Labels: self released
Review by: Alex Deller
So I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the Party of Helicopters were one of very few bands of the last ten years or so to have done anything different with their punk. Hurtling from the burgeoning and mighty incestuous Kent, Ohio scene of the mid-to-late 90s alongside the likes of Harriet the Spy, PoH were always impressive and baffling in equal measure, and this here collection culls their various out-of-print 7″, split and demo tracks as well as three previously unreleased beauties for public consumption.
Describing them has always been a chore and never particularly does them justice, but for the uninitiated the sound seems to consist My Bloody Valentine’s sweet, dream-quality vocals, Iron Maiden’s galloping guitar melodies and the jerky spasticity of pre-goth Antioch Arrow, a cobbled together mess of muses and music clicking into place like the teeth of a combination lock and releasing this charming noise as its prize. Distinct from their silkier album material, these recordings tend toward a brasher, punkier sound, showcasing a band revelling in their own rough edges and all but forcing you to dance your arse off as they scrabble through song after glorious song.
Needless to say, if you have any interest in the band whatsoever this thing is damn near mandatory. Aside from the fact that you’re unlikely to find these recordings elsewhere anytime soon, common decency dictates that you should be paying your goddamn respects to one of the better bands you’re ever likely to hear.