Bobb Trimble - Iron Curtain Innocence

Forgotten gems rescued from obscurity

Suburban Minnesota in the early 80s may not have been everyone’s first port of call when seeking out otherworldly folk-tinged psychedelia, but it was home to Trimble and his collection of Floyd, Bowie and Beatles albums. The self-professed “oddball loner” shunned the local punk scene to channel Syd Barrett and Nick Drake through a battered Vox amp and succession of guitar effects pedals. His hippy mysticism walked hand-in-hand with an obsession for classic pop, best exemplified on When The Raven Calls and One Mile From Heaven (both from 1980’s Iron Curtain Innocence). Imagine George Harrison and Todd Rundgren fighting over a Mellotron backstage at a Hawkwind gig and you’re halfway there. Ahead of his time, Trimble failed to stick around until his inspired flights of fancy were in vogue. Here’s a perfect opportunity to finally catch on to his strangeness and charm.

Secretly Canadian | SC 162

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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