Camberwell Now

All's Well

Label: Recommended Records Country: USA

After This Heat broke up in 1982, Charles Hayward formed Camberwell Now. The new group included Trefor Goronwy, from the short-lived four-piece version of This Heat, on bass and guitar; and Steven Rickard, who is heard on Sub Rosa's Myths 1 compilation, on tape manipulation and field recordings; Charles Bullen from This Heat, who subsequently left to study music in India, is heard as a guest on the first 12" single "Meridian."

The group, recording in This Heat's Cold Storage studio, only recorded 2 EPs and one full length LP, but all are remarkable realizations. The band can be heard as an extension of the work done by This Heat, using tapes and unusual sound sources, but is incredibly focused and in a more groove oriented format that makes the work more appealing than the thicker sound of the former band. With awesome technical chops and a powerful open sound, their songs hold nothing back, taking on politics, family and social issues and the general decay of society, hung in a tapestry of unusual sources and a remarkably muscular rhythm section.

This new edition collects the entire released output of the group together and is re-mastered by the band, packaged with liner notes, lyrics, additional photographs and artwork. Superb!