“Something of an anomaly in the ‘alt’ scene in their day, Galaxie 500 now seem to be one of those hip bands that every up and coming combo will quote as an influence. Following their musical ancestry back a generation it is easy to draw comparisons with pioneers of the so-called ‘slowcore’ sound, The Velvet Underground. ”
“Something of an anomaly in the ‘alt’ scene in their day, Galaxie 500 now seem to be one of those hip bands that every up and coming combo will quote as an influence. Following their musical ancestry back a generation it is easy to draw comparisons with pioneers of the so-called ‘slowcore’ sound, The Velvet Underground. “
G500 – Today
A tender voice cuts into the stifled beat of the drum – so slowly as to barely register with the listener. The guitar winds its way around the melody, recognising every possible diversion and exploring the corners. And all the while this voice grows into something stronger, all to issue a simple affirmative statement that everything’s “alright…OK…” before it drifts off again. Although toned down by years on the American east coast, Dean Wareham’s Kiwi accent and his distinctive singing style immediately marked Galaxie 500 out from the local crowd. While his co-conspirators (and rhythm section) Naomi Yang and Damon Krukowski exhibited concerted restraint in their playing Wareham was able to use his otherworldly guitar and voice to carry the soaring tune. The contrast is utterly thrilling.
Something of an anomaly in the ‘alt’ scene in their day, Galaxie 500 now seem to be one of those hip bands that every up and coming combo will quote as an influence. Following their musical ancestry back a generation it is easy to draw comparisons with pioneers of the so-called ‘slowcore’ sound, The Velvet Underground. Both received little contemporary recognition and released several overlooked albums before dissolving and finally achieving cult acclaim. Whilst many point to 1989’s more accomplished On Fire as their greatest legacy it is the previous year’s Today that perfectly captures the group at their most immediate and raw. It’s a record of the learning process – still mastering their instruments, finding what works and setting it to tape for $500 in a matter of days to create a modern masterpiece.
Opening track Flowers sets the scene – Dean’s whispered vocals dart around carrying odd couplets; “I can hear you when you’re sleeping…I can you hear you in your dreams…” drifts lazily over the backing track, eschewing any defined chorus for a beautiful lullaby. In fact the whole album deals with an idealised form of love in a wonderfully imagined, innocent way – and is all the better for it. The overwhelming lyrical theme of enjoying the moment runs deep; there’s no tales of unrequited affections or indeed characters of any sorts. Here we have odd observations, photographs of key moments in lives succinctly put as to seem relevant to one and all.
Despite the recurrent themes this LP is not lacking in variety. Bridging the tender opening triplet of songs and the (ever so slightly) more raucous second half is the awe inspiring cover of Jonathon Richman’s Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste. For a group so deft at creating their own beautiful musical world there were bound to be some fairly major alterations to the track. The solution was to appropriate and interpret as they saw fit. Three minutes of churning guitar threatens to engulf the listener throughout, yet when the breach finally appears it’s deceptively silent as that voice gently entrenches itself into the psyche. An anthem in the truest sense, it also signals their penchant for radical reinterpretations (which often superseded) classic tracks – on later releases this included everything from Young Marble Giants to Yoko Ono and became a constant source of surprise and amazement.
As the velvety steamroller of Today continues on its runaway course we see the frankly stunning harmonica-assisted Oblivious with its gently lilting sound, the gorgeously laid back It’s Getting Late and an upbeat, intricate untitled Instrumental which deserves far more than its anonymous end. But the best is saved until last. The truly great bands have every detail worked out so perfectly from the start that their first single is such a brilliant, cohesive statement that it undermines everything that follows – just look at The Only Ones and Another Girl, Another Planet. Galaxie 500 called their effort Tugboat, held it together with a nonsensical mantra aimed at an unknown love and in the process created one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful tracks yet released into the world. Combining the best parts of a wonderful album into a climatic prayer for the anonymous sweetheart brings the sense of virtue to an end in the most stylish approach possible.
Critically acclaimed upon release, Today is aptly named for a collection that has lost none of its shine in the two decades since its release. The group went on to achieve a respectable following in Europe, playing Glastonbury and recording enough material to fill three LPs and a handful of compilations before splitting in 1991. The members went on to form Damon & Naomi as well as Luna (whose only impact was to inflict an acoustic Guns ‘n Roses cover on the world) but failed to capture the power behind their former outfit. Triumphantly understated this is tender without being sickening, gentle without being dull and heartfelt without shame. It’s a gentle assertion of the existence of love. It’s dazzling.
Words: James Waterson.