Aural Fixations
EPIC SOUNDTRACKS
Good Things
(DBK Works)
Epic Soundtracks was a remarkable talent. Between his long history in underground rock and his career as a singer/songwriter of some renown, the Englishman more than made his mark. The multi-instrumentalist started off collaborating with his brother Nikki Sudden, first in the influential experimental rock ensemble Swell Maps, then in the Jacobites. He followed his pioneering work in those groups by joining Australian rock trailblazer Rowland S. Howard, first in the unique art ensemble Crime & the City Solution and then in the short-lived but much-missed These Immortal Souls.
But his best work remains his solo albums, on which he sat down at the piano and crooned wonderful tunes that betrayed a love of classic pop song structure and egalitarian melody. Joined by various friends in the underground music community, he crossed the emotional depth charges of Big Star-era Alex Chilton with the understated craft of Brian Wilson, both of whom were admitted heroes. 1992's Rise Above, 1994's Sleeping Star, 1996's Change My Life and 1999's odds 'n' sods collection Everything is Temporary should be required listening for anyone interested in vibrant, tender pop music.
Needless to say, his sudden death in 1997 came as a shock.It's also an event that remains unexplained. Suicide has been generally assumed, but in truth no one really knows what happened. Soundtracks may have had his problems, but it seemed unlikely he would kill himself. Not only did his genial nature seem to preclude any such action, but his passion for his craft and dedication to his art should have driven him ever on—people with this much talent and this many songs to record usually don't have time or the inclination for suicide. The official verdict, according to the coroner's report, is "death by misadventure," which could mean anything.
What makes this even more of a tragedy is that Soundtracks had just made Good Things, his strongest collection of songs and performances. Recorded as demos with only the Chamber Strings' Kevin Junior as accompaniment, the record is his most sedate, nearly percussionless, mostly just piano, guitar and his unaffected voice. While his influences may be obvious—not just Brian Wilson and Alex Chilton, but also Harry Nilsson, Carole King and Todd Rundgren—Soundtracks had absorbed their lessons so thoroughly by this point that these songs sound like no one's work but his. Wrapping his concerns in instantly appealing tunes, he almost lovingly dissects human relationships in "Maybe You're Right," "Sooner or Later" and "A Lot to Learn," examining the darker aspects without falling into the trap of despair. He points fingers as often at himself as anyone else, but he's no misery junky—"Cry a Tear" is about healing, not groveling. "Dedication" explores the musicmaking process as much as the emotional impulse, giving the tune an even more wonderfully human dimension. "Roll the Stone," "You Better Run" and the tentatively hopeful "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait" are simply three of his finest songs, with heartfelt performances and the catchiest melodies he's ever written. Indeed, nearly every song on Good Things has a high singalong factor—you'll find yourself crooning along with Soundtracks at every turn, sharing his joy and melancholy as intimately as if you were in the studio with him.
Some of the cuts don't have the highest fidelity, but Nikki Sudden and his longtime engineering/producing compatriot John A. Rivers did an exemplary job cleaning up the tracks. But fidelity ultimately doesn't matter—these are still quite possibly the best songs Soundtracks ever recorded, and that's saying something. Good Things lives up to its title in every way, and stands as a perfect introduction to an artist who deserves, even posthumously, the support of song-lovers everywhere. Michael Toland [buy it]
