THE TRIFFIDS
'In The Pines' 8/10 / 'Calenture' 9/10

Last month we featured an article on the new wave of Australian bands surfing their way onto our shores, and this month, the lovely folk at Domino have been kind enough to allow us to look back to a classic eighties Aussie band via two very nice collectors edition re-issues. Each album comes with extensive liner booklets, b sides, and in the case of Calenture, also a second cd of alternate demo's.. So who were The Triffids i hear you ask? I'll admit that The Triffids were way before my time, but those of you who actually remember the eighties, as opposed to those that pretend to and really only ever saw it in books and TV, may have been aware of them. For the uninitiated their music falls somewhere in the same ball park as (good) U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen. If your young enough to still draw blanks with those names, then basically, The Triffids wouldn't sound out of place on the Donnie Darko soundtrack.

I was a little anxious about reviewing them at first, but any reservations i had were dispelled after no time at all. I can safely say that if u have even a passing interest in classic songwriting, then you should invest some hard earned cash in this band. If your not a fan already, you soon will be.

'In The Pines' was an album written by a band eager to rediscover its roots for their fourth album, and as such raw and honest in its lo-fi production and folk/country theme. Apparently the majority of the records meagre budget was actually spent on beer, and you can hear that in the hearty drinking songs contained within. However the simplistic presentation actually brings out further the masterful craftsmanship of the songwriting. 'Do You Want me Near You' is audio bliss as the track builds from its simple chorus and the guitar feels its way around the track. The sing-a-long country of 'Once a Day' meanwhile sounds like it was recorded down at the local boozer. 'Just Might Fade Away' stomps and drones its way through a particularly intense comedown and is deliciously dark. Their fifth album 'Calenture' in a step up in presentation, a full blown eighties epic masterpiece with hints of The Cult. No exaggeration. In fact if you like it as much as I did then you'll have more than a small sense of guilt for not having heard them before. Every song rushes out of the speakers inducing euphoric rushes and a sexy amount of spinal tingulation. 'Hometown Farewell Kiss' has the creepy premise of saying goodbye to your hometown from a safe distance as it burns to the ground, whilst the subtle electronic drums of 'A Trick Of The Light' is a track easily comparable to New Order's best work. Its surely a testament to the songwriting that the tunes really stand up even twenty years after their release, and of course everything has an extra inch of polish on it thanks to the excellent remastering job.

'In The Pines' will appeal to those of you who are already familiar with their more epic material, or like folk and country, however, if you're new to The Triffids then get hold of 'Calenture' as its a better introduction to the band. So introduce the Triffids to your stereo, as they're sure to soon become very good friends. Both albums will be available at a very reasonable rate for order online at Domino's website, and also from the usual decent record shops from February 5 2007.

PHIL RUST