Description
Black Tambourine is one of the four or five most important bands in my life, a hallway to a million possibilities. It always stands out to me that both Henry’s Dress and Black Dice looked up to them, an emblem of the pathways Black Tambourine revealed. One of the things that no one else matched though, or even approached, is the graceful, bell-toll clarity of Pam Berry’s voice. Every syllable is shaped and meaningful, and every syllable is fleeting and immediately missed, a wistfulness that engenders wistfulness. It’s not unreasonable to wonder: what would she sound like with all the squeal and crash removed from the songs? The answer can be heard in The Shapiros, a 1994 collaboration between Berry and Bart Cummings of The Cat’s Miaow and Hydroplane. The drifting, catchy haunt of The Cat’s Miaow is especially relevant here, all yearning melody and empty space prolonging the ache.
The Shapiros released a couple of singles and contributed to a few comps. All 11 songs of their career are presented here, each one a heavy-hearted gift. “Gone By Fall” is a particular standout, giving voice to this late August darkness, walking home from the park with headphones on, something I’ve felt so often but have never been able to describe. But I think the best starting point on this record is their cover of Beat Happening’s “Cry For A Shadow” with Berry’s gliding voice finding every frontier of hurt and camaraderie imaginable, while the chiming, patient notes and persistent drumming make a completely new masterpiece out of a familiar one, a completely unimaginable surprise and generosity.
Released 2023 by World of Echo
Black vinyl, edition of 650 copies
