For those of you who don't remember them, The Auctioneers are one of the "great lost C86 bands." They came roaring out of Southend in 1985 like they had been racing a souped up Ford Anglia along the sea front on a Saturday night while trying to get into the Pink Toothbrush in Rayleigh to hear their heroes playing. Back in the day when they were a regular gigging band and between 1985 and 1988 they recorded several demos and had talks with EMI while failing to actually put any music out.
Having submitted an old demo to Cherry Red for the C86 Deluxe Box set and having Scoop included on said compilation they found that there was actually interest in putting out a CD of lost material and Firestation Records have worked with the band to bring that about. So, finally, 27 years after the band's demise they have an album out, featuring demos and some live recordings; not least 3 songs featuring a former member of my favourite support band of the 1980's, Doctors Children.
Apparently prior to 1985 the core of the band were known as Jump On Tufty which I guess means they were fully paid up members of the Tufty Club as kids.
So, after the throwaway opening, what do they sound like? Well at first it sounds like they are obsessed by The Smiths and the Housemartins on Scoop and Public Relations. They are a touch fey and jangly as if they are standing on the periphery of Peter Pan's Playground wondering what those women were doing luring the dads away from their kids for 15 minutes in the Loos and trying to get the guts up to score some cheap speed off the skinheads that sneer at them most of the time.
Dangerous Man is the first live track recorded at the legendary Pink Toothbrush in Rayleigh. It sounds a lot like the Bluebells singing about the bouncer at Tots on the Esplanade and it's good and jangly. Pretty Profile starts off with a quite dub-by guitar part but with vocals that are all Hang Ten-era Soup Dragons before it becomes a nice jangle pop song.
Mystery girl is an original and not a cover of any other Mystery Girls you can think of but it's another decent jangler that has a great thunderstorm effect towards the end. Honeypot, meanwhile, is a slight jangler that sounds like it needs another pot of winkles to complete it or at least add a bit more substance to it.
We Die is faster and has vocals laden in echo as if they are threatening to jump off the pier rather than going bowling on it. Chain is all wan and Pale Fountains-like but with some interesting guitar parts. Drain Away was recorded live at New Merlins Cave (the site of the legendary Batcave club and the home of Goth, no less) and no this isn't at all goth but another jangler with a slight soundscape feel to it.
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Television has more of a spaced out feel to it even though it's mostly acoustic signalling a change of direction in the band in mid-87. Playground is back at the Batcave, jangling with a searing guitar solo mid song and some histrionic vocals. Suddenly Half Faced Man goes rather funky musically even if the vocals go a bit Woodentops, though they were funky in their own way too.
Plains of Leicester is pretty typical indie rock of the late eighties. Withholding is kind of whiny in an OK sort of way. Pompous Epic sets the guitars to jangle and then manages a quite spacey feel as it breaks down and it's pretty cool. Every Persons' Fool is rather slight, like a half an idea that's not been completed.
House is heavier and the guitars are full of reverb as it appears to be trying to be like Crashing Dream-era Rain Parade in places. Smoothing Iron has some cool guitar parts and effects but is a bit on the slight side of things. Heat and Wishes is rather wistful at the start and stays that way.
Wire is the first of 3 songs featuring Matthew Woodman from Doctors Children and it's clear he adds something to the mix as this is a step into a different place; far spacier and a bit more out there and yet with some cool vocal harmonies and some cool piano. Watch It All Come Down is a full-on belter and has great guitars and is a real highlight. Violent Kisses doesn't sound quite violent enough but I do like the piano parts that sound something like Jim Jones Revue but 20 years ahead of the game; admittedly playing off a jangly backing and soaring guitars.
The album closes with the title track. This is a newly recorded song for this belated compilation that finds them sounding much the same as ever. This album is really for fans of obscure jangle pop and anyone who remembers them from the first time around.
The Auctioneers Facebook page
Firestation Records online
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