Black Tambourine

iTunes Review

This is basically the 1999 collection of the short-lived D.C. band Black Tambourine, originally titled Complete Recordings, which was just that: a round-up of B.T. singles and compilation tracks from 1989-1992. The 2010 version — simply self-titled this time around —  includes six previously unreleased tracks, including demo versions of two of their most loved songs. Black Tambourine’s shoegazing sound — soaring, swirling feedback-drenched guitars and airy, shimmering female vocals — became a critical component of the ‘90s indie rock sound, epitomized by bands like Lush and Ride, artists that emerged from the musical wellspring of the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Wedding Present. Fans of the band — and there are many — will be delighted to hear the inchoate demos of “For Ex-Lovers Only” and “Throw Aggi Off the Bridge,” and to uncover Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat” buried beneath all those fuzzy layers of guitar. The real treat may be the most beautiful Suicide cover to be dug out of vaults anywhere: Black Tambourine morph “Dream Baby Dream” from a dark, unsettling lullaby-wannabe to a truly dreamy piece of music. Some bands just keep on giving.