Lucy Show - ...undone

by Andrew Carver

published: 28 / 1 / 2010

Andrew Carver looks at London-formed band the Lucy Show's post-punk debut album, '...undone', which has recently been reissued on the American Words On Music label

Article

With its chiming guitars and melancholy vocals, the Lucy Show’s ‘... undone’ is very much of its time. Fortunately the reissue of the band’s moody 1985 debut is also very much of this time, with bands such as Interpol and the Big Pink drawing on the sounds of the Cure and Echo and The Bunnymen. The vocals sound much like the Teardrop Explodes-era Julian Cope in their phrasing (if not their depth), while relatively spare guitars and simple motorik drumming bring descendants like the xx to mind. The years have been relatively kind to most of ‘... undone’. The swollen synths and drum machine of ‘The Twister’ do sound a bit dated 25 years after being laid down, but no doubt some will appreciate them even more. The jangly guitars of ‘Remain’ and ‘Remembrances’ will appeal to fans of R.E.M. and other postpunk Byrds-aholics, but the string section of ‘Better on the Hard Side’ may trigger ugly memories of a time when producers seemed to feel they weren’t doing their job without cluttering at least one song with a few cellos and violins. ‘...undone’ makes for pleasant listening to fans of the era, but those new to the band may want to head for ‘Mania’ (reissued by the same label, Words On Music, in 2005)– the band’s sophomore effort is even more highly regarded, despite a somewhat less gloomy demeanour.