No Subject

[hsut@purdue-ecn.ARPA (Tsun-Yuk Hsu)]

	Another relatively obscure item I picked up while I was home
this summer (home is where the cheap imports are...)


AND ALSO THE TREES

	Yup, that's the name of the group and the album. And Also The
Trees is a quartet from England (I think) and the album is dated
September 1983. It's not even listed in the Black Book (i.e., New
Trouser Press Record Guide; all the other obscure items I reviewed
earlier were). I first picked it up because of a nice review (calling
it one of the best post-Joy Division bands --- more on that later),
the nice low-key cover (grey backgrounds of --- what else? --- trees)
and the producer, Lawrence Tolhurst of the Cure, one of my favorite bands.

	First, Tolhurst did an atrocious job on the production. The
highs are well into the distortion range, the layered keyboards are
muddy and (most importantly) it's near impossible to hear the lyrics
on most of the songs. The band does include lyrics for four of the
eight songs; one side of the lyric sheet is taken up by photos of the
band members, who look like they're in their late teens or very early 
20's.

	While this is an impressive debut for a young band, it's far
from flawless, even taking into account the horrible production. And
Also The Trees has a rich layered sound with heavy guitar/bass and
nice bass figurations. There are many neat little noises in the 
background, and occasionally some John Cale-influenced string passages.
Simon Jones intones echoing, overdubbed vocals over an incessant
beat. At the first hearings, they sound like a strong amalgamation
of good influences like Joy Division and the Cure (of course). Where
the album fails are in the occasionally unfocussed music, and some
awkward and almost embarrassing moments in the lyrics. Once in a
while, the band becomes just a bit too self-indulgent and pretentious
for my taste.

	But there are many high points on the album. Most of the
songs on the first side sound a little like Joy Division with a
fuller sound or the Pornography-era Cure, but definitely less
polished. "The Tease The Tear" outdoes Bauhaus in the savagery
of some of its passages. Side 2 shows a greater variety in sound
and approach. "Impulse of Man" is spoiled by pretentious lyrics. 
"Shrine" is atmospheric with some Cure-like quasi-Japanese hooks.
The sound lightens up for the last two songs (almost danceable!).
"Twilights Pool" has some jaunty Tones On Tail-like instrumentals,
and some nice lyrics about drowning:

	"...the cool dark pool
	 She craves to swallow you
	 Fill your lungs
	 With fluid pure as morning dew
	 She craves to swallow you..."

Delicate guitar work opens the last song, "Out of the Moving Life
of Cities". This is a strong piece to close out the album with.

	I don't feel And Also The Trees is the best band to appear on
the scene after Joy Division. (Who deserves that distinction? Hey, maybe
Doug can run a poll...!) But their first album certainly has many
interesting moments, despite Lawrence Tolhurst's terrible production.
They also have a live EP out with almost the same cover as the album,
but I haven't heard it. If you're still pining after the death of Joy
Division and unhappy about the "happiness" of the new Cure album, you
can do worse than pick up And Also The Trees.

	By the way, did anyone check out the Cure's US tour? They were
in Chicago last week and I couldn't go... sigh... :-(


					Bill Hsu
					pur-ee!hsut