These two mixes of the title song to afilm about a small Alabama community are very much in a retro VinceClarke / Erasure mould. I'm much more taken with the reoccurring themesof the emotive instrumentals that Vienna based composer Gammon providesfor the bulk of this half hour soundtrack to a 22 minute filmconcerning everyday life in a quiet quilting community presumablybereft of hard ass power electronics performances. This lilting suitebubbles along in a way which ought to appeal to fans of the lightermore dancefloor orientated beat driven side which those fluffy suited'gay music' troubadours Coil displayed on tunes like "Protection" andthe themes from 'gay film maker' Derek Jarman's "Blue". Much of themelody comes from what I think is a harmonica, but it sounds more likemelodica in the context of Gammon's beats. Even though the closingbackbone mix of Khan's "Stitches" opens up a bass synth rhythm thatinitially sounds like something Wir might've discarded as too obviousin the early nineties, the vocals are just too 'gay' for even someBrain reviewers. Played over this bass line, Kid Congo Powers' briefslide guitar fills also begin to bizarrely recall shapes that nighthave loomed on a Wir "First Letter" out-take, although this track ismuch more linear and mundane. I'd be curious to hear more from Gammon,especially if he was exploring more experimental avenues. In timehonoured Brain tradition I'm left thinking that perhaps this elegantbut less than essential music would sound more poignant in the contextof the film? And hopefully Eigentone are selling it for less than fullprice, as five instrumental variations on a theme and two versions ofthe same track don't really add up to a full album.
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