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Mathew Scott

FROM THE VAULT: 1986

The Triffids

Born Sandy Devotional

(Domino)

Along with Nick Cave and the Go-Betweens, the Triffids chanced their arm in  the mid-1980s, leaving the confines of the Australian music scene to  launch themselves on London and, from there, the world at large.

Born Sandy Devotional was the album they brought with them, a collection of deeply personal songs,  written by their enigmatic lead singer/guitarist  David McComb (below).  With a little help from the British music press (which got in  a touch early by predicting 1985 would be the Year of the Triffids), they mostly achieved their aim.

Thanks to songs such as Lonely Stretch and the superb Wide Open Road, the Triffids were, from a distance, able to paint a picture of life back home. The music is simple, with basic soft rock sometimes joined by steel guitar, which reflected the band's country roots.  The songs are often sweeping in their beauty. McComb wrote from the heart about lost love and isolation. His words are richly evocative and more than just his personal journey.  They give a poignant reflection of a time when a generation of Australian musicians were finding an international audience clued in to the universal themes  at the heart of their work.

By the early 1990s, life far from home had taken its toll and the band had split.  In 1999,  McComb  died, his health failing  days after he was involved in a car accident.

This 10th anniversary release comes with nine bonus tracks taken from demo tapes and live recordings  as well as extended liner notes and a booklet compiled from McComb's  personal diaries. It's a fitting tribute to a talent that shone briefly, but very brightly indeed.



The Triffids