Thursday, October 10, 2013

Brighter - demo recordings 1988-1990

Ah Brighter, the band that encapsulates the fragile glory of twee pop to some and the banality of it to others. I am firmly in the former camp, to me Brighter so often produced perfection in the early 90s. So "demo recordings" then, not that they sound too different from the definitive Brighter studio recording sound. A little rougher maybe around the edges, but that kind of suits Brighter...

As far as i can tell none of the songs (or final versions of) appeared on Sarah releases though a good number appeared on the brilliant Matinee compilation "Out to sea" collection, though not all the songs do.

"Wallflower" has a simple pop beauty to it. "Sunburst" sounds like it was recorded in a phone kiosk but still has an irresistible urgency to it. "Top of the world" grinds its way to your heart despite nearly falling apart a few times. "If i could see" is totally wonderful and one of Brighter's best ever songs, a jangle of pop delights and a delicate joy. One song i definitely haven't heard today is the somewhat haunting instrumental "Painted angels".

If you love Brighter you'll love this, if you don't... well... your loss.

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