Rock ’n’ Scroll music

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 10

Rock ’n’ Scroll music

DEAD SEA SCROLLS “Dead Sea Scrolls (Jayrem EP). TURIIYA “Waiting” (Jayrem EP.) WORKING WITH WALT “5 Sides” (Jayrem EP). JOHN NILAND “Inside” (Eelman 007). Heading the new batch of releases from the Wellington label, Jayrem, is an EP from Dead Sea Scrolls, a London-based band featuring some familiar names in recent New Zealand pop music. Tim Mahon (formerly of Blam Blam Blam) and Carol Varney (ex-The Gurlz) make up the songwriting core of the group, along with Kathleen Anderson (ex-Freud-ian Slips) and Syd Pasley and Kelly Tough (formerly from the Newmatics.) The four songs are marred by the unncessary hysterics that spoilt many Blams numbers — Mahon seems unable to exorcise the twitching ghost of his

first band, The Whizz Kids, whose “whackiness” also ruined some fine songs. The songwriting is okay, however, especially “Heat Loss” a slow song given a Siouxsie-ish vocal by Anderson, and a simple, uncluttered musical backing. The other goodie is "Triumphant Day,” a real kitchen-sink production job held together by a neat chorus. Unfortunately, “Wind” and “Salmon,” on side two, are as uninspiring as their titles suggest. These Scrolls need a good editor, and Mahon, who produced the record himself, is not the man for the job. Turiiya, a three-piece female band formed in 1983, sidestep pop music entirely for their esoteric debut EP, “Waiting.” This is interesting and thoughtful music, obviously performed with a

lot of personal commitment, which makes it all the more disappointing that most of it is so formal and humourless as to be virtually unlistenable. The grating vocals in “Crimson Dawn” and the laudable, but obvious, “Waitangi” lyrics have a juvenile quality that does not suit the dramatic music, especially the string intro of the former. The band seem to inhabit an obscure, "spiritual” plane for most of the EP. Only on “Thread of Gold,” a shining love song, did your reviewer feel any empathy at all — perhaps this song points the way for Turiiya. Working With Walt follow their 1984 single "The Prophet” with yet another five-song EP, this one tilted “5 Sides.” The band have an honest approach to their music, but with their

simple, guitar, bass and drum sound, they really need better songs than the five on show here. The two songs on side two, especially “Noise Of The World,” see the band stretch out a little, but over-all the band lack the spark that could lift them up into Mockers territory. Finally, something completely different — the debut LP from John Niland, formerly with The Hulamen, and now with The Tombolas. Titled "Inside,” the music is basically blues tinged jazz. Niland creates some impressive mood pieces on piano, assisted by drums and bass on side one. This is a long way from the Hulamen, but for those late nights when you’re sick of playing your new Fetus productions LP, “Inside” is a nice enough way to get ambient. - TONY GREEN.