Nieuwsblad van het Noorden - 18th February 1988

(translated using Google Translate)

Dreamy pop from The Church

 

Although The Seekers, but especially The Easybeats (Friday on my Mind) over the Sixties proved that Australia clearly counted in the pop field, it took until half way through 1970s for the export of Aussie groups to really get going.The Little River Band and everyone knows ACDC of course and Men at Work also became very successful, as did Air Supply and Crowded House to a lesser extent. Currently there are groups like INXS, lcehouse and Hoodoo Gurus who uphold Australian honour. And not to forget, The Church. Completely against expectations however, the last group still not being able to take a step from cult status to wider public appreciation. Which now hopefully with the new album Starfish is going to change.

 

The Church was founded in Sydney in 1980 by singer, bassist Steve Kilbey and guitarist Peter Koppes. Second guitarist became Marty Willson-Piper and from 1981 the addition of drummer Richard Ploog completed the line=up that exists today. For four years, The Church made one beautiful album after another. The Church stood for melancholic and melodious guitar music with beautiful resounding vocals. All that inspired by the harmonious genius of the three big B's - Beatles, Byrds and Big Star and the psychedelics from a band like the old Pink Floyd.

 

Sold out concerts, albums that went gold, in Australia The Church belongs to the greatest. Frustrated due to the lack of recognition in the rest of the world the individual Church members over the past two years went on the solo tour. And surely given the commercial success of both Steve Kilbey records can it be called surprising that The Church again as group has delivered a record. Good thing, too. Because all musical ingredients that make this band in the past such a unique sound provided are gloriously present again on this album. Buy this record.