Worth the effort

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 14

Worth the effort

THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT “This Kind Of Punishment” (TKP001). FLAK/8 LIVING LEGS "Emigration" (Flying Nun). THE WORLD “The World” (cassette). Another batch of local releases that might take a bit of finding, but which (in two cases at least) are well worth the effort. “This Kind Of Punishment” was recorded “on Gordon’s 4-track in lounge and bedroom,” and is basically an acoustic LP from Peter and Graeme Jefferies, assisted by. Chris Matthews, of Children’s Hour. The sound is sparse and very uninviting, in spite of the clarity of the recording. TKP lyrics are full of despairing images such as isolation, funerals, drowning and so on, all of which gives the LP a cliched “doomy” feel. Occasionally, some black humour slips out — “The priest is saying what a great man he’d been ... so good, so kind, it really should have been somebody else’s funeral,” but the bulk of “This Kind Of Punishment” is an exercise in tedium. Exceptions are “Some More Than Others,” easily the most tuneful track, and “Ahead Of Their Time,” which could be a tribute to the recently deceased Children’s Hour. . “Emigration” is an in-

teresting EP from Flying Nun, featuring one side each from Auckland bands, 8 Living Legs and Flak. 8 Living Legs contributed their manic “Tse-Tse Fly” to the recent “Last Rumba” compilation, but the three tracks on “Emigration” fall well short of this .standard. “Five Yards Ahead” sounds similar to early Pere Übu, and “Nato Practice” uses the same dubbed vocals the Gang Of Four used on their classic “Armalite Rifles,” but overall the songs are not inspiring. Flak are a bit punchier, thanks to their great drummer (un-named on the sleeve, unfortunately), and on “St Tropez” and “Blue Jaunte” they make a jazzy, rhythmic music to complement the shrill female vocals. A common fault with all these bands, however, is bad songwriting — both “Emigration” and “This Kind Of Punishment” suffer from a lack of decent tunes. Not so defunct Christchurch band the World, who have released a seven-track cassette which has melody to spare, as Radio U listeners will no doubt confirm. Both '“The Mystery” and “Monument” sounded excellent over the airwaves, and it is a pity these songs could not have been released on vinyl. Songwriting duties for the

nuuu snareu oeiween the ex-Bilder, Allen Meek, and the bassist, Bridget Mulcahy. Meek’s songs (sung by Charles Heywood, who plays bass on the remaining tracks) are the more appealing, with “Ride Away” and “Lights Off’ joining the two songs previously mentioned as being of high quality. Mulcahy contributes two songs, of which the powerful “Desire” outshines the more jarring “Strange Man.” This cassette is a definite must for Christchurch music fans, and it is a real shame that it could not have been released on vinyl. Available in limited quantities only — acquire soon. —TONY GREEN.