Wreckless Eric - Transience

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 4 / 7 / 2019

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Forty years ago Wreckless Eric claimed he'd sail the whole wide world, and because he did not this makes him such a trustworthy and worthwhile musician. 'Transience' initially sounds like a sloppy LP, recorded in muddy waters, almost as if a testament to the unrecognized but great course of time of his music. There are only eight songs on his new LP, and, whilst most seem to be recorded in one take, the album very much sounds like a public statement. 'Father to the Man' is not just a farewell to kick off the album. The track paves the way for an under-recorded session which appears to be done and dusted. After the quaint urgency in 'Strange Locomotion' though, Wreckless Eric seems to be sinking deeper than Alex Chilton (It could be due to my waning stereo set that this LP sounded faulty.). Gracefully pessimistic on 'Dead End' – and even quasi quoting Margaret Thatcher - Wreckless Eric gets into a slightly more cheerful mood on 'Creepy People in the Middle of the Night', though alas it's again a subdued and under-recorded track, of a quality you'd only discover at home, over the headphones. In spite of its poor recording quality, things gets better on 'Tiny House' where Wreckless Eric teaches Billy Childish a really good lesson. As if he were tuning up, the best is saved for the last with the jingle-jangle of 'Indelible Sun' and on 'California / Handyman', which sounds so out of tune that I'm inclined to believe this must rate amongst the most honestly recorded album I have heard in a very long while. With my review based on listening to the CD, I'll get the LP. And perhaps change my opinion.

Track Listing:-

1 Father to the Man
2 Strange Locomotion
3 The Half of It
4 Dead End
5 Creepy People (In the Middle of the Night)
6 Tiny House
7 Indelible Stain
8 California/Handyman

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/wrecklesseric/
http://wrecklesseric.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thewrecklesseric/
https://twitter.com/thewreckeric

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