Various - The Stations of Abandoned Days

  by David McNamee

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label: Radio Khartoum
Format: CD

intro

Of course, for this kind of thing you really need to be listening to a series of 7” singles, played in the bedroom of an untidy basement flat on an old dansette, whilst staring wistfully at the ankles

Of course, for this kind of thing you really need to be listening to a series of 7” singles, played in the bedroom of an untidy basement flat on an old dansette, whilst staring wistfully at the ankles of passing girls. On a rainy Tuesday. In Mornington Crescent. Disregarding that however, and coming up with a beautifully packaged mini album of lo fi pop, the nice people at Radio Khartoum (who, distressingly, are based in Oakland, California, and not a Vineyard in the South of France) have pressed this compilation onto the adorable, frequently ignored, and yet reliably twee 3” CD format. The lovely wraparound sleeve, meanwhile, designed around the negatives (complete with film reel sprocket holes) to a series of photographs chronicling a train journey, couldn’t be any more Sarah Records than if it came with a free cardie and subscription to Teddy Bear Monthly. Chesty Morgan’s ‘Theme from “Svensk Roulette”’ opens and closes the 6 track collection and it’s by far the best thing here. It sounds just like the 'Bergerac' theme! Cinnamon, despite the jangle-icious name, turn out to be a sort of Sneaker Pimps made over with added skronky bits. Chocolate Barry perform a passable ‘Pet Sounds’ homage with the oddly-titled and ridiculously summery ‘Hell’, but it isn’t until Caramel and ‘La Scene Du Bar’ that we get back to the spirit of things. ‘La Scene Du Bar’ does sound rather like a secondary school language lab tape set to a jaunty little Blackpool Pier organ number, but really I can’t think of anywhere more appropriate to argue the function of culture in society over a flaming absinthe than in the shadow of Blackpool Tower. For everyone who wanted a summer of culture and romance but ended up instead in a caravan in Skegness with their Mum and Dad, ‘The Station Of Abandoned Days’ could well be your next stop to salvation. It’s only limited edition too, and it’s on 3” CD!! Buy or despair.

Track Listing:-