Watford, England's
Sad Lovers & Giants made few headlines but some strong LPs, arguably the best of which, and certainly the most somber, is this collection. Its deftly played and arresting post-punk songs are built around
Tristan Garel-Funk and
David Woods' subtle evocations of mood. Singer
Garce Allard's voice is at once brittle-sounding but self-assured. Both factors complement the sophisticated musical structures of songs such as
"Imagination" and
"Sleep (Is for Everyone)." They should be one of their generation's more celebrated discoveries, but sat out time on a label much less fashionable than, say,
Factory. The intricacy of
Garel-Funk's guitar on
"Big Tracks Little Tracks" certainly puts them on a par with
the Durutti Column.
"Your Skin and Mine" has an innate grandeur that, keeping indulgence at arm's length, conveys a sense of pain and isolation that echoes
Joy Division. It's an album that argues for a reappraisal of one of the '80s' best-kept secrets. ~ Alex Ogg
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