Description
Buffalo Tom (Bill Janovitz, Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis) formed at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1984 a breeding ground of post punk guitar bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Pixies. They thrived on college radio in the late 1980s and toured extensively in Europe, the US, Australia and Japan. In 1992 the band recorded their third album Let Me Come Over with a varied group of songs they had been developing at home and on the road mixing their live power trio sound with some more acoustic based guitar ballads. The albums single Taillights Fade would become their signature song.
2017 marks the 25th anniversary of this album, and to celebrate, Beggars Arkive will reissue it on double vinyl (including download) and 2CD and package it with a live album. Recorded in London at ULU (University of London Union) in 1992, this marks the bands first-ever live release.
?The double vinyl LP contains 10 live tracks (plus download of the full live show), and the 2CD edition contains the entire show (17 songs).
Let Me Come Over is the sound of the trio exiting the insular underground for the wide world of alternative rockbut more or less bringing its best moves along with it, too. Previously loosely linked with fellow travellers Dinosaur Jr. and Uncle Tupelo via a similar three-piece format, stunning depth of songwriting and association with Bostons Fort Apache Studiosits not hard to imagine Buffalo Tom wanted to stake a claim stylistically. Yet, LMCO never feels like a break with the past, its a transition. Inside that abstruse cover are undeniably magnificent tunes.
Staples is emblematic of a band in flux with a grungy lyrical conceit rendered with hi-fi guitar squalls. Its the first single Taillights Fade, however, where the band appears to find a new comfort zone, at an unhurried speed where Janovitzs storytelling and car crash metaphors stand the best chance of making an impression. It plays with quiet-to-loud dynamics, and as for emotional expression, it swings for the bleachersand a place on alternative rock radio. Mineral jangles in a similar vein and makes grand gestures. Darl and Larry (referencing the brothers from the Newhart show I always thought?) are solid but disparate cuts. Colbourns Darl feels a bit like an outlier with its thrashy feelit sounds better louder. Larry has a sweetness to it thats augmented by its buskers strumming.
Released as a second single, Velvet Roof had given us a taste of what was newly possible, a hook-heavy stomper with a densely woven rhythm matched by tight lyric writingeach piece expertly crafted to go into the next, no frayed ends hereand a snazzy mix by Ron Saint Germain, a pro who would later bring out the best in Soundgarden. A wailing harmonica solo gives it all a swagger thats kind of new for the band. Stymied summons the emotional intensity of Birdbrainits probably the albums darkest moment. Somehow both life-affirming and wistful Porchlight contrasts with the way Saving Grace blazes through the barroom like a Mats tribute. Theres no filler to be found here. Frozen Lake sees the band caressing acoustic guitars in comedown mode.
Let Me Come Over is kind of a short story collection with equal parts thunder and intimacy, hills and valleys, last nights mistakes and tomorrows contrition. Ultimately, its possibility, a sense of hey, this just might work that makes it such a deep spin 25 years later. Let Me Come Over triumphs.
Some of the most devastatingly beautiful guitar rock of the 90s Magnet.
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