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(2015) Aberdeen - It Was the Rain; Lost Recordings 1993-1995
Review:
Aberdeen is an American band who first signed on legendary Sarah Records. Though Aberdeen signed on the label in 1993 and Sarah Records stopped in August 1995, they released two singles Byron and Fireworks in that time period.
After the label ended Aberdeen continued to record, releasing their debut album Homesick and Happy to Be Here via The Tremolo Arm Users Club.
After initial success, it wasn’t until 2008 and the release of What Do I Wish for Now, that the band started making ripples in the world of music once more. Another reunion followed in 2011 however as is so often the case, after 20 years, things sometimes just aren’t the same.
And so to 2015 and the release of It Was the Rain. John Girgus, co-founder of Aberdeen has been carrying a box of tapes around for quite a while. It was only a matter of time before he would finally reveal the definite sound of Aberdeen. Yes, the coveted first recordings: ‘I’ve been carrying around this box of tapes for 20 years now. This was always work that meant a lot to me. It was how I learned to write and record. More than Aberdeen being a band who would meet, rehearse, play, record; it was me with a guitar, a drum machine and a 4 track recorder. I’d record ideas a few times, and as songs developed, I’d give tapes to Beth who was living in LA at the time, and we’d record on visits’.
The release features 18 tracks including two versions of The Pastels Baby Honey as well as never released songs such as Bilinda. It’s a must-have record as it completes Aberdeen. Included is hit single Sink Or Float, early Sarah recordings such as Byron, Fireworks and When It Doesn’t Matter.
But most important of all, each track has been mixed by the man John Girgus himself. So it would not be unfair to consider the release to be one of Aberdeen’s finest work to date, certainly in terms of what the music means to the band themselves. Rarely does music capture raw youthfulness quite like It Was the Rain, though it’s clear to see that the album came with blood, sweat and tears, for the process of completing a project which started 20 years ago (on a relatively budget production) is by no means an easy affair.
In a way, the compilation marks the end of a story. Aberdeen, though successful in their own right, have had more than their fair share of ups and downs. However, they remain and will always remain in our hearts as one of the original indie bands, and for that reason, It Was the Rain is a true celebration of one of the founding bands of the genre we all love so dearly now.
Tracklist:
01. Bilinda.flac
02. Snowball Dream.flac
03. Sink or Float.flac
04. Byron.flac
05. Baby Honey.flac
06. Super Sunny Summer.flac
07. Snapdragon.flac
08. When It Doesn't Matter Anymore.flac
09. Fran.flac
10. I Think I'm Falling.flac
11. Fireworks.flac
12. In My Sleep.flac
13. Toy Tambourine.flac
14. Clouds Like These.flac
15. That Cave... That Moon.flac
16. Baby Honey (Alternate Version).flac
17. Byron (Alternate Version).flac
18. Self Evidence (with Adam Hervey of Timonium).flac
19. Self Evidence (with Adam Hervey of Timonium; Alternate Version).flac
Summary:
Country: USA
Genre: dream-pop, indie-pop
Media Report:
Source : CD
Format : FLAC
Format/Info : Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : ~ 833-1000 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits |
