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1992, Q
Cranes' 1989 mini-album finally makes it on to CD. As its title implies, Self Non Self was another relentlessly joyless canter through the problematic recesses of post-punk introspection. Joy Division's monochrome pulse and Birthday Party's dank grind are their strongest influences, played at Swans' cripplingly slow pace but Alison Shaw's morbid bleating is an extreme contribution of Cranes' own making. Brother James isn't to be overshone; his arrangements are another benchmark in gothic creation. The instrumental opener One From The Slum, Beach Mover and Fuse sound the most genuinely spooked, but Shaw's lonesome lullabying injects a stark beauty. Nothing In The Middle and a live version of Reach are additional tracks written at the same time, and provide equal measures of release.
Star Rating : (3 out of 5)
Reviewed by Martin Aston
© Q 1992
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