Ana da Silva and Gina Birch met while studying at Hornsey college of Art in London, and the two formed The Raincoats in 1977. Despite having very little experience w/ music, the duo's inventive DIY spirit brought forth its self-titled 1979 debut, which featured new recruits Ingrid Weiss & Vicky Aspinall. Punk was still very much in play when the Raincoats entered the circuit w/ its distinct "post-punk" sound and although the non-commercial aesthetic was not for everyone, the band had some early admirers: "The Raincoats offered a completely different way of doing things… these women were involved for no other reason that that they were good and original," said Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. Some years later, based on their fondness for the the Raincoats, Kurt Cobain and Kim Gordon would pen liner notes for DGC Records reissues of the band's first three albums, and the late Nirvana frontman is also credited w/ sorting out the rift that had troubled the prospects of Silva & Birch's continued collaboration (the Raincoats were to tour with Nirvana, but Cobain committed suicide before the plan could materialize). Despite its relatively short and little-known participation in scene, The Raincoats are counted as one of the most influential acts to rise out of the British Punk explosion of the '70s, and it is easy to see why. Songs like "Fairytale in the Supermarket," "No Side to Fall In," "Adventures close to Home," "Black and White," and "Lola" (a Kinks cover) sound as relevant as ever, and the fact that the band didn't subscribe to the fast-paced, aggression-fueled m.o. of its male contemporaries has rendered its work timeless. Recommended.

• transparent red vinyl pressing
• includes printed insert
• limited edition
• original release year: 1979
• music label: We Three 2017

reviewed by manono rose 06/2017