Bailterspace* – Trinine

Trinine is a fantastically noisy "sophomore" return LP that I was really surprised to see. I'm not quite certain what the title refers to - possibly a play on "Tri Nine" similar to "Bailter Space." The murkiness of the vocals on the similarly titled Tri5 offer no suggestions, but it could also mean "near best ever." The Ajax and Matador catalogs circa '91-92 introduced me to the Gordons and eventually their reincarnation as Bailterspace. "Shoegaze" was the reference that hooked me, but the heavier sound was different than the UK shoegaze of the time. Droning yet much more melodic and interesting than Spacemen 3 (at least to me), the atmospherics of this band continue to draw me in. While the songs end in a seemingly edited or abbreviated manner, this LP seems a much more finished or layered outing than their last. Vocals toggle from distorted to near sung with all 3 members acting as one tight rhythm section. The machine gun reverberation of something like "Today" is the modern day "pop" song we won't expect soon from the Dead C, though McLachlan's drumming could easily be mistaken for Yeats at his most athletic. "Silver" and "Films of You" strip things down a bit while expanding their repertoire even further. The latter nodding to Barbed Wire Kisses and Beggars period Fall. So brief, yet so, so good. Any album leaving you wanting more is something I want to listen to again and again....