Lost in translation
loteq | Regensburg | 07/27/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"1983's "RRS" is one of EIG's best albums, it displays the duo's transition from an avant-garde project to a sophisticated pop band. The first eleven tracks here are taken from the original album, the others are culled from EPs and EIG's archives. "RRS" still doesn't come close to radio-friendly music, but the material is more song-oriented and concise that those of EIG's early-'80s output. Also, Martyn began singing at a lower and less hysterical register here, making the music more accessible and enjoyable for most listeners. "New risen" and its b-side "Bright play of eyes" were a minor hit single in the U.K., while "To Steven/Sun-like-gold/To Elizabeth S." can also be found on a CD compilation by the Sub Rosa label. It's not easy to pick winners; all tracks here are good and the song sequencing is logical. However, the most evocative pieces are indeed the ambient-inflected "To Steven" and the creepy "To Elizabeth S.", the latter being a homage to chanteuse Elizabeth S. who would become EIG's third member on 1994's album "Fabulous library". The harmonica-driven "Sun-like-gold" is unlike anything I've ever listened to. All in all, a very nice album which is as emotionally satisfying as anything by EIG."
Stellar autumnal art-pop!
Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 07/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Eyeless in Gaza has always been difficult and unpredictable. At the start, singer/guitarist Martyn Bates sang like a village idiot - howling, spitting, and whining unintelligibly like a wounded boar. Luckily, Bates gradually refined his approach so that by the time of their 5th full length, "Rust Red September," his voice transformed into a smooth, sugar-sweet, emotionally resonant and soulful instrument. But that's just the start of it. Bates and fellow multi-instrumentalist Pete Becker stubbornly persisted in remaining a duo, resulting in uniquely skeletal arrangements that further set them apart from most contemporaries. While Becker played intricate drums/percussion, along with bass and keyboards, Bates handled most guitar and all vocals. They always sounded full without ever quite sounding like a "full" band.
"RRS" is Gaza's finest record: the culmination of several albums worth of experimentation and continued refinement towards a unique, art-pop vision. At this point they'd smoothed out many rough edges (most notably Bates' singing), yet still retained an unconventional, slightly jagged approach to arranging, resulting in an album of artfully constructed, achingly pretty, off-kilter, sophisticated (and at times soul-inspired) pop gems, delivered in a distinctly post-punk manner.
If you're familiar with their previous albums, you'll hear a dramatic change right from the first track, "Changing Stations," on which Bates sings sweetly over a soothing, repetitive keyboard melody, while an organ fills out the low end, kept in motion by spare percussion. The next tune, "Pearl and Pale," is driven by a swooping beat and sparkling guitars that glitter like jewels, with jazzy chords that could make Robyn Guthrie jealous. "New Risen" is centered around a gorgeous, blue-eyed soul piano part (recalling the Style Council and even Holland-Dozier-Holland), and yet it's still done with Gaza's trademark off-kilter sense of rhythm and arrangement; stunning and addictively catchy. Nothing they'd done in the past was ever quite this pretty or focused.
Toeing the line between shimmering pop and near-goth moodiness, other songs evoke shades of autumnal, pastoral beauty. "Taking Steps" continues in the pop vein, taking an Aztec Camera-like sensibility and infusing it with their unique, offbeat style. "Leaves are Dancing" and "No Perfect Stranger" are moodier; the latter combining a racing Fall-ish drumbeat with hauntingly pretty melodies and reverb drenched melodica. Each song generates a haunting web of atmosphere, passion, and drama.
"RRS" runs out of steam towards the end, but that doesn't detract from the overall experience. As mentioned above, this is an important step in Gaza's canon, demonstrating newfound focus and energy, as well as a willingness to incorporate tasteful pop elements to dramatic effect. With its unconventional approach to structure and instrumentation, "RRS" remains a beautiful vision that is quite distinctively Gaza's own. With their next album, "Back from the Rains," they would take it a step further and abandon that unique-ness by using a full, conventional pop band. While that can be seen as the logical next step in the band's evolution, it also lacks the sense of adventure that contributes to "RRS's" mind-blowing atmosphere. "RRS" is the perfect album for neophytes, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a thirst for moody, offbeat pop."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1