(Photo: Kajsa Tretow)
I'm afraid I'm not really up to the job of reviewing this LP... to really do it justice... lacking as I am in any basic understanding of musical technique and all that caper... what I can do though is assess it in how it makes me feel, the funny/sad pictures it paints inside my head, the sensations and colours it conjures up, I can have a go at that... at summing up the very magic of it
Because this is a very magical collection of songs
I hope that's enough, I sort of want to convince the 5 readers of this blog of the merits of this record and all I've got is mere words
The Andersen Tapes is Amanda, I interviewed her here at the beginning of 2009 and back then the single that came out on Cloudberry had very agreeably wormed and wriggled it's way into my head and onto my stereo and was proving hard to shift, not that I wanted to shift it, I rather liked it's stubborness, it's persistence, it was pretty and tough but unassuming, it didn't need to try too hard, it was effortless, like all your best (cool) friends prove to be
And like a lot of your best (cool) friends it seemed to wander into your life, make it all the better, and then... some time later... before you had a chance to really tell it how you felt, to really appreciate it, it/you had moved on and you (or rather I) were left with a memory, a sweet one, and a big hole in your (my) life and a secret wish that it might come round again... um, I'm getting a little lost in this analogy... where am I?
The Andersen Tapes are back in 2011 with an LP and an appearance at London Popfest next month
Heck! The LP is a winner... it swings and freewheels along, resolutely playfully POP!, deceptively simple in it's approach, never less than utterly compelling, it recalls many of my obsessional 'for life' favourites (everything from the Marine Girls to Beat Happening to Lois to Pam and Rose and more) while having more than enough personality and poise of it's own... this LP is no shy ineffectual wallflower, you'd make that assumption at your peril (I know what some of you are like with this indiepop lark, turning your noses up, etc)
The songs mix from the reflective and worldwise to the more carefree and sprightly shoes off let's dance in our socks right here type numbers
'Cross Country' rocks out a little, ideal for smacking away at your minty fresh gum, bobbing your head with abandon and taking to the centre of the dancefloor at the local hop to cut a fearsome rug
'Clap Clap Clap' makes me think of a particularly nimble junior brass band in the snow (a good thing!) but on the beach and everyone's a little tipsy from the rum punch and just having the best time
'And They Were Saxons' is 'The Problem is the Solution' from the Cloudberry EP curiously retitled, whatever the title this song has the knack of stopping me in my tracks everytime, it's just perfect, the guitar line or whatever you want to call it weaves it's way along while the drums rumbledethump away, it comes to a stop and then starts again and everytime I hear this song I get lost in it, time stops, everytime, it's simple yet elegant, seemingly throwaway but- for me- mysteriously and deeply affecting
You can listen to it and a couple of other songs over at the Fraction discs website, the album comes out on Fraction on January 14th, The Andersen Tapes appear at the London Popfest on Friday 25th February at The Windmill Brixton supporting the magnificent Sourpatch (also on the bill are X-ing School, one of whom- if I've got my facts straight- is Kajsa who took the picture at the top of the page...)
Sadly, I carn't be there
I am bereft (and also skint, the over-riding reason I can't be there)
The LP is a much appreciated consolation, I sort of wondered if we'd hear anything from Amanda again... I'm extremely made up we have
There's not one duff song here, not one- I sneaked a 'digital' review copy, my house is not a home until I have my very own physical copy to cherish
And I'll even pay for it
High recommendation indeed in these austere times
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