Classic Album : Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
- Written by Hayley Scott
Just as the opening ominous swell of primitive, synthetic drum beats hurl ‘Searching for Mr. Right’ deeper into obscurity, you know there’s something eerily perpetual about Colossal Youth. Propulsive guitar rhythms fill unoccupied spaces in short, sharp bursts; resonant bass lines counteract Alison Statton’s saccharine vocal tones, and as ‘The Taxi’ shortly follows, with its ‘80's RPG-esque synth only slightly revealing its age, it still doesn't sound out of place today. But its timeless quality is one that pertains to something far more seminal: Colossal Youth is representative of an era under musical restlessness, and it’s just as pertinent now as it was during its initial release in 1980.
Released in a time when bands were mostly intent on creating big noise by clasping onto the last remnants of punk, Cardiff’s Young Marble Giants landed this piece of minimalist splendour onto music’s clamorous landscape, subverting the vitriol of the emerging post-punk movement by offering a detached, cool and quiet alternative in the wake of 'passé punk' and overproduced new wave. It seemingly sounds just as wide-eyed and inspired today as it did 30 years ago, yet despite its longevity it somehow remains obscure, even to the most obsessive of music fans. Rather than being continually cited as an imperative milestone in music's evolution, it’s a veritable cult classic whose unobtrusive nature has ensured that it remains under the radar - forgoing organic drums for a home-made drum machine (built out of an article in Practical Wireless magazine)- it was paradoxical to the underground music scene where bands like Talking Heads and Wire held thrall; it pares post-punk down to its very essence and reduces the pop song to its bare essentials.
The band had only been together a few months when they caught the attention of the brand new hip London imprint Rough Trade records following a discovery from a 1979 compilation of Cardiff bands called Is the War Over. Young Marble Giants then proceeded to record Colossal Youth over the course of a mere three days; it would be the only full-length to form their discography, but over the last decade Colossal Youth has been reissued three times - a testament to the record’s persistent influence. Band leader Stuart wrote most of the music, along with his brother Phil and the isolate Allison Statton: "When we first started playing we felt almost apologetic because we weren't loud and danceable; we were quiet and slow and melodic and all those things you shouldn't be, especially after punk," he told Sounds magazine in 1980.
One thing Young Marble Giants did have in common with their early ‘80's contemporaries was that they were haunted by the threat of the nuclear bomb, yet they still manage to refer to imminent apocalypse in the most subtle way. 'Final Day’ lasts just 90 seconds and overtly depicts the spectre of nuclear fear with such inconspicuous nonchalance, while the apocalyptic ‘N.I.T.A’s sinister undercurrent of burbling organ and unsettling bass rumbles coalesce beneath Statton’s casual and detached lilt. But despite the cold and distant exterior of Colossal Youth it still suggests emotion, repressed, but ever present. 'Wurlitzer Jukebox' keeps threatening to be funky, but soon recognises its strength comes from that brittle guitar, as it reduces the funk bassline to two notes, to a metronome. Elsewhere there are moments where each individual instrument is allowed to break through, where only a deliciously clear bassline is audible, murmuring under Alison’s piquant vocals that naively monologue a troubled discourse perfectly depicting the album's title.
Indeed, Colossal Youth isn't wholly flawless: sparse arrangements can become redundant on repeated listens, lack of consistency affirms that some songs are only marginally glorious in comparison to the stand-out tracks that soar into greatness, and yes- it often sounds like unfinished demos of songs recorded in someone’s bedroom. But it’s this unembellished simplicity - Statton’s unpolished refrain, the offbeat drum machine, the protruding bass lines, the explorations of negative space and quiet guitar melodies - that makes the aforementioned only a tenuous detraction from the album's charm. Bands have come and gone and attempted to emulate Colossal Youth's silent legacy: from the gentle, sonic explorations that Beach House extol to the minimalist glimmers found in The XX's debut - but it stands alone, singularly- entreating the listener with an unsentimental beauty and tone that gives Colossal Youth its unrivalled quality.
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