Friday, July 13, 2012

Airlines - s/t (1994, Quixotic)

This is a request and a follow-up to the Airlines tape I put up last month.  Unlike today, the nineties never struck me as an era of legit post-punk revivalism (unless you want to count a few random Elastica singles), but if such a movement had been afoot, I'm sure these guys could have more than held their own.  Owing a debt to the Feelies just as much as Mission of Burma, Airlines wrapped dextrous, sometimes challenging guitar lines in a fuzzy sling of warm reverb, achieving nearly sublime results on "Remote Color," "Weekend," and "Talking About Talking."  In fact, nothing on Airlines is a let down, but if you're not well versed with the likes of Television, Versus and the aforementioned, this album could pose itself as a bit of a grower.  This is what Big Takeover magazine had to say about it:

Add Airlines to the list of promising New York bands (at last there is a small crop). Theirs is a sprightly minimalist pop, the occasional one-chord drone uplifted by loping bass, bopping snare hits, and caustic guitar lines that encircle that steady bass. The playing is crisp-former KRAUT producer RYK OAKLEY gives them a tight mix-and simple but effective ideas run all over spaces this economical quintet leaves. Like the late `70s Wire, to whom they might be compared (as well as all the U.S. West Coast pop minimalists they inspired, such as the Urinals/100 Flowers, Sleepers, Flyboys, later Middle Class), nothing is chunky, yet the sound has depth, and the post R.E.M./Libertines plucked guitars never fail to invigorate and take unexpected paths... Investigate.

01. Empathy Box
02. Steady Goes
03. Still Life
04. Remote Color
05. Deja Vu
06. Talking About Talking
07. Interval
08. No. 2
09. Weekend
10. 10,000 Days
11. Ad Infinitum 
12. Manitoba 

7 comments:

bglobe313 said...

An endorsement from The Big Take-Over means only very rarely disappointment.

Thanks. I will check it out.

Ace

MKV said...

Thanks Spavid!

MKV said...

Thanks Spavid!

Unknown said...

As a fan of The Feelies and Mission Of Burma I gave this a listen. I liked "Steady Goes" and "Talking About Talking" but the rest sounded non-committal with a psychedelic pop feel. What was that clicking sound throughout?

spavid said...

The clicking is part of the rhythm track, not a glitch. Didn't really notice until you mentioned it Emerson. Thanks.

bglobe313 said...

Hey Spavid,

Did you ever check out the 2nd CD by Lincolnville (led by Colin Decker)? I got it after a long ago rave commentary on the great, great, great music blog "The War Against Silence" and I really like it. I mention it here because the guitar and vocal sound of the first track somewhat reminded me of it -- although Lincolnville is a little more intense.

Ace

Unknown said...

When you do your next round of reuploads, could you possibly include this album with them? Thanks.