Sunday, 17 March 2024

Eyelids - No Jigsaw

 


We love Portland's Eyelids. As proof, you can read our review of last year's album, A Colossal Waste Of Light here. This is something different across 26 songs that fill a double LP celebrating their 10 Year career. This isn't a Best Of, but a collection of rarities and outtakes that reveal even more about the band and their influences.

Contained within are unreleased recent songs, outtakes and long lost 7 inch releases. It is a great mix of originals and covers sitting side by side. It is obviously a big listen, but a highly rewarding one. Long time associate Peter Buck even takes Lead Vocal on It Hurts Me Too, an Elmore Janes song.



Taking some of the originals first, the band have never been afraid to Jangle or even out TFC Teenage Fanclub and Masterpiece (Wanna Die) and Psych #1b do that respectively. Polar Bear is all happy clappy Jaunty Guitar Pop.

The title track is top notch gentle Psych Pop, Cannon And Dee is beautifully Acoustic and Maybe More is so Dropkick. The covers are a selection of the great and the should be, some are faithful, others inspired. The version of Seven Seas is lightened up and jangled splendidly. 



There has to be a special mention for the cover of one of my favourite songs ever, The Clean's Anything Can Happen. Holiday Innn is wonderful, part Synth Pop, part UK Indie New Wave. The band's take on Enjoy The Silence is faithful yet surprising as is the choice of The Cars' Let The Good Times Roll.

No Jigsaw gives you a big look into the slightly off kilter world of Eyelids. They do the straight ahead so well, but there is a mischievousness that allows them to experiment. They have always ploughed their own field and long may that continue.



You can listen to and buy the album here.


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