THE TRIFFIDS 'Calenture' LP

New 2024 re-issue of this longtime Aus classic!

An entirely different proposition to the stripped-down rock & roll of In The Pines, Calenture was to be The Triffids most ambitious album, not least in terms of production, which was handled by Gil Norton (later to work with The Pixies and Foo Fighters) who soaks everything in glistening '80s chorus and reverb. As a consequence of this scaled-up recording and mixing policy, tracks like 'Blinder By The Hour' and 'Jerdacuttup Man' have their Dylan-esque roots masked by extra instrumentation and pop sensibilities more in keeping with the time. Another In The Pines song, 'A Trick Of The Light' transfers favourably to a big production, its heavily layered vocals and glossy treatment here befits the song suitably. Particularly notable here is (the track that closed the album on its original release) 'Save What You Can', a grand, melodramatic string-laden pop song with McCombs in full-on crooning mode. It's probably worth mentioning that the first song on the album, 'Bury Me Deep In Love' was used for soundtracking Madge and Harold's wedding in Neighbours. A high accolade indeed... possibly. This two-disc edition has been remastered from the original recordings and includes five bonus B-side tracks plus an entire second disc which reassembles the album from demo and rehearsal room recordings of the songs.