In the Golden Autumn

Martin Newell — working on this particular project with Martin Chapman and Paul Ripley-Thomas — really began to hit his stride on this tape, which was filled to the gills with fetching melodies and odd, evocative lyrics, like Syd Barrett with a far stronger hold on reality. The limitations of home recording technology are sometimes a drawback, particularly in the boxy quality of the percussion. Yet it's also a good illustration of how imaginative home recording auteurs can be, especially in the tinkly pianos, hauntingly echoing guitar jangles, and the mysterious ways the guitars and voices are often altered via various effects. It's tied together with his unique mix of cheery optimism and longing regret/nostalgia.