It is not too often that a band's entire discography can end up being compiled into a single, 36-minute album, but such is the case with The Loved. Originally a five song EP released 10 years ago, here it is reissued and expanded with five more tracks intended for a full album which never materialized. What remains is a disc of unpretentious pop-inspired alternative rock, which sadly points to what could have been.
Without knowing that background, this feels like a cohesive record: the tracks that were intended for the full length fit in nicely with the material from that debut EP. The only noticeable difference is a slightly rawer edge, perhaps it was a change in overall sound, or perhaps it was something that was not ironed out from the demo stages, but it’s so subtle that it is a non-issue. At the time, and even today, there was just very little ego to the work. Not as an intentional move to seem dark or mysterious, but to let the music be the focus, not the attitude or the image.
The songs are rather simple, uncluttered affairs. The title track and “Nadine” are rather slow, calm tracks with plaintive guitar and slow, sparse drums. There’s a great deal of spaciousness here: unlike bands that feel the need to multitrack or layer as much as possible, here they’re happy to simply let there be some space in the mix. “House Painter” and “Lydia/Spinning” are a bit edgier, more distortion on the former, and the latter hinges on a heavier bass melody. Yes, the second half is a cover of Loop’s “Spinning”, which even with the heavily flanged sound stays much more stripped down than the original, which allows the basics of the song to shine through.
The bonus tracks have, as I said, a slightly rougher sheen to them that, while not dramatic, is noticeable. “It’s Sooo Sad” and “Winter Comes and Goes” have a rawer sound, with a bit more aggression and distortion when compared to the prior tracks, but still stays close to the pop sensibilities that the entire album has. The closing “Her Tiny Little Heart” channels early U2 (during their mulleted days) in a good way with the effected drums and guitar playing.
It is kind of sad to hear this because there was a lot of potential for The Loved. The ten tracks that made it to tape show a trio that already had a good handle on their sound and what they wanted to do, but it just never “happened.” Thankfully the good people at Temporary Residence happened to have heard and loved the original EP enough to give it a wider release that it deserves.
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