Chapterhouse

Though the band may have shared management with Spacemen 3 -- the two key members of which are thanked on the sleeve -- Chapterhouse from the beginning wasn't interested in doing just psych drone. Thus the fantastic opener "Falling Down," in a slightly different version from the one that turned up on Whirlpool, with heavy wah-wah smack and swirling, sweet vocals underscored by a punchy (but not quite as electronic and crisp) funk rhythm. It probably got tagged as 'baggy' at the time; from a distance it just sounds like a slightly messy but still fine fusion of influences, wrapping up in a brief but frazzled jam. The remaining three tracks are a touch more conventionally murky neo-garage freakouts, notable for having the lyrics barely audible and quite softly sung -- yet still distinct enough to interpret -- even while the music cranks up. "Inside of Me" has a near Sonic Youth level rush of noise to recommend it, while "Sixteen Years" shifts between chiming sweetness and aggressive feedback snarls. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide