"Well kids, here it is at last the Cd you didn't know you needed in the first place but let me tell you, you do. A reissue of the Moles lp (+ their dbl 7" on Ringers Lactate.) Impossible to find even when it was released back in the day. (believe me I looked.)And just between you and me it's a corker. I've listened to it something along the lines of four times since yesterday and I'm still not completely sure how to describe the delights within. Richard Davies and his merry band seem to embark on a simple little pop song and then over the course of howsoever long it lasts twist it like a balloon animal into hazily obscene shapes. (And all with only the standard equipment of your average garage band, guitars bass, drums, vocal harmonies, an occasional keyboard, and beer.) There's a definite lysergic vibe lurking in here that readers of Ptolemaic Terrascope will appreciate, but not the usual 90's manner of cranking up the echo effects and using the word "mind" in every other lyric, it's in the way the songs seem to lurch along in one direction and then do something suprising or sometimes exactly what you'd expect them too only not like that. There's also that certain sense of darkness that always seems to seep into the best stuff from Australia and New Zealand. (But then there are some lovely straight ahead pop songs like "Rebecca" that would make the Bats or Go-Betweens proud.)A lovely compressed sparseness to the instrumentation too. All in all, even after trying, I'm still not sure how to describe it without resorting to extended metaphors involving various sticky secretions. But I'm finding it compelling listening anyway."
These Moles Are Good Moles..they can stay...
happycaligirl | Sunny South Orange County, Calif. | 01/30/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Okay, here's the deal. I was just now researching this CD to put it up for bid on ebay...BIG MISTAKE I NOW KNOW! Of course, the treasure-hunter I am does not allow me to let go of an open CD until I lend an ear. My one ear invited the other to join in and they are hooked & my soul is happy! Take the time to listen to this jewel-box full of ear candy. I bet you will have to put your ears on a diet or get them an anti-moles patch to wean them off of this one!
Listen and enjoy...enjoy....enjoy....ahhhhhh.......yeahhhhh......"
The new mary jane.....
happycaligirl | 12/14/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hey stoner dude, buy this one! What's the new mary jane is the audio equivalent of a heroin overdose and qualifies this as a 5 star delicacy on its merit alone. Play that song once and you should see the world with such crystalized clarity that you will no longer feel the need to take drugs ever again. It is THE quintessential pop masterpiece forever preserved in a solid block of zen. Put down the pipe and start studying quantum physics, buy a $500 suit and move to Tibet. At least get some really comfortable shoes or something....good god, man. LIVE A LITTLE!!! Dont you deserve something more out of life than a......hangover? Treat yourself, buy this, learn it, live it, love it...lucky fool."
Harsh, soothing, soft, loud
John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 10/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Giving five stars (I'd give 4.5 at best) to this does not mean it's one of the top 100 albums ever made, but it is amazingly solid and enjoyably consistent. Richard Davies' thick Aussie accent will either charm or annoy you. His vocals are plain yet tuneful, somehow. His work after this with Eric Matthews in Cardinal received the critical acclaim, but I'd counter that this and the second Davies' solo album (done with the newly ex-Flaming Lip Ronald James) "Telegraph" are by far his best recordings.
The curiously named "Tendrils & Parecetamol" foreshadows the chemical landscape explored on this neo-psychedelic adventure. "Breathe Me In" mimics a drug trip well, with distorted shards of sound that upend and shake and fall. It takes you up and down as if on an aural rollercoaster, fittingly with flourishes of a carnival organ. The opener "Bury Me Happy" by contrast is melodic and peppy. These two songs characterize the range of the entire album, and show that Australian/NZ sound able to merge pop with experimental approaches. This is one of the top CDs to come out of that 80s/90s scene, and the youth of The Moles when they cut these tracks belies their considerable expertise.
You have to be in the open-minded mood for this, as it's not easy listening at times. The intense vocals, harsh passages, and sonic compression balance the accessible radio-friendly songs well, and if you find yourself liking Davies' vocal delivery, then this, like I said, is one of his two best recordings to date. Plus, Flydaddy's a reliable label for related lysergically-inspired efforts, and applause to them for this fine compilation."