The Recoup

SINCE 2013: Books and books and books and books and occasionally other things

Album Reviews

  • Friends Again: In The Beginning/Trapped & Unwrapped

    Scottish indie-pop group Friends Again burned brightly in the early 1980s, leaving behind a legacy of one fantastic, promising debut album before imploding. Two recent releases document their brief existence; one offers a glimpse of the band’s early years, while the other presents their sole album in expanded form. Both highlight a young band that… Read more

  • Mercury Rev: All Is Dream: Expanded Edition (Cherry Red)

    Mercury Rev album All Is Dream easily stands as one of the best albums the band has ever made. Cherry Red’s new four-disc collection only proves that point, expanding it with a wealth of unreleased material, b-sides, demos, outtakes, and live recordings. Read more

  • Tim Burgess & Bob Stanley Present Tim Peaks: Songs From A Late-Night Diner (Ace Records)

    Saint Etienne mastermind Bob Stanley enlists friend Tim Burgess to help curate the latest edition of his fictional setting compilation, Tim Peaks. This diner offers up a more contemporary setting than previous volumes, with a special focus on more melancholic, Factory Records-inspired post punk and indie-pop. Read more

  • Tim Buckley: Live At The Electric Theatre Co. (Manifesto)

    Live At The Electric Theatre Co offers up a new collection of recently discovered live recordings from May 1968, capturing the young musician in fine form as he transitions from traditional folk into something more compelling and experimental. Read more

  • Mudhoney: Pedazo De Pastel (FOLC Records)

    Pedazo De Pastel is a delightful collection culled from a one-off Mudhoney recording session shortly before they began recording their major label debut. Read more

  • Harry Nilsson: Losst And Founnd (Omnivore Recordings)

    When he died in 1994, it was assumed that Harry Nilsson had largely retired from making music. A brand new collection from Omnivore Recordings offer up Nilsson’s final recordings taken from a heretofore unknown recording session two years prior to his sudden death. Read more

  • Dinosaur Jr: Hand It Over (Cherry Red)

    Dinosaur Jr ended its tenure as a major label band with 1997’s Hand It Over. Though released with little fanfare, this deluxe edition helps shine a light on what is indeed an underrated jewel of an album. Read more

  • Dinosaur Jr: Without A Sound (Cherry Red)

    Dinosaur Jr released their sixth album Without A Sound less than a year after their previous effort, thanks in part to the allure of commercial success, resulting in a good album that feels slightly off. This reissue offers up the chance for a reevaluation, and in so doing one discovers it wasn’t that bad of… Read more

  • Dinosaur Jr: Where You Been (Cherry Red)

    The Grunge boom of 1992 reaped dividends for Dinosaur Jr, who met the new sound with aplomb and delivered a fantastic and still well-regarded album. This two-disc reissue offers an exciting and enjoyable dive into the heady years of when Dinosaur Jr roamed the land. Read more

  • Dinosaur Jr: Green Mind (Cherry Red)

    Dinosaur Jr made their major label debut in 1991 with their fourth album, Green Mind. Though somewhat raw and undercooked, this expanded reissue helps to revitalize the album thanks to quality b-sides and a live disc. Read more