Search - Recoys :: Rekoys

Lost gem from a proto-Walkmen band

Patrick Keller | Irvine, CA USA | 06/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is great. I'd say that while The Recoys never attained the success of Jonathan FireEater, the other proto-Walkmen group, the songs here are as good as anything JFE ever did. In fact, I'd say that The Recoys sound to me more like JFE than they do early Walkmen. The songs here are more uptempo and conventional than most of The Walkmen's debut, but Hamilton's excellent vocal performance is already present in these tracks. And hey, the songs of "Bows + Arrows" retreat a bit from the experimental spaciousness of "Everyone Who Pretended" anyway, and that's still a great album.Fans of The Walkmen will recognize an early versions of "The Blizzard of '96" and "That's The Punchline" from "Everyone Who Pretended" here, as well as a version of "Look Out Your Window" which appeared on The Walkmen's split disc with Calla (great song, btw).Just a note: the tracklisting on my copy has some errors. Tracks 5 and 6 reversed, same with 9 and 10. But it's excellent that Realistic Records brought these obscure recordings to light.
http://wwww.realisticrecords.netOn the whole, an excellent buy, especially for fans of The Walkmen or JFE looking for more. Others will enjoy, too."