Ivory Springer - 32 Points On A Compass
by Anthony Dhanendran
published: 28 / 3 / 2004
Label:
Purr
Format: CD
intro
Eclectic post-punk from Bristol outfit, Ivory Springer, which soon shakes off its Shellac influences, "to settle down into a more melodic, laid-back vibe"
Having been a feature on the music scene in Bristol and Bath for a couple of years, Ivory Springer unleash their fury on the rest of the country with their debut album. The word that people seem unable to resist including when talking about them is ‘Shellac’, the name of uber-producer Steve Albini’s pioneering post-punk outfit. While it’s true that Ivory Springer are more than a little reminiscent of Shellac – and it would be a surprise if Albini wasn’t high on their list of influences – there’s more to them than just copying. The opening tracks of the album, ‘Fifteen Minute Song’ and ‘The Submariner Song’, do sound like Shellac. They both toy with the listener to stir things up: ‘Fifteen Minute Song’ is in ¾ time, a rarity in popular music, particularly at the punk end. The second track plays with timing by adding seemingly random pauses to the chugging guitar riffs. After getting the Seattle influences out of their systems, the band seem to settle down into a more melodic, laid-back vibe, reminiscent – at times – of Aereogramme’s crystal chainsaw riffs. It threatens to get a tiny bit samey towards the end, but given that that end is only 28 minutes from the beginning, it’s too much of a rollercoaster to be able to get bored while listening to it. The album is only rescued from fading away, though, by the hidden track tacked on to the end. A spare, instrumental, post-rock ode, it lays on the textures, allowing the band’s gift for melody, craft and ability to truly shine through.
Track Listing:-
1 Fifteen Minute Song2 The Submariner Song
3 Weight of Ropes
4 Newfoundland
5 My Best Job
6 The Antithesis of Rust
7 Time Travel for Beginners (Time Travel for Beginners)
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart