Being a cult band is a recipe for longevity. Brooklyn based baroque pop band The Ladybug Transistor released a string of a well-received albums that failed to become huge sellers. Their third, The Albemarle Sound, is the best of the bunch with its tasteful use brass and strings, and now gets the expanded reissue treatment, with twelve tracks offering a glimpse into their modus operandi. If they had only included the full version of Six Times and the endearing 4-track demo of Meadowport Arch, nobody would have complained, but there is plenty more for their fans to be grateful for.
The Albemarle Sound is a kaleidoscopic listening experience, an intricate maze of subtle melodies, textures and pastoral lyrics. Taking elements from psychedelic pop and a healthy dose of the sound pioneered by the bands from the Canterbury Scene, The Ladybug Transistor were seriously out of step with what was popular in 1999, but the music has aged well as fine wine. Fads come and go, but quality always finds a way in the long run.
The Albemarle Sound (25th Anniversary Expanded Edition) is released via Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in conjunction with Merge Records, the label which released the album back in 1999. Silver vinyl (500 copies with the bonus tracks included in the download), limited CD (500 copies), digital.
Tracks:- Oriental Boulevard
- Six Times
- Meadowport Arch
- Today Knows
- The Great British Spring
- Like A Summer Rain
- The Swimmer
- Cienfuegos
- The Automobile Song
- Oceans In The Hall
- Vale of Cashmere
- Alieda's Theme
- Massachusetts
- Oriental Boulevard (Piano And Voice Mix)
- Six Times (Full Length Version)
- Like A Summer Rain (instrumental)
- Like A Summer Rain (Piano Fragment)
- Oceans In The Hall (instrumental Rough Mix)
- Cienfuegos (Piano Version)
- Today Knows (4-Track Demo)
- Oceans In The Hall (4-Track Demo)
- Meadowport Arch (4-Track Demo)
- Six Times (4-Track Demo)
- Mystery Track
- 12/04 Deep Cuts, Medford, MA0
- 12/05 Nova Arts, Keene, NH
- 12/06 Tubby's, Kingston, NY
- 12/07 Public Records, Brooklyn, NY
- 12/9 Madame Lou's, Seattle, WA
- 12/10 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
- 12/12 Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
- 12/13 Lodge Room, Los Angeles, CA