The Sugargliders - ahprahran EP

The Sugargliders, hailing from Australia, were one of the many great bands who recorded for Sarah Records. This was one of their numerous singles from the label and my favourite. The title track on this EP has a lovely acoustic guitar driven melody with a beat given that extra bit of specialness with tambourines!

The Sugargliders were two brothers from Melbourne and the harmonies certainly benefit from the blood relationship. The Sugargliders produced delicate and intelligent guitar pop and are certainly well worth a listen.

Eternal - breathe EP (reissue)

Eternal's solo EP (for Sarah) was one of my favourite records of the early 90s and still is one of my favourite singles ever. But here it is re-released and with the "lost" song November to fill it out so how does it still stack up in 2015?

First of all it isn't the same single, i don't know whether these are different studio versions (or the original demos which are said to have been higher quality than the actual studio versions) or its been remastered but it sounds different to the original. A lot higher fi for a start. The wonderful "Take me down" for example actually has chords i can recognise rather than just various fuzzy noises. To be honest i prefer the fuzz but the delicate and doomed beauty of the song is still there. "November" is also lovely though does sound like it needed a bit more work which is maybe why it never made it to the original single.

So the "Breathe EP" how does it stack up in the 21st century? Its different but still amazing. The world has changed a lot since the early 90s but Eternal's incredible record is still capable of changing worlds, or at least my one.

The Hit Parade - in Gunnersbury Park (Sarah)

The Hit Parade released 2 singles on Sarah, of which this was the first back in 1991 (7" single natch). The title track is a sparse but poppy song, eloquent and delicate. Its simple but beautiful music, no feedback and walls of noise, or fancy electronics, vocals and acoustic guitars and not a lot else. Just a lovely song dedicated to a public park.

The B-side "Harvey" is similarly pared back, the vocals breathy and sweet. A lovely pair of songs.

Glass Arcade (Sarah)

Sometimes a rummage in bargain bins can totally change your life. Lets go back to late 1992, in my favourite indie record shop i was rummaging through the "bargain" CDs and came across Glass Arcade and Air Balloon Road, two compilations from Sarah Records. Well of course i knew of Sarah bands, the Melody Maker said they were shit. But i hadn't actually ever heard any Sarah songs... so i bought both and decided to see if the respected weekly music paper was right. It was wrong as usual...

My life changed. My tastes in music changed. Whereas before i pretended to like "cool" bands now i discovered bands like The Field Mice and The Orchids who i really liked. So this compilation, one of a regular series collecting together songs previously released on 7" singles, is so chock full of great songs. Including Eternal of course, this is the only place you can get their songs off their unmatched sole single on CD.  One of the best shoegaze noise singles ever released, pop glory bursting through glorious noise. Oddly enough though their best song "Take me down" isn't on Glass Arcade which is a shame, so here it is instead.
What is on here? Several superb Field Mice songs such as "Quicksilver" which i think is one of their finest. The Sea Urchins' "a morning odyssey" has one of the most heart felt choruses you'll ever here. The Orchids are of course a highlight with their "Something for the longing". There are indeed very few bad songs on here. Heavenly's song perhaps but then again i never could get into them...

Even As We Speak - one step forward

Sarah Records, the home of many great pop moments but one of the most upfront pop songs was "One step forward", superbly performed by Even As We Speak. A beautiful mid-tempo pop song with an irresistible chorus which erupts into a funk explosion. Maybe one of the best songs on Sarah in fact.

"Must be something else" is far more Sarah-esque, a laid back and delicate indie pop song though it also has some guts too. "Best kept secret" is also quite low-key but still lovely.

MV : "Your love is..." by Christine's Cat

The scorching glory.

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.

EEC Punk Rock Mountain

"We should be out boozing. And pogoing. Its Saturday night innit?"

And so begins this Sarah Records bootleg containing songs from all your favourite Sarah pop bands. The Orchids' "bemused, confused and bedraggled" starts us off and is very well recorded, the band being in fine form too. Added whoops adds to the fun and the pop thrills.

The album recorded Sarah bands on the 1st of July 1991 in six concerts across the world which began and ended simultaneously, to commemorate the Bristol indie pop club which closed in 1987. Gentle Despite's "if i touch" sounds great, waves of scratchy guitar noise backing the downbeat vocals. The lo-fi-ish sound quality adding not detracting. The Wake's tracks suffer a bit from the patchy recording, but the somewhat far-away feel of the vocals adds to the intimacy.

The Field Mice sound a bit off but still put on a decent pop show with their two tracks including a frantic "coach station reunion". Well maybe you had to be there, but if you couldn't be then this is a lovely addition to your Sarah indie pop mountain.

Action Painting! - these things happen (Sarah)

Action Painting!'s first single for Sarah (there was a long gap before the second) was a lovely moment in indie pop. The title track had an organic melody and vocals that sounded a bit like Robert Smith, the song also built in acoustic glory to a beautiful pop crescendo.

Flip side "Boy meets world" was a frenetic pop track, short and sweet. Vocals that somehow mixed urgency with disinterest allied to a simple but joyous melody. This single was indiepop perfection.

Air Balloon Road (Sarah)

Some records can leave you cold, some give a momentary relief from harsh reality, others can take you to a whole new world and if you are lucky you never ever leave. Such as happened to me when i bought the Sarah Records compilation Air Balloon Road many years ago, it introduced me to the mysterious world of twee pop and C86, and i've remained ever since.

Sarah released periodic compilations of the pick of songs from their singles (well their pick anyway, some great songs never made it), Air Balloon Road covers the early period of Sarah and includes the early classics like the Sea Urchins' blissful pop song "Pristine Christine" which of course was the very first single on the label as well as wonderful tracks like The Field Mice's melancholic "End of the affair" and The Orchids' "Its only obvious". Wonderful indie pop tunes which sound as fresh today as they did in the early 90s.

"Darkest blue" by Gentle Despite is another favourite, plus don't forget Another Sunny Day and Brighter, The Golden Dawn, Action Painting, the pop trash of 14 Iced Bears' "come get me"... well all 23 tracks are just essential. This is probably as close as you could ever get to something as banal as "The best of Sarah", although there were many other great songs to come this is truly a document of a golden age.

The Wake - crush the flowers (Sarah 7")

Ex-Factory post-punk band The Wake went indiepop in the late 1980s and this was their first single for Sarah Records. It starts off with the jaunty and delicate yet meaty title track. There are a lot of interesting sounds going on here, the melody is beautiful and the grindy guitar in the background makes it perfect.

B-side "Carbrain" is maybe more straightforward indiepop but i always loved the emotions stirred by this tune. New album is apparently "due early 2012", er thats now?

A mini Sarah Records tour of Bristol

Tim Hall visited Bristol last month and made this delightful little movie showing some of the locations in Bristol associated with Sarah Records.

MV : "End" by Brighter

Another Sunny Day - Rio (Sarah 7")

Another Sunny Day's "Rio" isn't a Duran Duran cover version luckily enough but is a wonderful acoustic led indie pop classic with typically ASD yearning male vocals and a simple but effective melody. This always had my favourite lyrics of any Sarah song. "The very beginning" on the flip-side is beautiful, sparse and jingly and its heart felt vocals that seem tailor-made for gazing sadly out of a damp window.

MV : "Popkiss" by Blueboy

MV : "Come get me" by 14 Iced Bears

Blueboy - clearer (Sarah 7" single)

Blueboy's debut 7" single for Sarah Records was a delicate affair. The A-side has a fragile beauty to it and is a beautifully crafted pop song with a mournful air. Lyrics of sadness and bite.

B-side "Alison" brings to my mind Paint Along With Nancy for some reason (why it makes me remember an old TV programme about painting with a knife i am unsure), maybe its the melancholic air, the reverb and the distant beat, the retro guitar chords... or i am just mad?

Northern Picture Library - last September's farewell kiss

In between The Field Mice and The Trembling Blue Stars came Northern Picture Library who included various members of The Field Mice before splitting after an album and a handful of singles.

Anyway this was their second of two singles on Sarah Records. The title track is amazing, growing organically from a restrained start into a wonderful driving chorus and melody. NPL went down a more electronic road compared to The Field Mice but were no less wonderful for it. This is pop music of the highest quality.

Tramway - sweet chariot

Tramway's second single for Sarah Records was very much the first, wistful introspective indie guitar pop. "Technical college" is the A-side and is one of my favourite best Sarah songs of all, its a simple song with a few synth riffs and a lazy electric guitar melody but with a chorus that seems to transcend reality and drift you away into somewhere better. "Balla" is not as good but is another restful track though does sound a bit like an end of term larks with barely audible background chat and a rather meandering tune that ends suddenly, like the money ran out in the meter.

The Orchids - underneath the window, underneath the sink

The Orchid's second single for Sarah (Sarah 11) was this lovely 4 track EP. The title track is sublime, a classic piece of simple, delicate and beautiful early Orchids guitar pop. Yearning but not cloying. "Defy the law" is more upbeat, maybe the vocals are a little awkward but the tune itself is fine with some nice synths.

"Tiny words" is a lovely song, really well crafted and delicate. Finally "Walter" is a bit more lo-fi and a bit of a guitar pop thrash... with sax! Back in the day The Orchids were my favourite band in the universe and its because of records like this.