Review Summary: On their first album in Twenty Seven years this former Sarah Records band delivers a strong collection of bright indie pop
Back in the late eighties I fell in love with Sarah. No, not a girl by that name but the UK indie pop label that put out many great singles, eps and albums over an eight-year period. I believe the first release that I ever got from them was the “Something for The Longing" single by The Orchids. I don’t know what it was that attracted me to it maybe it was the stark orange sleeve that made me buy it. However, once I put the needle on the grove any doubt, I had about getting it was erased. Just one listen to those jangly guitars and those lovelorn vocals was enough to make me fan of anything the label put out. After that I tried to buy as much stuff from them that I could find but alas I was only able to get a fraction of what they put out.
One record that I was able to get my hands on was Feral Pop Frenzy by the Australian band Even as We Speak. Coming out in 1993 it’s in my top ten of the best albums that the label put out. Full of bouncy and effervescent pop songs it still brings a smile to my face whenever i hear it. Sadly, following the album’s release, the band broke up with each member going their separate ways. However, due to the growing interest in Sarah records by collectors, the label Emotional Response put out a collection of the band’s BBC sessions which was then followed by a reissue of Feral Pop Frenzy. That lead to them reforming and putting out the excellent Black Forest ep and now this their second album.
One listen to Adelphi is enough to see that Even As We Speak haven’t lost their touch for writing infectious pop songs. On this new album the band does what they do best which is combine their knack for catchy hooks with some of their more experimental leanings. Take the opening song “Someone” where the band manages to sound perfectly catchy and futuristic all at the same time. It starts with some odd sounding keyboard sounds before the voice of singer Mary Wyer comes in where from there, she sings over a mid-tempo groove of clanging percussion and more odd sounding keyboards. And that’s just one of the many highlights to be found here. Other noteworthy songs include the pastoral sounding “Leaves” where Mary’s voice is front and center. Meanwhile “Forgiving” is all bright and jangly until the chorus when bubbly synths enter the picture giving the song an otherworldly feel. On the soaring “Stronger” and the bright “Child” the band gets the closet to the sound of their earlier records with some of the best melodies on the album. Lastly, I have to mention the tracks “Signs”, “Sun” and “Unknown” which are the three most experimental numbers on Adelphi. “Sun” and “Signs” both start off with a sample of an old technology in the case of the former it’s a rotary phone while in the case of the latter it’s a fax. From there both songs turn into futuristic sounding ballads where the band carries Mary’s lovely vocals over delicate sun kissed melodies. As far as “Unknown” is concerned it’s another strong example of Even as We Speaks ability to sound all dreamy and all glimmering simultaneously
Let me end things by saying that Adelphi is very strong album. Hopefully we don’t have to wait another twenty-seven years to hear from them again
