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Close Lobsters|Firestation Towers: 1986- 1989

Firestation Towers: 1986- 1989

Close Lobsters

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As one of the groups featured on the legendary C86 cassette release by the NME, Scotland's Close Lobsters' place in the history of indie pop was already cemented. Their contribution, "Firestation Towers," was one of the set's highlights and featured all the things that made them special. The skittering and breezily melodic guitars, the uptempo pulse of the rhythm section, Andrew Burnett's inscrutable lyrics, and the solid craft of their songwriting are all present. Over the course of several singles and two really solid album, Close Lobsters operated outside the realm of mass popularity, but listening to Firestation Towers: 1986-1989, Fire's 2015 collection of their complete recorded works, it's clear that the lack of heaping amounts of popularity wasn't their fault at all. The disc of singles (which was previously released as Forever Until Victory! The Singles Collection in 2009) has a bunch of songs that sound like hits, especially "Let's Make Some Plans" and the sprightly "In Spite of These Times." Maybe their songs are less immediate than, say, the Smiths, but the hooks are skyscraper tall and the energy is always infectious. The two albums included here, 1987's Foxheads Stalk This Land and 1988's Headache Rhetoric, are both solid to excellent indie pop collections with plenty of jangle, plenty of mild angst, and a brilliantly shiny sound. Foxheads comes out ahead by just a touch thanks to slightly stronger songs and a looser production style, but really it's a toss-up. The three discs together tell the story of a band that may not have received the same accolades over the years as some of its contemporaries, but which deserves them all the same. Mid- to late-'80s guitar pop doesn't get much better than this, and Fire has done a great favor to both original fans of Close Lobsters and those who might discover the band's charms here for the first time.

© Tim Sendra /TiVo

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Firestation Towers: 1986- 1989

Close Lobsters

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1
Just Too Bloody Stupid
00:03:23

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

2
Sewer Pipe Dream
00:03:11

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

3
I Kiss the Flowers in Bloom
00:03:29

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

4
Pathetique
00:02:38

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

5
A Prophecy
00:04:45

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

6
In Spite of These Times
00:03:35

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

7
Foxheads
00:02:49

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

8
I Take Bribes
00:02:12

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

9
Pimps
00:03:47

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

10
Mother of God
00:07:55

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

DISC 2

1
Lovely Little Swan
00:03:46

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

2
Gunpowder Keg
00:02:53

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

3
Nature Thing
00:04:58

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

4
My Days Are Numbered
00:03:02

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

5
Gutache
00:03:03

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

6
Got Apprehension
00:03:38

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

7
Gulp
00:02:09

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

8
Words on Power
00:03:20

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

9
Skyscrapers
00:04:10

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

10
Knee Trembler
00:04:42

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

DISC 3

1
Going to Heaven to See If It Rains
00:03:11

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

2
Never Seen Before
00:03:00

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

3
Lets Make Some Plans
00:04:16

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

4
What Is There to Smile About
00:02:38

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

5
Loopholes
00:03:33

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

6
Nature Thing (Alternative Version)
00:05:03

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

7
Skyscrapers of St Mirin
00:04:13

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

8
From This Day On
00:04:35

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

9
Don't Worry
00:02:29

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

10
Firestation Towers
00:01:50

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

11
Hey Hey My My into the Black
00:03:11

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

12
Paperthin Hotel
00:03:20

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

13
Boys and Girls
00:02:10

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

14
Pathetik Trivia
00:02:48

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

15
Get What They Deserve
00:03:16

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

16
Wide Waterways
00:03:15

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

17
Never Seen Before (Live)
00:03:04

Close Lobsters, MainArtist

2015 Fire Records 2015 Fire Records

Album review

As one of the groups featured on the legendary C86 cassette release by the NME, Scotland's Close Lobsters' place in the history of indie pop was already cemented. Their contribution, "Firestation Towers," was one of the set's highlights and featured all the things that made them special. The skittering and breezily melodic guitars, the uptempo pulse of the rhythm section, Andrew Burnett's inscrutable lyrics, and the solid craft of their songwriting are all present. Over the course of several singles and two really solid album, Close Lobsters operated outside the realm of mass popularity, but listening to Firestation Towers: 1986-1989, Fire's 2015 collection of their complete recorded works, it's clear that the lack of heaping amounts of popularity wasn't their fault at all. The disc of singles (which was previously released as Forever Until Victory! The Singles Collection in 2009) has a bunch of songs that sound like hits, especially "Let's Make Some Plans" and the sprightly "In Spite of These Times." Maybe their songs are less immediate than, say, the Smiths, but the hooks are skyscraper tall and the energy is always infectious. The two albums included here, 1987's Foxheads Stalk This Land and 1988's Headache Rhetoric, are both solid to excellent indie pop collections with plenty of jangle, plenty of mild angst, and a brilliantly shiny sound. Foxheads comes out ahead by just a touch thanks to slightly stronger songs and a looser production style, but really it's a toss-up. The three discs together tell the story of a band that may not have received the same accolades over the years as some of its contemporaries, but which deserves them all the same. Mid- to late-'80s guitar pop doesn't get much better than this, and Fire has done a great favor to both original fans of Close Lobsters and those who might discover the band's charms here for the first time.

© Tim Sendra /TiVo

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