Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Annoy the critic and the censor of personal virtuosity by continuing to create that which pleases you and the minority, for in their ire you will achieve the kind of immortality that few can only dream of, and the finer point is that they don’t truly understand the art you have made, the reasons for it, and because of that your voice will be heard across the void of those who utter I Promise Not To Make Art Again.
The compilation album can be one that is often accompanied by the eye roll of time, an introduction for some to the sound, or perhaps one that is for the hesitant not wiling to throw their complete oar in the murky, unknown waters; and yet it can also serve a purpose, one that in the right hands is a pounding reminder of what an uncut diamond can reveal before being shaped for fashion and the vogue of the unfeeling of true art.
The Bordellos are one of the great uncut diamonds, one that actively reflects light with ease and a sly wink to the listener, and in the rise of 15 tracks from their truly extensive catalogue, the dirt as they insist is shaken off, the memory let loose, and what rises in the shadows is layers of creativity and the passion of anti-fashionable vision.
This is the brightness and the allure of the dark side of life, the exploration of an industry that at times confounds and bewilders as it pushes every new hero possible up the charts without understanding the effect they have on the youthful minds who are open to suggestion, who can be moulded to overlook the wicked and the insatiable.
The tracks are sought and played with gusto, the realm of different themes clamouring for attention, and as Silence & Solitude reign, as A Little Sadness, A Girl Named Danger, Even Evil Men Fall In Love, Lloyd The Anti-Christ, Poet Or Liar, and the magnificent dig of The True Meaning Of Record Store Day all throw their impressive weight behind one of the most original groups to shy away from the comfort of a studio and embrace lo-fi in all its exciting possibilities.
A compilation, or a resumé, either way The Bordellos have attached it to the letter of introduction and the honour we can bestow upon them is not believe the pledge of I Promise Not To Make Art Again, and urge them to keep doing so.
Ian D. Hall