Iris: Appendix EP
Self Released
Download
Long-forgotten Derby band Iris have re-emerged after a 30-year hiatus and a lot of detective work. Robin Boardman checks out the story and the re-released Appendix EP.
Let’s cut a long story short. In 2014, a brief segment of a mysterious song appeared on the WatZatSong.com website which is dedicated to identifying unknown tracks. After ten years of hunting high and low by a number of dedicated enthusiasts, a user who had chanced upon a copy of the original record revealed the song as Wit And Wendy from the Appendix EP by the band Iris. Original member Phil Wagg (now with Electric Pets) was bemused to receive a Facebook message from a guy in Peru asking if he was the guitarist / vocalist identified on the record sleeve. One thing led to another and, with a growing clamour for further material from Iris, the decision was made to re-release the band’s back catalogue, starting with the original 1993 EP plus additional tracks recorded at the same time.
But, of course, it’s mainly about the music, so was it worth the wait and the years of research which went into uncovering the record? Appendix is a tad unusual, very distinctive and rather charming, facets which make it a highly enjoyable and engaging listen. There’s a distinctly lo-fi / DIY approach which lends the songs an air of innocence and suggests a refreshing lack of pretension. By way of reference, it’s advised that Iris will appeal to fans of Galaxie 500, The Field Mice, Talulah Gosh and Heavenly, although it should be said that Appendix rarely displays the giddiness often employed by the latter two.
The songs are in turn enigmatic, introspective and expansive, offering a poetic lyricism of surprising maturity given the young age of the band at the time of recording. The music is often simple in its delivery while displaying inventive arrangement and a tendency to match perfectly the mood of the words. The title track Appendix sets the scene, with plaintively fragile vocals set to a restrained backing, but with a percussive interlude which hints at a gathering storm. The splendidly titled Best, Newton, Dylan, Rasputin is a more up-tempo affair, boasting captivating lyrics delivered with distinctive vocal inflection; ‘Conversations so sublime, with a drink that tastes divine, how can I hope to better when my brain gets wetter, wetter? Contemporize and blow my mind, spare a thought for age and time, how can I expеct to build a life there?’
The song which initiated all the renewed interest, Wit And Wendy, is a beautifully wistful piece which manages to combine a dash of The Smiths, a little folk and lilting elevator music backing vocals into just over two minutes of quirky, intriguing storytelling; ‘Sometimes I wish I was a film star, perched at the end of a bar. Perhaps a cowboy in a whorehouse, or just a little grey mouse.’ It must be most gratifying for the band members that their short but very sweet ditty has passed the test of time and now has the chance to be heard again under the most unlikely of circumstances. This is followed by Spiel which continues in similar vein, again demonstrating a quintessentially English folk feel with Wagg’s unique songwriting style once more coming to the fore.
The bonus tracks prove to be more than mere space-fillers and certainly hold their own. The jaunty guitar and contrasting intense lyrics of Septic Sceptics finish things off, helping to make this an altogether satisfying package – one which leaves the listener relishing the promise of future releases from the Iris back-catalogue. Whether the insatiable desire to unearth music which has somehow fallen between the cracks is an indication of general dissatisfaction with the current commercial scene or merely reflects a yearning for the days of our youth, it would have been criminal if Iris and the Appendix EP had remained an undiscovered treasure.
~
All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.
We have a small favour to ask. Subscribe to Louder Than War and help keep the flame of independent music burning. Click the button below to see the extras you get!
