Damon & Naomi - The Sub Pop Years

More sad not-quite hits

The interest stirred up by last year’s reissue of the classic debut LP, More Sad Hits, has resulted in further mining of the post-Galaxie 500 duo’s catalogue. Despite the band’s (short-lived) refusal to tour, they were snapped up by Sub Pop after the aforementioned record, whereupon they refined their sound over four albums and seven years. This compilation collects the best of that work, including many of their collaborations with kindred spirits, the Japanese band Ghost.

As an introduction to this stage of their career, The Sub Pop Years presents their most accessible work and, despite being arranged in nonchronological order, hangs together well. The consistency of the material means that highlights are aplenty: the epic The Great Wall changes gear from a lullaby-like mantra to a mesmerising psychedelic ending courtesy of Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara; Tim Hardin’s eulogy To Lenny Bruce is transformed into a hypnotic, seemingly bottomless bruise of a song; Forgot To Get High’s acoustic layers provide a clear precedent to much of Radiohead’s earlier, more subtle material.

If anything, the tone can be a little repetitive but, as a primer for those unaware of the group’s charms, The Sub Pop Years does its job well.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

20/20/20 | 202020.10

Reviewed by Jamie Atkins
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