Tuesday 31 March 2015

Sulk: Dog Swamp

This 7" ep was recorded in Perth's southern winter of 1995 and released a year later with no fanfare or fuss. It holds up today just as well as it did at the time (very well indeed).

There's Edwyn, a hymn to Edwyn Collins' sexy monkeyness, there's Stubblerash, a song about kissing augmented by a cheap organ (children! stop your sniggering at the back) and, best of all, there's Wish I Couldn't, a mini chamber pop masterpiece reeling from the after-effects of love's big soft punch.

You can find bands pretty much like this now - mostly in Melbourne. Maybe Ciggie Witch, Smile and Haircut will all sound great 19 years from now. I hope they all make more records and get some gold discs. Dog Swamp was the start and end for Sulk. Its 5 tracks are quite a legacy.

Turns out that I've met most of Sulk over the years. The one I've met the most, Bill, has stayed at my London flat a few times in the same room as this record. He never once mentioned he was involved. If I'd had a hand in making this record I'd have told everyone.

Good luck finding a copy. It's under the radar and never sells for more than a few quid. If you're digitally inclined, you can download the songs from Chapter.

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