You’ve heard it countless times before: Everyone’s favorite penal colony outclasses all attendant parties and effortlessly delivers the goods again and again and again. From the Elois to the Leftovers, Australia has made a national habit of consistently fostering some of the most unique and formidable permutations in the musical underground. This aptitude even extends into the realm of toothsome pop smarts and hooks—if you’re not totally convinced, just hunker down and spend some quality time with the first couple of Go-Betweens singles, the Marching Girls 45 or the skeletal DIY meisterwerk that is the first Particles ep.
Despite their place as one of the more obscure outfits in the Australian post-punk scene, the Particles managed to release three records during their relatively long life span. This, their first, is my favorite of the bunch—the plaintive lament on the A-side and the upbeat charmer on the flip are definitely a precog nod towards the musical trends that would unfold in the UK. In fact, Zig Zag fits quite snugly as the connective strand between the Pleasure Seekers and the Shop Assistants. Their second ep, Advanced Colouring, is equally worth pursuing and I would’ve included its tracks here as well, but I still haven’t had a chance to get it digitized. Both singles were initially available as EMI Custom pressings and were later reissued (1983) on the Guthugga Pipeline imprint.
Special thanks to that enigmatic syntheaste, SS, for introducing me to these records + giving me a head start. AA Songs: Driving Me
Apricots Dream / Zig Zag
