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Neutrals – New Town Dream [DELUXE EDITION, BABY BLUE VINYL] – New LP
Neutrals – New Town Dream [DELUXE EDITION, BABY BLUE VINYL] – New LP
Neutrals – New Town Dream [DELUXE EDITION, BABY BLUE VINYL] – New LP
Slumberland Records

Neutrals – New Town Dream [DELUXE EDITION, BABY BLUE VINYL] – New LP

$ 23.00 $ 0.00

"Neutrals are a trio from the San Francisco Bay Area, owing as much to the direct, tightly-wound edge of Wire-schooled post-punk as the proto-C86 melancholic jangle of bands like the Television Personalities."

 

Dream... or nightmare? That's the underlying question posed on "New Town Dream," the second LP from Bay Area trio Neutrals, as guitarist/vocalist Allan McNaughton's lyrical narratives expand on the world first built on the band's 2022 EP "Bus Stop Nights," offering snapshots of mundane lived realities in the "New Towns" that proliferated in the UK during the '60s and '70s. "New Town Dream" conceptually voices the psychic tension of that era, of being pushed toward the margins and becoming just another cog in a deeply broken machine. The band's musical touchstones are squarely situated in the timeline of doomed Thatcherism that followed from the late '70s to late '80s. "Wish You Were Here" and "The Iron That Never Swung" jangle with a razor-edged rapid strum to rival The Wedding Present; "That's Him on the Daft Stuff Again" and "Travel Agent's Windows" nod to the Television Personalities' naive, kaleidoscopic mod melodies streaked with cynicism; "Steven Proctor Bus Conductor" slowly unfolds from verses in the dark, rhythm-forward spirit of Josef K to transcendently Pastels-esque pop choruses with sugary-sweet backing vocals from bassist Lauren Matsui. Perfect C86 sounds for often hellish C24 times! - Erika Elizabeth


releases May 31, 2024

Recorded and mixed July 2023 at House of Faith Oakland by Bart Thurber, except New Town Dream (Version) and How Did I Get Here recorded and mixed by Philip Lantz. How Did I Get Here was made in collaboration with Isaac Fratini, who played all the synth parts and programmed the drums.

Protest chants on Stop The Bypass by the Community United Newtown Trust - Oakland Freedom Faction, with special thanks to Comrades Brooks, Delgado, Martinez, Weatherbee, Ellis, Schulman, and the Taylor-Scotts.

Stop The Bypass partially inspired by the Pollok Free State protests in the early 90s. For more information see the book Not For Rent by Stacy Wakefield and Grrrt, or the film “Birdman of Pollok”.

Thanks also to the guvnor, Mr Tim Brooks of New Town YOFC for landlord duties on Last Orders.

Eternal thanks to Tom Static Shock and Mike Slumberland. Peace.

"Neutrals are a punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area, channeling a wide range of '70s and '80s punk, post-punk, and DIY indiepop influences. Their spare, angular songs don't skimp on melody or intimate storytelling and represent an appropriate intervention in these tense, atomized times. Their debut album 'Kebab Disco' came out in 2019 on Emotional Response Records and garnered universal acclaim as 'an excellent collection of terse melodies, unique storytelling, and scraping pop.'  Following up their ace 2019 debut LP and a string of future-classic singles, Neutrals are now back with "New Town Dream," a 13 song dispatch that takes on modern life and politics (both micro and macro) and situates their scrappy Jam-meets-Television Personalties sound firmly in 2024. Now featuring the sprightly bass and deadpan harmonies/backing vocals of bassist Lauren, Neutrals have turned in their catchiest, sharpest set of tunes yet."

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