℗ 2021 Capitol Records; A Capitol Records Release
Released | 1981 |
Duration | 28m 29s |
Record Label | I.R.S |
Genre | Rock |
1.1
|
Flying Saucer Safari
Suburban Lawns |
2:12 | |||
1.2
|
Pioneers
Suburban Lawns |
2:05 | |||
1.3
|
Not Allowed
Suburban Lawns |
2:16 | |||
1.4
|
Gossip
Suburban Lawns |
2:29 | |||
1.5
|
Intellectual Rock
Suburban Lawns |
2:05 | |||
1.6
|
Protection
Suburban Lawns |
1:54 | |||
1.7
|
Anything
Suburban Lawns |
1:38 | |||
1.8
|
Janitor
Suburban Lawns |
2:30 | |||
1.9
|
Computer Date
Suburban Lawns |
1:06 | |||
1.10
|
Mom And Dad And God
Suburban Lawns |
1:56 | |||
1.11
|
Unable
Suburban Lawns |
1:31 | |||
1.12
|
When In The World
Suburban Lawns |
2:48 | |||
1.13
|
Green Eyes
Suburban Lawns |
2:53 | |||
1.14
|
Jam The Controls
Suburban Lawns |
1:06 |
If your brain has a shortlist of bands that instantly evoke New Wave, Suburban Lawns deserve a slot right next to the likes of Devo, Talking Heads and the B-52's. After putting out two singles on their own Suburban Industrial imprint, the Lawns signed to I.R.S. Records and released their debut LP in 1981. While the band gained cult status thanks in part to a Jonathan Demme-produced music video which aired on Saturday Night Live, their self-titled album would sadly be the five-piece's only full-length statement.
Suburban Lawns' asymmetrical aesthetic is personified by co-vocalist Su Tissue, whose mesmerizing stage persona was at once childlike and terrifying. Her unique style embodies the awkward/arty female singer of the Reagan era, while the group's male vocals – courtesy of Frankie Ennui, Vex Billingsgate and John McBurney – maintain the satirical themes of Southern California's postwar mirage of limitless sprawl.
Suburban Lawns' catchiness can be attributed to their drum-tight performance and taut songwriting. Listen to the vocal trade-offs on "Anything," which could have easily come out on any purely Punk label from LA at the time, while Tissue's deadpan delivery on "Janitor" glides into the best art-warble this side of Lene Lovich, broaching the possibility of nuclear annihilation with a murmured "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom."
From a West Coast scene dominated by 7-inch singles and EPs, the Suburban Lawns' lone LP remains in a class with precious few. It's not surprising that they found acceptance in the Hollywood punk scene, despite their Long Beach roots, and would influence other bands such as Minutemen. This is not a disc that will get parked in your collection hoping to get pulled once in a while; this is a record you will play.
96 kHz / 24-bit PCM – I.R.S Studio Masters
Tracks 1-14 – contains high-resolution digital transfers of material originating from an analogue master source
Tracks 1-14 – contains high-resolution digital transfers of material originating from an analogue master source
Track title | Peak (dB FS) | RMS (dB FS) | LUFS (integrated) | DR | |
Album average Range of values | -0.32 -0.36 to -0.30 | -16.06 -17.57 to -14.78 | -12.99 -14.40 to -11.50 | 11 10 to 13 | |
1 | Flying Saucer Safari | -0.32 | -16.22 | -13.1 | 12 |
2 | Pioneers | -0.30 | -16.05 | -12.8 | 11 |
3 | Not Allowed | -0.30 | -16.95 | -14.0 | 11 |
4 | Gossip | -0.35 | -16.91 | -14.4 | 12 |
5 | Intellectual Rock | -0.35 | -15.75 | -12.0 | 10 |
6 | Protection | -0.36 | -17.57 | -14.2 | 13 |
7 | Anything | -0.32 | -15.96 | -12.6 | 11 |
8 | Janitor | -0.32 | -16.65 | -13.8 | 12 |
9 | Computer Date | -0.30 | -15.57 | -12.6 | 11 |
10 | Mom And Dad And God | -0.30 | -14.78 | -11.5 | 11 |
11 | Unable | -0.32 | -15.21 | -12.1 | 11 |
12 | When In The World | -0.30 | -15.55 | -12.9 | 11 |
13 | Green Eyes | -0.32 | -15.25 | -12.9 | 11 |
14 | Jam The Controls | -0.33 | -16.44 | -13.0 | 12 |