January 25, 1999
Let The Breeze Open Your Heart
One adjective that was overused about indie bands in the late-'80s was 'underachieving'....
4 / 10
One adjective that was overused about indie bands in the late-'80s was 'underachieving'. As if somehow they weren't trying hard enough. But you suspect there was often a quite noble vision behind their mediocrity. As with Brighton's Fourteen Iced Bears. They doubtless aimed to be the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, The Byrds and the Bunnymen polished off with a JAMC noise sheen.
Instead, as this compilation testifies, they sound like another dribbling bunch of indie pastiche brokers. 'Rise''s staccato drumming makes it quite engaging and 'World I Love' could be a more ragged Inspiral Carpets, but they're most successful with simple pleasures like 'Dust Remains', a winsome drip-pop ballad of mellow mournfulness. In fact, they'd be quite good at that sort of thing were it not for the fact Rob Sekula's tuneless voice makes you want to kick sand in his dewy eyes.
But if that's not enough for you, three appallingly recorded live tracks are tacked on the end as collectors' treats! Although, I defy you to sit through their reading of 'Interstellar Overdrive'...
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