| RECORD REVIEWS |
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NME 20 January 1990 JANE FROM OCCUPIED EUROPE Oceans Run Dry (7%) |
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Clearly these Shropshire types were in detention when Mark E Smith and Morrissey were handing out title writing
skills. Yet despite the dodgy New Wave monicker (The Revenge Of Martha And The Muffins would have been better),
Jane deliver a fine and groovy debut. The music sounds like The Sisters of Mercy's 'Damage Done' until a tambourine
starts dropping wispy petals of percussion everywhere (so poetic!!). Whisked into a time tunnel of glittering guitars
and bronchial vocals, 'Oceans Run Dry' turns out to be like a timid Velvets for gentle-folk. Perfectly innocent and
basking in it's own fuzzy glory. Search it out. Reviewed by James Brown. |
| LIVE REVIEWS |
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Melody Maker 19?? JANE FROM OCCUPIED EUROPE POWERHAUS, LONDON |
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Jane From Occupied Europe have three guitars. Three. To your average noisenik like me, heaven doesn't usually
come any closer than that. It's just such a shame that they weren't loud enough. Sure, there were moments when their
strung out, f***ed-up hot-wire squall began to turn into my head and whitewash my brain, but there were also moments
when it felt like the person standing next to me was listening to "White Light, White Heat" on a very loud Walkman. But at least Jane From Occupied Europe have songs, and JFOE's front man, Jim Harrison, isn't above a little crooning once in a while. As the guitars of "Parade" smear an impressive and oppressive honey-smudge across the air, Jim's coy, self-effacing vocals lilt despondently in a semi-apologetic pick-and-mix of Guy Chadwick's romantic weltschmertz and William Reid's sullen disdain. They finish with the damn fine "Trash It", where Phil Eason's drum-kit takes on a life of its own and has an epileptic fit. As Jane From Occupied Europe leave the stage the PA plays "Freak Scene", which is as near to perfect as we're going to get tonight. Michael Bonner |