July 2002 and I was shopping at the Merge Records website hoovering up a few remaining Stephin Merritt rarities that I didn't already have. While filling my basket, I added an EP by The Clientele, which would have been my first record by them but for the fact that Merge were out of stock, and this Neutral Milk Hotel EP. It turns out to be a re-release of their first ever single (Wikipedia has a detailed history of its various releases).
I was curious to see if it would live up to the unruly magnificence of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It did in terms of unruliness, but I wasn't convinced of its magnificence; and, on that snap judgement, I kind of switched off. No harm done, since Neutral Milk Hotel haven't done anything since.
Listening again on headphones, there is, after all, a hint of something rather wonderful in the lead track. It's not music that lends itself to snap judgements.
 MusicBrainz entry for this albumWikipedia entry for this album Rate Your Music entry for this album Listen to this album in full at Last.fm |
Comments