The Somerville Players – Volume One [7''] (1996, Lissy's Records)

 

Released in 1996 by the small UK independent Lissy's Records, 'Volume One' was a one-off collaboration that brought together musicians from very different corners of the international underground scene. The 7-inch contains two tracks, with the first side -a cover of Faust's "Flashback Caruso"- built around a sparse mix of acoustic instruments, percussion, bass and Barbara Manning's unmistakable vocals, while the flip offers an unexpected, noisy interpretation of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut." The contrast between the two songs gives the record a distinctive identity, moving from intimate, folk-leaning textures to raw experimental rock in just a few minutes. 

 
The lineup itself makes 'Volume One' especially interesting. Barbara Manning had already established herself as a key figure in the American indie rock scene through her solo work and bands such as World of Pooh. Jason Loewenstein was best known as the bassist and songwriter in Sebadoh, bringing his trademark lo-fi sensibility to the project. Bob Fay came from the same extended circle, having played drums with Sebadoh during some of the band's most influential years. From New Zealand came Roy Montgomery, whose work with The Pin Group, Dadamah and numerous solo recordings helped define the country's atmospheric guitar underground. Completing the lineup was Anne Slinn, whose contributions tied together this unlikely international gathering. 

 
Rather than functioning as a permanent band, The Somerville Players existed as a collaborative project between friends and like-minded musicians. Their different backgrounds -American indie rock, New Zealand experimental guitar music and underground folk-inspired songwriting- created a recording that felt spontaneous rather than carefully mapped out. The performances have an informal quality, as if they were captured during a relaxed session where everyone brought their own musical vocabulary into the room. 

 
Lissy's Records was a tiny London-based independent label that specialized in limited-edition releases by artists connected to the international DIY and alternative music community. The label never operated on a large commercial scale, instead focusing on unusual collaborations and releases that sat comfortably outside the mainstream. 'Volume One' fits that approach perfectly, pairing respected underground musicians in a project that was never intended to become a long-running group but instead serves as a snapshot of a particularly fertile network of artists active during the mid-1990s. 

 

 

Label: Lissy's Records – liss eighteen 

Format: Vinyl, 7"

Country: UK 

Released: 1996 

Style: Indie Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A Flashback Caruso 

B Supernaut 

 

Notes: 

There are (at least) 4 different color covers for this release: red, purple, beige, and green. 

 

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