What a fantastic band The Sound was. We have heard a variety names such as The Band, The Name, and The The, but The Sound may have been one of the greater and more accomplished bands of that odd classification. It struck me as odd to find that the band really is not that well known. When I first heard them, I assumed they were up near the ranks of Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cure during the dark gloomy pop days of the 80s. Though they do have a following, their popularity is small. That doesn’t matter though, as The Sound have a sound that is large enough to suit anyone. They have released a couple great albums, and the three songs below are off of their last album, Thunder Up. The album cover is above, depicting a man jumping to his death. The music, believe it or not, is just as dark.
The vocals reminded me easily of Ian McCulloch, or a more smooth Robert Smith. ‘Hand Of Love’ and ‘Barria Alta’ both have similar structures, with a slow melody eventually bursting into a chorus and then back into an enhanced verse (usually with an addition of strings). ‘Iron Years’ takes a more electric and rapid approach, but it is done just as well. The whole album is fantastic as well, though it may be hard to find.
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[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/sou-han.mp3]————————
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/sou-bar.mp3]————————
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/sou-iro.mp3]————————
Anybody who likes the Sound should also give a listen to Adrian Borland’s excellent side project album Second Layer – world of rubber (Cherry Red, 1981). And why stop there. You MUST check out Borland’s accomplishments of the 70’s. His band The Outsiders (UK) released 2 albums. Borland’s best in my opinion. Incredible stuff…
-Moddy
hi – I like the sound and barria alta is my favorite song. thx for your posting.
Yo – this is later Sound; the early stuff is miles better, amazing; Jeopardy and ‘From the Lion’s Mouth’ should be owned if you’ve got this record; both are ebing reissued, as well as others…
see some tracks at http://stoplovingeverything.blogspot.com/2006/02/to-educate-masses-en-masse-is-massive.html
PS sadly Borland killed himself in 1999 and a bassist, I think, died of AIDS in the late nineties also …
thanks for posting this. Check also The Comsat Angels – same sound and song approach, and equally under-appreciated.