Album Review: Underground Lovers surprise again with career collection of B for brilliant B sides in ‘Others’

Not that long after releasing a superb collection of remixes spanning their career (reviewed by me here), Melbournes Underground Lovers have sprung another surprise album on the public entitled ‘Others’. This album has collected seventeen tracks of what are labelled B sides from singles, EPs and giveaways.

Given the standard of output by this band, B sides is a relative term. Any single song in the collection would have made an outstanding contribution to any of the band’s albums.

The archetypal ear for exquisite, delicate melodies are ever present, as are the interchanging vocals of Vincent Giarrusso and Philippa Nihill flowing over Glenn Bennie’s distinctive visceral razor-sharp guitars. The often hypnotising shoegaze blur mixes with dream pop, reflective tracks infiltrates every track – there is a veritable treasure trove of material that you didn’t know you missed or needed until revealed here.

Hard-edged epic and mesmerising anthems (‘Mumblehead Again’) sit next to dream pop shimmering reflective tracks (‘Splendid She Said’), a collection of truly beautiful songs. ‘All Strung Out’ was always one of the band’s outstanding tracks and it’s great to see it in a collection – a swooping Velvet Underground-paced rumble with the sweetest of melodies. ‘Sue’ begins like some death metal thrash band from Norway before veering into sweet Jonathan Richman territory.

‘In A Memory’ is a more experimental feedback-dripping squall of a track. ‘Numbers’ is another impossibly atmospheric, dreamy jewel in the collection – breathy, velvet vocals and a prowling rhythm section.

The album ends with the punk pop ‘Yes I Do’ – sixties garage grunge at its very best.

These songs are simply too good to have been left on obscure, hard to get CD singles in dusty collections – they are pure Undies-quality gems that need to sparkle. And this collection puts them in a display case for all to enjoy. As an aside, Underground Lovers should be heritage listed.

‘Others’ is available through the link below – get it now while BandCamp fees are waived for the next 5 hours. To repeat what I wrote about ‘Shadows’ – ‘Others’ is another set of recordings that are not simply for the Undies completists but a collection of damned fine indie pop songs that stand on their own collective feet.