Shriekback  “Oil and Gold” 1985. Confession: this album is technically still “on loan” from a friend back in the summer of ‘86. Oops.

That summer was a pivotal one in so many ways and this album was one of many that provided its soundtrack. A small group of us, ages 14-17, spent June-August of ’85 at a dear friend’s house, hanging out, being teenagers and doing stupid teenager stuff that probably should have gotten us in trouble. But there were moments of just being happy (or possibly miserable), reveling in the music of the day.  The album sleeve still holds one of those moments: at the top left corner there is a orange-ish streak of crud, which is a lasting pizza stain from when two friends and I were sitting behind the couch (??), eating our frozen pizza, playing with a guy’s pet rat and reading the lyrics.

Besides the (sort of) hit single “Nemesis,” there are other wonderful songs (“The Big Hush” “Faded Flowers”) on this record that still hold a timeless quality and an ambience of late, hot summer nights when life is dark, haunting and amazing.