Shake Summation

Rip It Up, Issue 119, 1 June 1987, Page 32

Shake Summation

Dead Famous People ‘Lost Persons Area’ (Flying Nun 12”) Some ex-Freudian Slips have their hands in this, and it is not too distant from the bouyant pop once on show from that band. On ‘Traitor to the Cause,’ Donna Savage

sounds positively joyous about “in fact I don’t like you anymore” and that epitomises the mood of the record — personal lyrics reflecting themes of defiant and proud individuality, backed up by the warm delivery and tight playing, with Elizabeth Leyland’s keyboards mixed well to the fore. And even if the muted sax on ‘Sarah’ meanders on a little long, the Dead Famous People mood is one that lingers on nicely. The Kites ‘Epic Sweep 1 (12”)

Dunedin’s Kites are Harold S Bernhardt (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Antony Takens (vocals). They recorded the ‘Epic Sweep’ ER their first record, on holiday in Auckland. My benchmark for this sort of bare emotion is Bob Mould’s ‘Too Far Down,’ and though Harold and Antony’s wayward vocal delivery and song execution are far from polished, the songs read well, and on ‘So Dumb’ they just about hit on the essence of the music, perhaps something that given the same material, someone who “knew” what they were doing would miss by a country mile. $6 from 131 London St, Dunedin, or $6.99 from Records Records, Dunedin.

Paul McKessar