Formed in 1990 by school friends Vincent Giarusso and Glenn Bennie, Underground Lovers were a criminally underrated band from the era. Having gone on indefinite hiatus in 2002 after supporting New Order on an Australian tour, the band got back together in 2009. Wonderful Things is the first step back, a wonderful retrospective of what Underground Lovers achieved in their heyday.

Displaying a vast array of influences, including everything from The Clash to Joy Division and, on a local front, bands such as The Go-Betweens and Essendon Airport, the band took classic, intelligent pop music to many varied and interesting places. The limited edition 2 CD set of Wonderful Things, apart from featuring classic tracks such as “I Was Right”, “Your Eyes” and “Promenade”.

What is so compelling is listening to tracks that were recorded between ten and fifteen years ago that, on this beautifully remastered collection, still sound so fresh and vital. “Holiday”, displaying singer/guitarist/keyboardist Phillipa Nihill’s ethereal, otherworldly voice, is a great example. This is a band that refuse to be stuck in one pidgeonhole. This is a brilliant contrast to a track like “Las Vegas”, which has a fantastic loud/quiet/loud dynamic to it, reminiscent of The Pixies.

The way that the band blends electronic elements, such as drum loops and synthersisers, into a classic pop structure, is both compelling and at times wildly unpredictable. This is what makes Underground Lovers such an interesting act, the way that they blur genre lines with what they do.

The second CD of this collection focuses on B-sides, rarities and remixes, and is part of a limited edition release of Wonderful Things. Great songs worth discovering include “Round And Round” and “Yeah I Might.” Of particular joy to hear is the remix of “Rushall Station”; Underground Lovers really did take the idea of the remix and turn it into an art form. It is totally different from the original track, but maintains that beautifully fragile quality that makes it such a great song in the first place.

Wonderful Things, as the title suggests, is a fanstastic reminder of one of the great bands that this country has produced, and hopefully is a sign of things to come for the band in regards to new material.

-Neil Evans.

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