THE MOLES..."UNTUNE THE SKY"

another of my favorite albums, and another neglected group. the moles are an australian group that formed in the late 80s, and perhaps it is owed to their regional location that they share sonic similarities with many of the dunedin groups in new zealand, though admittedly they are both more feedback-oriented and melancholic than most of the kiwi bands. their music has an interesting polarity, in that some songs (such as the first track, featured above) emit swaddling rays of sunburst pop, while other songs are more austere with pensive lyrics, minor keys and interesting progressions. my favorite tunes are the fermenting death march of "the happy garden" and the swelling, prismatic anthem "lonely hearts get what they deserve" (featured below).



though "untune the sky" wasn't released until 1992, its spirit is very much bound to the underground music of the 80s, and it has an indescribably "communal" feel to it. some of the tracks aren't immediately accessible (more than a few people have some trouble with "tendrils and paracetamol," which was the moles' attempt to replicate a drug-addled state of mind). there are a good variety of moods here, as well as a dynamism that results from how peripatetic the songs can be. the conclusion of the album is the organ-driven "nailing jesus to the cross," which is both humorous and inescapably sad - the two emotive states that the moles pinball between (garnering them even more comparisons with the chills). their sophomore and final album, "instinct," pursued another direction entirely, foreshadowing leader richard davies' orchestral pop work with the band cardinal. "instinct" is somewhat more baroque, forsaking the ear-rattling feedback for trumpet horns.

download the moles' "untune the sky" (tracks 1-11 are the full album, while the remaining tracks are supplements)

http://rapidshare.com/files/143260928/Moles1.zip.html