Review Summary: Blissful romantics and jangly guitars.
Speaking truthfully, I don’t recommend my favorite music to people very often. On or offline. I do it on occasion, as some of you might have had the displeasure of experiencing. But as a general rule, I try not to impose my warped, outdated tastes on the public at large. I’m self-aware enough to know no sane person wants to hear some avant-garbage or listen to me talk about the virtues of being indie for the 1000th time.
But the fact I haven’t recommended St. Christopher to anyone is a serious lapse in reason that I desperately needed to correct.
St. Christopher truly is one of the greatest twee/jangle acts to ever grace this Earth. And I say “is” because they’re still going apparently, playing even into the present day. And from the few rehearsals of theirs I’ve seen, they still are great. But as big of a fan of them as I am, I won’t deny that they have their share of lows. Their run of albums from 1990 to 2000, while mostly quality, never really excited me. But we’re not here to talk about that era of the band. Honestly, it probably would’ve been a much more interesting review if I were discussing those albums cause at least I’d have something more substantial to say. But no, Dig Deep, Brother 1984-1990 (as the name implies) mainly covers the group’s 80s output. So you’re going to have to listen to me gush about the band and how they’re amazing and how many times I’ve listened to this on repeat and all that wonderful, mushy stuff. You have been warned.
Dig Deep, Brother 1984-1990 is a collection of 25 singles, alternate versions, and unreleased tracks that the band had recorded prior to the release of their first LP, 1990’s Bacharach. It was common for indie acts to re-release their old albums or put out a retrospective comp like this after finding a bit of success. As much as I fetishize the independent circuit these days, it’s hard for people to find your work when it’s all hidden away on fanzine flexi discs and limited-run 7” records. And what we are left with is one of the sweetest, most romantic indie pop records I’ve ever heard. Despite its 70-minute runtime and containing recordings across 6 years, there isn’t a speck of filler on this one. From the opening gamut of “Forevermore Starts Here,” “To The Mountain,” and “Charmelle” to the energetic “Remember Me To Her” to the heart-aching “All Of A Tremble.” Classic track after classic track after classic track, each imbued with poppy melody and jangly guitars. It’s almost overwhelming how quality these songs are.
It sounds as if I’m overstating how good Dig Deep, Brother 1984-1990 is. And, there’s a good chance that I am. There are a few weak tracks, and it’s not entirely consistent as far as recording quality is concerned. But those tracks are wonderful in their own right. The track “Rivers Run Dry” was previously unreleased and isn’t in the best quality, but it ended up being one of my favorites. It turns out, even St. Christopher’s duds are pure twee goodness.
I could talk all day about this release, but there’s nothing else that really needs to be said. If you’re at all a fan of 80s indie pop, this is a no-brainer. To those who may not have that much experience with the genre or time period, I could not picture a more perfect introduction. This is mandatory listening if I’ve ever heard it. Forevermore starts here.
