Magazine

Scottish indie poppers This Poison! flew under the radar for the most part, but between 1986 and 1988, they made some very fine music that the similarly fine folks at Egg Records have compiled on Magazine. The group recorded two singles for the Wedding Present's Reception Records and the two bands had much in common: powerfully strummed guitars, skittering rhythms, and forceful vocals among them. This Poison! held their own on the songwriting stakes though, turning in some real gems like "Poised Over the Pause Button" and "The Great Divide" (which appeared on the 1988 Airspace Compilation LP) that combined the energy of punk with the melodicism of indie pop to often stunning effect. Fully nine of the songs on the collection were unreleased at the time and that sad fact was certainly not down to lack of quality, since songs like "Driving Skills," "Question Mark," and "Articulate" are as good as those on the two singles. The only dodgy part of the comp is the unlistenable (due to horrible sound quality) bonus demos at the end of the disc. No matter. Anyone who loved the punkier side of late-'80s British indie pop has to give it up to Egg for rescuing This Poison! and their fine music from the dustbin.