingness to alienate casual listeners that makes the album a cult favourite, peaking with the intricate guitar webs of "Disappear?" and the lush, melodic plucking of "Electric Lash."

Modern expanded editions, often carrying the "+" moniker, elevate the original ten-track experience by restoring essential period B-sides like "Someone Special" and "Autumn Soon." These bonus tracks inject a welcome dose of warmth back into the tracklist, proving that the band’s knack for crystalline folk-rock melodies remained fully intact beneath their experimental veneer. Ultimately, Séance is a brilliant document of a young band boldly outgrowing their initial influences. It is a demanding, highly atmospheric masterwork that laid the essential, moody groundwork for the dream-pop and shoegaze movements that would follow in its wake.

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1. Fly: A brief, acoustic-driven opener that provides a breath of fresh air before the album's darker textures take over.

2. One Day: Driven by a prominent, ringing 12-string guitar riff layered over heavily compressed drums.

3. Electric: A six-minute epic that builds from a low-key bass arrangement into a majestic, synth-tinged chorus.

4. It's No Reason: The album's lead single, known for its somber chords, synth-intro, and haunting backing vocals by Michelle Parker.

5. Travel By Thought: A dense, improvisational piece mixing spoken-word poetry with heavy psychedelic noise.

6. Disappear?: A fan-favourite psychedelic pop track characterized by intricate, layered guitar textures.

7. Electric Lash: The second single pulled from the album, leaning heavily into melodic, plucked acoustic movements.

8. Now I Wonder Why: A moody guitar-pop composition featuring guest harmonica work by Russell Kilbey.

9. Dropping Names: A quick, punchy track that acts as one of the record's more energetic rock numbers.

10. It Doesn't Change: A slow-burning, epic closer built on a soaring arrangement.

11. Someone Special – A melodic, jangly folk-rock song originally paired as the B-side to "It's No Reason".

12. Autumn Soon – A lush, chiming, and highly melodic pop gem originally released as the B-side to "Electric Lash".