September 1980
by Tom Mott
Spherical Objects
Further Ellipses
Genre: Existential Post-Punk Eclectic Psychedelic Melodic Art Rock
Rating: 3.4 out of 5
Highlights:
Take a Chance
Regular Condition
The Final Part
Not a DISCOVERY but discoverable-ish. Esque. Ish. Spherical Objects was part of the Manchester experimental independent post-punk scene. I feel like post-punk was meant to be anything goes, but things always have a way of quickly codifying into genres and subgenres. This is refreshingly not skitterish UK post-punk skronk sax funk* nor monotoned baritone vocals over a throbbing bass. Altogether more weirder, searching, experimentalizing. The Cardiacs come to mind. Wall of Voodoo.
Sassy saxophones, wobbly-windy synth organ lines, some Morricone wordless vocals, castinets, and a talk-singer with a very distinctive voice that might be terrible. It takes some getting used to, but the music behind it feels worth the effort. At one point, a loud leaf-blower sound appeared in the song and I thought well, that's an interesting choice that seems to be working. Then I realized the gardeners had arrived outside.
On subsequent listens, I'd say the best songs are front loaded, and the singer's voice is too distinctive for me. Still worth a listen for being different.
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*Not that's there's anything wrong with that! Rip Rig + Panic, Pigbank, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK1-rfwW-_E
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