About this item

Names Records in conjunction with Two Piers Editions are delighted to announce the long awaited 21st Anniversary reissue of the debut album from The Earlies. 'These Were the Earlies' was released on Names Records / 679 Recordings in July of 2004 and quickly became one of that summer’s essential albums.

Here's what we said about it on it's original release, and it still stands up today as an absolute Piccadilly Records all time favourite:

This is Music! No room for their romantic, cross-continental story (oh, ok: Texan / Manc. 4-piece combine on either side of the Atlantic and release a handful of 7" and 10" EP's which stun and awe those of us with record players) because this isn't 'lifestyle' or 'personality' fixated rock, this is pure music-loving artistry. If you like Mercury Rev or Spiritualized for scope, ambition and magic, then prepare yourselves to be blown away. The Earlies' sound is more a blend of folk and electronica than those two, but it shares a similar woozy, other-worldly, baroque, chamber-pop landscape. It's an enchanted place. They also pull in proggy, Krautrock directions (see Neu! for grooves and Stereolab for a love of melody) with long instrumental passages, cinematic and roving, stretching between the gorgeous lullabies which make up most of the songs on this album. All the singles are here, and they most certainly are Pop, but how many bands do you know that are capable of furnishing their songs with mellotron, melodica, flutes, oboes, sax, cellos, accordians, Hammond and mini-choirs? And no other band this year could even come close to the melancholic majesty of "One of Us Is Dead" or the insistent, pulsating groove and splendour of "Morning Wonder". The whole record really flows together; this is a proper album to be listened to all the way through, and with beautiful packaging and evocative lyrics (included) embellishing the lush widescreen soundscapes, you'll be going on a journey. You'll absolutely love it!

STAFF COMMENTS

Laura says: This is still one of my favourite records. It was my album of the year in 2004 and only narrowly missed out on the coveted top spot in the shop, with the mighty Sufjan Stevens' "Seven Swans' just edging it.
It's a glorious mix of folk, pop, gospel and electronica, that still sounds fresh and relevant today.

TRACK LISTING

1. In The Beginning...
2. One Of Us Is Dead
3. Wayward Song
4. Slow Man's Dream
5. 25 Easy Pieces
6. Morning Wonder
7. The Devil's Country
8. Song For #3
9. Lows
10. Bring It Back Again
11. Dead Birds