Two sides of dark, restless electronica mark Merchandise’s 1996 10” debut release as different from the rest.
A-side Two Minutes After creates a brooding soundscape with overtones of Joy Division and Bark Psychosis.
B-side Microcosm introduces a more dub inspired sound with hypnotic moog melodies suggesting the likes of Orbital.
Anyone looking for an antidote to the day-time TV friendly easy listening musak of recent years should look no further.
Merchandise is the kind of acoustic electronica that’d be the soundtrack to a summer picnic in Hyde Park , with cute animals frolicking in the sun. Two men’s reflections on everyday life has never been so glorious. Sunday Song steps up the pace a little with a touch of Badly Drawn Boy had he ever got out from underneath his hat and, in Distil Disappointment, joined the Thrills. Totally pure, grandiose pop music that along with the title makes you wonder why we make our lives so complicated. The sound of pastoral idylls and eternal sunshine.
Credits: friends making records, modern life being rubbish, having a whole album of beautiful music.
This is one perfectly named album. Merchandise (named after a Fugazi song, coo-ell) have married electronica and acoustica into a collection of gorgeous pop wistfulness.
Like The Clientele, Merchandise create pattering, caressing, daydreamy music that conjures up an England of rain-washed colours and pale sunlight. Cymbals snick, pianos tinkle meditatively, odd beats and samples give the sound a bit of a roughing up behind Brad’s gentle, reproachful vocals. According to the sleeve-notes, featured amongst the instruments is a ‘trazoo’. Qué??
The songs are divided into short trips into a pensive mind via narratives bathed in lyrical melancholia (perfect example, ‘Beautiful Morning For A Bad Day’) and curious, memory-triggering instrumentals. ‘Sunday Song’ is the sound of whisking along on a train (hey, it might happen), on a Spring morning, luxuriating in the feeling of being nowhere. Small but perfectly formed instrumental ‘The Last Stand of Pucho Vasquez’ sneaks in like an out-take from the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. ‘Winter’ is layers of susurration floating down to build up like snowfall. The perfect music-box delicacy of final track ‘Morning After’ leaves you gazing into the middle distance, spaced out on your own introspection.
Always a good way to end.
I’ve written about Merchandise – the Bolton duo of Brad B Wood and Conrad Astley - before (#8) when I reviewed their ‘Swallowing Curses’ single. I liked it, but I mentioned that it took a while for me to get into and also mentioned ‘Drum and Bass’(!). I think I must have been having a strange day when I reviewed that, as this, their album, is truly a thing of beauty.
The title hints at their sound: gorgeous lo-fi pop acoustics melded perfectly with the hi-tech sounds from the gentler side of electronica (think Boards of Canada or something from the Morr Music label rather than Venetian Snares or Squarepusher).
On first listen, while working on my laptop on a Saturday afternoon, the sounds and the feel of the album as a whole got me, passing through and calming me. Afterwards I was able to appreciate the lyrics and the more intricate nature of the music, to see just how many genres and different beats and moods (pretentious I know, but that is the best way to describe it – uplifting, melancholy, comforting…) were in these twelve songs. I kept thinking of Hood, or a more consistent Stereolab.
DIY indie pop, back from when indie meant something, mixed with the best of the modern day electronica scene. Worth it for the great ‘Beautiful morning for a bad day’ alone, but every other song here can match that. A gem.
(review of 4 song sampler for Lo-tech solutions)
I just love it when this happens. I don’t really know how this cd reached me, but I’m so glad it has. Merchandise come to us from the north-west of the UK, and mooch a fine line between the sophisticated pop of Baptiste, The Real Tuesday Weld and Tears in X-Ray Eyes.
‘Beautiful Morning For a Bad Day’ kicks off with the sort of song that The Liberty Ship seems to specialise in these days, in that it sounds like it was knocked together whilst laying on the bed, staring out of the window. And that’s a wonderful thing.
’14:53’ cleverly takes the same guitar motif as it’s predecessor to offer another lounge classic. The tempo’s upped a bit with ‘Echolalia’, which could easily be a Fosca track, and has a rather snazzy guitar solo half way through.
Finally, ‘For the Shore’ comes over all Pipas on us.
Fantastic pop music.
Sam Metcalf
Interesting debut album from this duo (conrad and brad) with musical toys, who have a nice way with their samplers/guitar/drums and talent for simply structured pop songs.
most of these songs could be easily classed as lo-fi perhaps, but give the songs a little time and attention and you could find yourself drawn into the bands vibe.
the jazz drum groove opening of ‘i hate that you’re living’ is an interesting start and sets the scene well as this flows well into the athlete-style melody strong chorus of ‘beautiful morning for a bad day’. too damn catchy by half. next up is ‘14:53′ a fine track, but this is just a run up to the fuzzed driving electropop of ’sunday song’, with its wonderful interaction between the quirky real world instruments and simplistic dr rhythm beatbox noises - a personal fave. following this uptempo fun is the autumnal piano/vocal pleasantness, but fear not, the album does not descend into depression setting moods as the guys have a wicked sense of humour shown in the acoustic guitar strum for ‘distil disappointment’ with its barbed lyrics (’catapult your feeble words back at you’), processed beats, fuzzed guitar lines, excellent stuff.
even twisted romantic acoustic 80’s pop gets a nod with ‘for the shore’ with sweet backing vocals recalling terry halls colourfield times - though i suspect brad and conrad have never heard of them! this is good stuff. as is the funked up instrumental ‘albino rhino’ sharply distorted guitar lines clash with glockenspiel type noises .. and thats always going to raise a smile in my house. lovely lovely.
the rest of the album passes by with all manner of nice sounds and sweet melodies, there are times that a little tighter production would iron out some of the vocal limitations that are apparent (especially on ‘winter’, ‘charlie parker ..’) but sometimes mistakes (read budget restrictions ?) make a track more natural appealing and the addition of the melodian on ‘winter’ wipes out these minor niggles, and as for the epic guitar part on charlie parker feel yourself gently drift into the 70’s mor world.
all in all a fine album that will appeal to fans of ingo star cruiser, matt harding, m.craft, old school indie days pre-oasis creation releases, and the world of twisted nerve fans. followers of the darkness and grime and other scene-slaves need not apply. though i suspect merchandise care not. they have their own little world and seem quite content within it.
good luck to them.