Carousel is the definitive 2006 anthology compilation by the cult Edinburgh post-punk quintet The Delmontes, released via LTM Recordings. Operating between 1979 and 1982, the band became a vital but often overlooked fixture of the fertile Scottish indie landscape alongside peers like Josef K and Orange Juice. Despite a striking, mostly female lineup and a brilliant live reputation that earned them a UK tour with The Teardrop Explodes, they only managed to officially release two 7-inch singles on Rational Records before disbanding due to major-label frustrations. This 24-track collection serves to rescue their legacy from obscurity, gathering those rare official releases, unreleased studio sessions, and long-lost cassette demos into one comprehensive package.
Sonically, the compilation showcases a fascinating "avant-retro" blueprint that directly anticipated mid-80s indie pop, twee, and the iconic C86 movement. Fronted by Julie Hepburn’s distinctively detached vocals, the band expertly married the dark, angular minimalism of post-punk with the infectious jangle of 1960s garage rock and girl-group melodies. Highlights like their debut single "Tous les Soirs" and the unreleased Palladium Studio sessions brim with surf-inflected basslines, driving tambourines, and sharp guitar hooks. By preserving these rough-edged pop gems, Carousel serves as a crucial historical document of a band that bridged the gap between post-punk experimentation and pure guitar-pop bliss.
Carousel is a vibrant, time-capsule recovery project that shines a much-deserved light on one of post-punk’s most compelling lost acts. Released in 2006 by LTM Recordings, this 24-track anthology gathers the entire scattered output of Edinburgh’s The Delmontes, a band that burned brightly but briefly between 1979 and 1982. Despite a stellar live reputation and near-miss brushes with major label stardom, the group left behind only two official 7-inch singles. By collecting these rare pressings alongside unreleased studio sessions and rough cassette demos, the compilation serves as both an essential historical archive and a thrillingly cohesive testament to a band that was years ahead of its time.
What makes the music on Carousel so remarkably captivating is its distinct "avant-retro" sonic signature. While many of their late-70s contemporaries in the Scottish underground were leaning into abrasive noise or hyper-intellectual funk, The Delmontes opted for a brilliant collision of eras. They anchored the angular, minimalist rhythm section of post-punk to the sunny, infectious hooks of 1960s garage rock and girl-group pop. Driven by surf-tinged basslines, snappy Farfisa-style organ swells, and jangly guitars, tracks like "Tous les Soirs" and "Don't Cry Your Tears" burst with a youthful, nervous energy. It is an intoxicating formula that sounds simultaneously vintage and entirely forward-thinking.
At the absolute centre of the band's charm is vocalist Julie Hepburn, whose performance anchors the record's shifting moods. Hepburn possesses a cool, deadpan delivery that balances sweet pop sensibilities with a darkly intelligent, slightly detached attitude. Backed by a mostly female lineup—including drummer Bernice Simpson, who would later join indie legends The Pastels—the group subverted the male-dominated guitar rock tropes of the era. On standout unreleased tracks like "Love On a Guillotine" and "Moondrops & Roses," the contrast between the bouncy, danceable instrumentation and Hepburn's icy, poetic vocals creates a wonderfully surreal, captivating friction.
Ultimately, Carousel proves that The Delmontes were the missing evolutionary link in British independent music, essentially drawing the blueprint for the mid-80s twee and C86 pop movements. While the audio quality of the later tracks naturally dips into lo-fi territory due to their cassette-tape origins, the sheer songwriting craft shines through the hiss. LTM Recordings did a tremendous service to post-punk history by rescuing these songs from obscurity. For anyone looking to understand the full depth of the Scottish indie renaissance, this compilation is an absolute necessity that rewards listeners with pure, unadulterated guitar-pop bliss.
Ripped to MP3
1. Tous les Soirs
2. Don't Cry Your Tears
3. GaGa
4. No Man's Land
5. So Sad Too Bad
6. Higher & Higher
7. So It's Not to Be
8. What You Don't Know (Won't Hurt You)
9. Infectious Smile
10. No No Billy No
11. Love On a Guillotine
12. Moondrops & Roses
13. Sacrifice My Heart
14. When I Feel The Beat Of The Drums
15. Thursday
16. Love On American Beaches
17. Use It
18. And When You're Alone
19. Everyday
20. When Minds Begin to Click
21. Sweet Sweet Love
22. Won't Give In
23. Don't Cry Your Tears (Version)
24. GaGa (Version)
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