Pine fresh!
'In The Pines' is the latest in a stream of thoroughly ace Triffids re-issues brought to us by the good folks at Domino Records. The fact that the band recorded this album on an eight track tape machine in a shearing shed in the desolate Australian outback only serves to illustrate the fact that sometimes the best art is made in the most austere conditions. I could go into great depth in this review about The Triffids history and place within the eighties 'indie' scene but I have to admit that until I received this album in the post I was blissfully unaware of their existence. Thankfully all that has now changed and I'm here to sing the praises of a truly great record.
The album kicks off promisingly with 'Suntrapper' a wonderfully executed piece of noir-ish country rock that's supplemented by brief flashes of electric guitar. The band quickly find their stride bouncing from the gothic country waltz of the title track to the caustic post-punk of 'Kathy Knows' which echoes The Doors while retaining an eerie quality all of its own, largely a result of Graham Lee's haunting pedal steel work. '25 to 5' is a short but sweet prologue to the spellbinding 'Only One Life'. A hymn to making the most of what you've got, it's one of the most lyrically direct and inspirational songs you're likely to hear all year. Throughout 'In The Pines' barely a note is wasted by the band and this approach yields a directness and clarity that's a refreshing antithesis to these days where virtually every album is Pro-Tools-ed to within an inch of its life.
Proceedings take a surprisingly romantic twist around the quarter way mark with two folk-y gems in 'Do You Want Me Near You?' and 'Trick Of The Light'. The latter is so good you almost wonder whether it's some lost Dylan/Byrds number from the mid sixties. Graham Lee takes over lead vocals at this point for an off the cuff and surprisingly raucous sing-a-long version of Bill Anderson's country standard 'Once A Day'. The celebratory mood is carried over into the delightful 'She's Sure The Girl I Love', a dazzling little scuffed up pop song. The roots-y 'Jerdacuttup Man' – an ode to an exhibit in the British Museum - features a lovely harmonica solo around the mid-point. Occasionally The Triffids recall fellow Aussies The Go-Betweens and early Echo & The Bunnymen, none more so than on the haunting 'Just Might Fade Away' and the spooky 'Wish To See No More'. The former song is made all the more powerful by the decidedly woozy 'Better Off This Way' one of the album's less memorable moments. Thankfully the tempo is lifted by the driving acoustic guitars of 'Keep Your Eyes On The Hole' which coincidentally features one of David McComb's most mesmerising vocal performances. This re-issue closes with three gems, the dreamy ballad 'One Soul Less On Your Fiery List', the sinister 'Born Sandy Devotional' (coincidentally the title for their previously reissued album) and the cheeky Velvets pastiche 'Love And Affection'.
Like a lot of great art maybe it's McComb and The Triffids fate to receive commercial acclaim after their untimely demise. Therefore I urge you readers of Room Thirteen with every sinew I've got to go out and buy this record post-haste, you certainly won't regret it.