Earcom #1

When releasing this (12" EP) first issue of the Earcom compilations, Bob Last might seem to have thought that giving an opportunity to fresh happening talent, in fact at times so fresh, that some of these young padawans would not venture far beyond this very point.

Now I wouldn’t want to suggest that you skip the Prats offerings because I find them completely awful, even giving them the benefit of the doubt because they were still at High School when they committed themselves to recording directly onto a portable cassette tape, learning to play their instruments as they pressed the REC button. Horrible! However, both of the (I wouldn't be seen dead with them!) Blank Students (from Preston Lancs) contributions are awesome. "Background Music" is on the more Wire side of things, which as a reference point/influence is not bad at all for 1979. Graph delivers a screechy mid-tempo dirge, with some nasty "Fear of Drowning" vocal barks thrown in at the end. Drowning could be a touch too long, but overall still an interesting listen. We have already been introduced to future Pop Aural artists The Flowers who managed to get both tracks from their Confessions / After Dark 7" single on the Mutant Pop 78/79 comp (featured last month) as well.

Oh, and finally there's The Guest Item version of "(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures" (that would be track B5), credited to Simon Bloomfield/Tim Pearce and written by Jo Callis of The Rezillos. Again, not really worth waiting for, but mildly interesting if you’re a fan of hammering nails into your eyes. Definitely worth a download as five outta the nine tracks are enjoyable enough.

Ripped by Die or DIY and presented here as an MP3 @ 320kbps

Tracklisting and usual gubbins here