In August 2014, Bangers spent a weekend in a barn in Cornwall writing and recording a new album. It was something of an experiment - they went in with no songs prepared and the resulting album would only be available to buy during that weekend when it was being made; if it was terrible, at least the damage would be limited and if it was great then everyone who bought it would have something special. The album was available as a cassette and sent out a few weeks later. 358 of us bought the cassette that weekend, mine is number 158.
A year later, they released their third "proper" album, Bird, and then re-released the cassette-only Mysterious Ways on vinyl - over time they'd realised they were quite proud of the recording and wanted it to be available to those who'd missed out on the recording weekend (and offered to reimburse anyone who had bought the cassette and was pissed that they'd changed their mind on how it was to be released). I'm not a big fan of cassettes - they're becoming a necessary evil whilst bands look for cheap (and fast) ways to get their music out - but I do have a few nice cassette-only releases that don't get the attention they deserve. I got this LP copy as part of my Specialist Subject Records subscription, but I would have bought it anyway; it's nice to have Mysterious Ways on vinyl. I've included pictures of the cassette in the pictures below, because why not.
As Bangers albums go, it's very recognisable as Bangers, although I'd say darker/doomier than they tend to be on their other albums. The thing I miss most on it is Roo's often strange lyrical content - here there tends to be a few words repeated a lot and a lot less of the dense lyrics that I look forward to. Where the album is weakest is in the lyrics, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment overall. Dewey has one of the catchiest hooks and chorus of any Bangers song and I love how Thoughts/Second Thoughts sounds like Bangers if they were a sludge band. Nerves Ending, on the other hand, sounds like they're trying to be Caves, which is great. Mosquito is a strange addition and one I don't really care for. You get the impression they were just having a bit of fun with that one and included it because eight songs isn't really an album.
I enjoy Mysterious Ways, but that's partly in knowing that they recorded it in a weekend with their fingers crossed that people would actually but it; I like knowing I was a part of that. It's not their strongest album, but it's still great. I'd take the worst Bangers album any day over no Bangers albums, which is what we have now they're broken up.
Format: 12", folded sleeve
Tracks: 9
Cost: £10 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 21/09/15
Colour: Yellow in clear
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
