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Heligoland — Heligoland
(Calcium Chloride CaCl 003, 2000, CD)

by Jeff Melton, Published 2003-02-01

Heligoland Cover art

The remains of Talk Talk, one of the more successful 80s UK pop groups, carry forward this new release from Tim Friese-Greene. Friese-Greene has been noted as a key behind-the-scenes member who added keyboards and his engineering savvy to that group and helped push them into international stardom. Inside the band his co-songwriting abilities with main man Mark Hollis remained a mystery until the band split in 1991. Violinist Lucy Wilkins makes another notable appearance on "Shock Treatment" together with Dominic Kelly's oboe, creating a mad dissonant chaos that endears the track. "Isn't It Sad" benefits from a chorus line like some of the work he's done for Catherine Wheel. "Loaded Gun" sounds to me like an outtake from an old Camper Van Beethoven album with wobbly lead vocal from a young Mick Jagger. "Sick Baby You" is a swipe at an out-of-control female personality that is both grating and brutally effective. The closing track was also on a 1998 EP as well and is a jangling slice of pop, part old Pink Floyd and part Jason Falkner. Overall not a bad alternative rock release but with few distinguishing marks.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 26, 2000 releases

Related artist(s): Tim Friese-Greene / Heligoland

 

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