The self-titled debut album from New Zealand post-punk band
Guardian Singles was a collection of solid performances captured with production a little too thin for the group's ferocity. Sophomore album
Feed Me to the Doves features not just a new lineup that's fully gelled by lots of time on-stage together, but a razor-sharp sound that matches the band's angular turns and powerful energy. Groups like
Huesker Due,
the Wipers,
Wire, or
Mission of Burma remain jumping-off points for
Guardian Singles' nervy sound, and the production clarity on
Feed Me to the Doves reveals more details that stand apart from any influences as unique to the band. The uptempo "Manic Attraction" comes on like a standard stripped-down punk ripper, but by the time the chorus comes around, it has strayed from any predictable song structure. In the space of two minutes and 35 seconds, the song jumps from acidic riffing to oblong melodic passages to segments of full-band singalong and lingering instrumental parts, both of which feel like they come out of nowhere. The gothy overtones of "United, United" also feel like they show up without notice, not quite fitting in with the more explosive tracks that make up the rest of the album.
Guardian Singles keep listeners on their toes throughout
Feed Me to the Doves, never changing gears so abruptly that they completely lose the plot, but including subtle ear candy among their sallow punk sounds on some tracks and serving up bizarre left turns on others. It might take a few listens to notice the dubby vocal echo on the achy "Pit Viper" or to untangle the crowded interchange of colliding
Devo-esque guitar lines enough to hear the different percussion elements on closing track "Ground Swell," but it's precisely these little details -- in conjunction with strangely arranged and powerfully delivered song ideas -- that make
Feed Me to the Doves such a cool listening experience. Disguising itself as straightforward post-punk, the album reveals more mystery, tension, catharsis, and complexity as it draws us in to pay closer attention. ~ Fred Thomas
![[Untitled]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0190296883675_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "[Untitled]")
![Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [Clean]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5099997855323_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [Clean]")
