This is a band that truly means alot to me. A (surprisingly) relatively unknown dubby post-punk band from the UK; The Lines.
Falling somewhere between the minimalist funk of A Certain Ratio, the angular Spartan punk of Wire or early Cure, and the atmospheric art rock of fellow coulda-beens the Sound, the Lines existed between 1978 and 1983, releasing five singles, one EP, and two LPs. The group apparently never toured and, more obviously, never took off, disappearing off the grid to all but the most avid collectors. But when those singles and EPs were compiled last year as Memory Span, many wondered how a group like the Lines could escape notice for so long, especially considering the band’s linear post-punk owed much to the evergreen Factory Records aesthetic (even if, like a lot of the Factory stable, the music boasted more potential than payoff).
Over the years, these few records have become rare and expensive collector’s items and have never been released on CD until recently.
Acute Record’s first and second Lines reissues (Memory Span and Flood Bank) represents 5 years in the growth of one of the most interesting bands of the era. Their music evolved from skeletal and taut post-punk scorchers to atmospherically recorded dubbed out bliss. The singles possess an angular and melodic thoughtfulness and precision that bring to mind Wire, Joy Division, the Feelies or Mission of Burma. Included are the seminal cult-classic power-pop/punk first single, “White Night”, it’s more taut and post-punk follow-up, “On the Air” 7″, the Cool Snap! EP (a desert-island disc to Chuck Warner of Messthetics), the more atmospheric and new wave Nerve Pylon and Transit singles, the rare final 12″ House of Cracks/Old Town and 2 early unreleased tracks.
Although they played shows with bands like The Cure, Bauhaus, The Sound and Birthday Party, and featured members of prag Vec and Alternative TV, they were never part of any scene. They never toured and rarely spoke to the press. For 5 years they rehearsed, performed and recorded to little acclaim, leaving only 8 releases on vinyl. While unappreciated in their time, they perfectly encapsulate the best qualities of the era: angst-ridden angularity, danceable catchiness, sublime dub-influenced atmospherics, sonic experimentation and killer hooks, with an unrivalled consistency.
When listening to Memory Span, you can hear a progression as the band develops their songwriting and production. On these LPs, while the songwriting is as strong as anything on Memory Span, you hear the results of their further explorations in sound, production and process. One key change was, as singer/guitarist/trombonist Rico says in one of two vintage interviews included in the liner notes, “What’s happened is the focus has gone from me as song-writer and focal point. Now songs start as a rhythm and Joe and Nick, then me and Mick overdub melody and noise.” This results in music with an acute sense of atmosphere and rhythm, a sublime sense of space with a refined subtletly. However dig just below the surface and many of the qualities that made Memory Span such a hit remain; infectious melodies, angsty guitar, funky rhythms, and songs that will get into your brain and stay there.
These reissues were the one of the biggest things to happen to a compulsive music miner like me, and in my eyes are the pinnacle of first wave dubbed out post-punk.
The Lines – Flood Bank
The Lines – Old Town
The Lines – The Landing
The Lines – Stripe
effin great post!