"A Different Kind of Tension", released on the independent UK label Pressure Of The Real World Records (catalogue number PRLP1). While it shares its name with the 1979 Buzzcocks album, this is a completely different collection of tracks focusing on mid-1980s indie, post-punk, and alternative rock. This compilation is highly regarded among collectors of the C86-era sound and includes several influential bands from that period:
- The Mighty Lemon Drops – "Like An Angel"
- The Soup Dragons – "Whole Wide World"
- One Thousand Violins – "Like One Thousand Violins"
- The Wedding Present
- The Wolfhounds – "Cut The Cake"
- The June Brides – "Every Conversation"
- The Shamen
Retrospective reviews from sites like The New Vinyl Villain describe it as a "cracking 10-track compilation" and a crucial snapshot of the UK indie scene. It is often praised for including key B-sides and debut singles, reviewed by collectors and indie music historians as a quintessential, if obscure, snapshot of the UK's mid-80s that defined the "jangly" guitar-pop sound of the era.
Released in 1986 on the short-lived Pressure of the Real World Records, A Different Kind of Tension (PRLP1) serves as a vital, if obscure, time capsule of the UK indie scene's transition from post-punk to the "jangly" guitar-pop that defined the C86 era. While it shares its title with a famous Buzzcocks album, this compilation carves out its own identity by gathering a roster of bands that would soon become icons of the independent underground. It captures a specific moment in British music history where DIY ambition met a renewed focus on melody and nervous energy.
The album’s strength lies in its impeccable curation, featuring standout tracks from heavyweights like The Wedding Present and The Mighty Lemon Drops. The inclusion of "Like An Angel" by the latter is a high point, showcasing the shimmering, psychedelic-tinged rock that briefly made them the darlings of the music press. Meanwhile, The June Brides’ "Every Conversation" provides the essential "twee" blueprint—trumpet flourishes over frantic acoustic strumming—that remains a benchmark for the indie-pop genre decades later.
What sets this compilation apart from its contemporaries is the grit found in tracks by The Wolfhounds and The Soup Dragons. There is a palpable sense of "tension" throughout the record that justifies its title; it isn't all sunshine and 12-string guitars. The Wolfhounds’ "Cut the Cake" brings a jagged, avant-garde edge to the proceedings, while an early appearance by The Shamen hints at the psychedelic experimentation that would eventually lead them toward the dance-floor dominance of the early 90s.
Ultimately, A Different Kind of Tension is a "hidden gem" for collectors who have already worn out their copies of the original NME C86 cassette. Because it was the flagship (and only) LP release for the PRLP label, it possesses a rare, cohesive atmosphere that many multi-artist samplers lack. For anyone looking to understand the DNA of mid-80s British alternative music, this vinyl remains an essential, albeit hard-to-find, piece of the puzzle.