I was given this record as a gift, and there's a very good chance I'd never have heard of the band had I not been; I know basically nothing about them and they've never come up in conversation with anyone other than the friend who gave me the record. I'm sure the internet could tell me many things about the band, but I'm kinda enjoying the (minor) mystery.
My friend Hugh and I occasionally give each other records for birthdays or Christmas. Sometimes they're great (he introduced me to Nils Frahm, I responded with Restorations), other times it's not been so good (there's really no need for James Blake to exist in my collection). Two years ago he visited me in Oxford with his girlfriend, new puppy, and our friend Vicky, and gave me this Blacklisters record for my birthday. I mentioned I'd never heard of them and he had nothing but praise for the album. I had no idea what to expect when the needle hit the record and, two years later, I'm still not very sure what to call this music.
On the surface, this does seem like a record that I should really enjoy - it's noisy, dark, awkward and there are some pretty big riffs (the outro to Big Ticker and Priss are particular highlights). There's also a nice mixture of sparse instrumentation and heavy onslaught (see Weasel Ticker) that characterise bands I love, like Shellac and The Paper Chase. But somehow, they lack the charm of those bands (or at least the charm I associate with them). I should love this record, but for reasons I've never been able to put my finger on, I can't. I listened to it a few times at the start and Hugh recommended I tried harder when he asked my opinion and I said I wasn't that into it. I've played it periodically since with the hope that one day it'll click. It hasn't yet, but ask me again in another few years.
I guess it's intentionally hard on the ears, in the same way a band like Silent Front is, but I rarely turn to it when I want something very abrasive and difficult to listen to. Perhaps I've just not been in the right mood for that music recently. Silent Front really clicked when I was commuting in London and the bleakness of the record against the bleakness of my shitty commute really hit something. Maybe I'm just too happy these days. When you put it that way, I kinda hope I never really get this album.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 10
Cost: £0 new
Bought: gift
When: 17/10/15
Colour: Pink
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
