Born Sandy Devotional

by The Triffids

Overview

With Born Sandy Devotional, the Triffids fully realized the potential shown on their earlier releases, Treeless Plain and Raining Pleasure. By 1985 the band was based in London, but despite the fact that this album was recorded 9,000 miles from home, its roots lie deep in the Triffids' native western Australia. While the spectacular cover photograph featuring the township of Mandurah provides a sense of place, David McComb's songwriting evokes his home environment all the more vividly. Indeed, this is the most accomplished work from McComb's tragically short career, encapsulating his talent for creating a lyrical and musical resonance between the stark, isolated geography of western Australia and universally recognizable, desolate interior landscapes. Born Sandy Devotional certainly is dark, its lyrics replete with death, psychological turmoil, and despair, but it's never maudlin or banal. McComb's commanding delivery combines with expansive, string-adorned arrangements to elevate many of these songs to the level of high emotional drama; haunting keyboards, vibes, and "Evil" Graham Lee's pedal steel add atmospheric detail. The elusive quality of McComb's writing makes his stories all the more compelling and memorable as he offers listeners fragmented, unresolved scenes instead of comfortable, complete narratives. Such elements coalesce sublimely on "Stolen Property" and "The Seabirds," songs of loss and suicide, respectively, but the anthemic "Wide Open Road" and the intense, claustrophobic "Lonely Stretch" are the standouts. Another tale of life gone wrong, "Tarrilup Bridge" sets organist Jill Birt's childlike vocals amid an eerie ambience of vibes and strings. Nevertheless, the album closes on a cautiously optimistic note with Birt's duet with McComb, "Tender Is the Night." Born Sandy Devotional was a landmark release for the Triffids. More than that, it stands as a testament to McComb's status as one of Australia's most gifted (and overlooked) rock songwriters. ~ Wilson Neate

Product Details

Release Date:	03/22/2024
Label:	PIAS AMERICA
UPC:	5400863096847

Tracks

1. The Seabirds
2. Estuary Bed
3. Chicken Killer
4. Tarrilup Bridge
5. Lonely Stretch
6. Wide Open Road
7. Life of Crime
8. Personal Things
9. Stolen Property
10. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Triffids   Primary Artist
David McComb   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Lesley Wynne   Viola
Chris Abrahams   Piano,Vibraphone
Martyn Casey   Guitar (Bass)
Adam Peters   Cello,Keyboards
Faye Brown   Vocals (Background)
Robert McComb   Vocals (Background),Guitar,Violin
Evil Graham Lee   Pedal Steel,Lap Steel Guitar
Alsy MacDonald   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Jill Birt   Vocals,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Robert McComb   String Arrangements,Composer
Martyn Lambert   Layout Design
Dave McComb   Composer
Francois Tetaz   Remastering
Martyn Casey   Layout Design
Nick Mainsbridge   Engineer
Adam Peters   String Arrangements
Gil Norton   Producer
David McComb   Composer,String Arrangements