Overlooked Classic: Pale Saints- In Ribbons

Posted byloreleiirvinePosted inUncategorized

Pale Saints’ second album, In Ribbons, reached number 10 in the independent album charts and number 61 in the UK albums charts in 1992, but many people have forgotten about the band, as well as this album. Perhaps it’s because they didn’t play the promotional game and didn’t like to tour.

In Ribbons (30th Anniversary Edition) by Pale Saints

Or maybe it just wasn’t commercial enough, a strange, if beautiful, tangle of shoegazing, psych and noise. Ian Masters’ thin but angelic vocals and new recruit Meriel Barham’s breathy, girlish vocals anchored the sound, long before more anaemic indie fare like Travis and (tries not to retch) Coldplay. They were more akin to Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine, sweetness with a steel blade. Floppy hair and dark clothes cemented their anti- fashion, anti- Britpop sensibility. These were melodic songs you could sing along with, but there was always a serrated edge. ‘Throwing Back The Apple’ was as commercial as they got, but the rest of the album seemed to stew in its own melancholy.

Perhaps the alleged tensions within the band is what gave it its discomfort. Maybe it was just the refusal to play the indie game. Either way, something worked. It still sounds timeless, like it was created yesterday. Robbie Williams it ain’t.

Published by loreleiirvine

I'm a freelance arts critic, working with a particular emphasis on music, theatre and dance.

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