With
Born Sandy Devotional
,
the Triffids
fully realized the potential shown on their earlier releases,
Treeless Plain
and
Raining Pleasure
. By 1985 the band was based in London, but despite the fact that this album was recorded 9,000 miles from home, its roots lie deep in
' native western Australia. While the spectacular cover photograph featuring the township of Mandurah provides a sense of place,
David McComb
's songwriting evokes his home environment all the more vividly. Indeed, this is the most accomplished work from
McComb
's tragically short career, encapsulating his talent for creating a lyrical and musical resonance between the stark, isolated geography of western Australia and universally recognizable, desolate interior landscapes.
certainly is dark, its lyrics replete with death, psychological turmoil, and despair, but it's never maudlin or banal.
's commanding delivery combines with expansive, string-adorned arrangements to elevate many of these songs to the level of high emotional drama; haunting keyboards, vibes, and
"Evil" Graham Lee
's pedal steel add atmospheric detail. The elusive quality of
's writing makes his stories all the more compelling and memorable as he offers listeners fragmented, unresolved scenes instead of comfortable, complete narratives. Such elements coalesce sublimely on
"Stolen Property"
"The Seabirds,"
songs of loss and suicide, respectively, but the anthemic
"Wide Open Road"
and the intense, claustrophobic
"Lonely Stretch"
are the standouts. Another tale of life gone wrong,
"Tarrilup Bridge"
sets organist
Jill Birt
's childlike vocals amid an eerie ambience of vibes and strings. Nevertheless, the album closes on a cautiously optimistic note with
Birt
's duet with
"Tender Is the Night."
was a landmark release for
. More than that, it stands as a testament to
's status as one of Australia's most gifted (and overlooked)
rock
songwriters. ~ Wilson Neate