The Gold Needles - Pearls

I Don't Hear A Single is usually looked upon as my own little kingdom, but there as always been far more to it than that. There is still an Inner Circle extending from the Anything Should Happen Days. This Secret Society recommends artists and albums to one another and some of those gems you see here.

Nick Fletcher is a lynch pin, becoming something of a European Correspondent, but we also have Mick Dillingham, Ian Rushbury and Ray Gianchetti. The latter remains in charge of the last physical outpost of the music we love at Kool Kat Musik and it is with him that my Gold Needles fascination began.

It was during a weekly catch up with Ray that he suggested The Gold Needles warranted my attention. Within a flash, the band had sent me a CD and in the meantime Ray had released Pearls, the debut album on the Kool Kat label. I was hooked on the band, the eclectic nature of what they do just appealed and I've been playing Pearls ever since.






You can read my interview with Mark English here and I thought I'd elaborate more by reviewing the album a little more. Knowing a bit about the band's history, I thought Pearls would be psychy, trippy, less commercial Fruits De Mer enjoyment. Not a bit of it!

The nature of the album, a compilation of their non soundtrack and compilation recordings, allows that originality and versatility to thrive. However that can have a slight downside. 18 Tracks on an album can overawe first time listeners. Combine that with The Gold Needles output being particularly suited to vinyl and you can find a solution. The upcoming Vinyl release is a cut down 13 tracks and that works even better. More on that later.

I generally associate two things with Hull, both equally dear. They are Mick Ronson and The Housemartins, now I have a third, because The Gold Needles are that good. They encapsulate everything I want in Psych Pop, more emphasis on the Pop and less on the backward guitar and Sitar.






Simon Dowson's vocal lends itself beautifully to the laid back dreamscapes of the likes of Daydreamer's Song, City Jungle and Lookout Mountain, but my interest perks even more when the band venture into Pop.

The opener and title track, Pearls, is pure 80's New Wave, think Ric Ocasek. Ghost In The Airwaves is Psych Pop joy and Story Of My Life again conjures up visions of mid 80's Synth Pop Rock. Not Tonight Josephine could be Peter Noone.






Pressure could be Billy Fury fronting latter day Roxy Music, Not Tonight Josephine is like something from a 1960's UK Kitchen Sink Film. Dreamscape Time is immense, a near Seven minute that breaks into an epic Pink Floyd like close. It's awesome.

So finally, the band are taking pre-orders for the Vinyl Edition of Pearls. a 50p deposit secures a copy of this very Limited Edition. With the album, you will also get a free high quality download. You can find details of how to pre order here.







You can buy the CD Version at Kool Kat here. You can also listen to the album and if you don't want something wonderful to sit beautifully in your Album collection, purchase the download here.