Aural Fixations

THE WINDBREAKERS
Time Machine: 1982-2002
TIM LEE
Under the House
(Paisley Pop)
(Paisley Pop) http://www.paisleypop.com The Windbreakers were (are?) a legendary member of the illustrious "New South" aggregation of underground guitar pop bands that dotted the indie rock landscape like so many flowering weeds in the 80s. What's that, you say? Though you've heard of R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary, Let's Active, Don Dixon and Dreams So Real, maybe even Snatches of Pink and the Swimming Pool Q's, you're not familiar with the Windbreakers? It's true, the duo of Bobby Sutliff and Tim Lee never achieved the notoriety of its fellow travelers, except in the minds of devoted power pop fans. That doesn't mean they weren't good, though, as the long-overdue compilation Time Machine: 1982-2002 attests. Lee and Sutliff didn't indulge in gimmicks or emphasize characteristics like an unintelligible lead singer or an arch worldview; they just wrote and sang about the average guy's life and times in the South with a directness that puts melody and emotion before anything else. Sutliff's "I Never Thought" and "On the Wire" and Lee's "All That Stuff" and "Just Fine" are the threads of which guitar pop fans' dreams are woven, and they're all the more alluring for having been out of the public consumptive's eye for so long. Even better, the disk opens with two reunion tracks recorded in the early '00s, of which Sutliff's title track (made in collaboration with Mitch Easter) is an instant classic; this band obviously still has something to say. [buy it]

As does Lee, as his latest solo album joins his erstwhile band's collection on the shelves. Under the House is tougher and less jangly than the 'Breakers' stuff; Lee is pictured in the liners hefting a Gibson Firebird, if that tells you anything. Left to his own devices, Lee is even more no-bullshit than his band; the songs are nothing but guitars, bass, drums and Lee's dryly-recorded (and slightly stiff) vocals—the better to shine the spotlight on the melodies and heartfelt performances, of course. Some might argue that tracks like "Anywhere But Here," "Anymore" and "Keep It True" are colorless, but sometimes black and white conveys clarity more than dayglo colors. Lee's voice isn't as strong as it once was, but his guitar skills and songwriting prowess make it a minor issue. Under the House is another strong item in Lee's 20-year catalog. Michael Toland [buy it]