A post that was inspired by hearing this wonderful 45 at an indie-disco just before Christmas.
I’d completely forgotten that The Railway Children were, briefly, a Factory band. They released two singles and an album for the label in 86/87 before signing a lucrative deal with Virgin Records. I think it’s fair to say that they never quite scaled the heights the label bosses anticipated, although there was one hit single, Every Beat of the Heart, in 1990.
The hit single wasn’t played at the indie-disco but their sophomore effort for Factory was. I’m willing to admit I don’t know a great deal about the band beyond this and the chart hit, but I’m willing to bet that very few, if any, 0f their other songs can better this wonderful slice of pop that sounds both of its time and timeless:-
mp3 : The Railway Children – Brighter
I suppose what held the band back that they weren’t quite distinctive sounding enough from many other C86 influenced guitar bands – there’s a lot of the Postcard/Go-Betweens sound in there at the back of a gentle, dreamy vocal that is perfect for the sunniest of days. I’ve dug out the two tracks that were on the reverse of the 12″ and, without trying to be too critical, they are more ordinary or routine that anything special or memorable.
mp3 : The Railway Children – History Burns
mp3 : The Railway Children – Careful
As I said, I’m not really familiar enough with the band to offer up much else. I’d be delighted to hear from anyone with more knowledge….maybe an ICA if you’re so inclined. Indeed, just typing that sentence has given me an idea for later this week.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 