Search - The Lines :: Memory Span

Essential postpunk finally gets a reissue

Brucifer | Boston, MA | 06/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thanks to Acute records for reissuing yet another postpunk essential - and doing their usual excellent job of it. Here we have all of the singles and the classic "Cool Snap" EP from British pop/postpunk band the Lines (apparently a reissue of their two LPs is forthcoming from Acute at a later date, so the whole Lines catalog will at last be available). I have to admit I didn't really warm up to the Lines back in the day. Like many who unfairly ignored the band at the time, I was too rigidly expecting them to sound like either an alterna-pop band like the Bongos or an arty postpunk band in the vein of Gang of Four. But they were somewhere in between, angular and tense yet unashamedly cheerful and danceable too, often within the same song. Time has proven that even if the band weren't particularly successful in terms of popularity, they were right to stick to their own sound. These tunes haven't aged a bit. If you don't get hooked immediately, stay with it, as these songs have a way of growing on you once you get past expecting them to fulfill certain sonic expectations. Standouts are "White Night," "Nerve Pylon," "Don't Need Surgery," and "Background" (from which the "Memory Span" CD title originates), but the whole CD is consistently good. Hopefully this reissue will spark renewed interest in the band, maybe even a reunion (in which case, Lines, please come over and do some gigs in the US). As for the reissue itself: there's never anything to complain about with Acute's releases. The sequencing (more or less chronological) is appropriate, the sound quality is flawless, there are no irritatingly missing tracks (in fact there are a couple of previously released bonus tracks), and as usual the package looks great, including a nicely written and designed booklet with a history of the band by Acute label guru Dan Selzer and an illustrated discography."