THE FALL, LOTUS/CACTUS (CDR, UNRELEASED, 2006, UK)

When Ben Pritchard, Steve Trafford and Spencer Birtwistle acrimoniously departed The Fall in Arizona in May 2006, to be replaced the next day with young Americans Tim Presley, Rob Barbato and Orpheo McCord, the sound of the group was almost completely reconfigured. Gone was the mechanical, ramrod-straight alternarock (which in retrospect seems to have run its course), supplanted with a remarkably fluid yet precise psychedelic-flavored approach, full of syrupy atmospherics and potent electric kool-aid punch.

This disc captures both phases of this transition, beginning with an oddity: an audience recording of an intro tape--an instrumental version of "Coming Down," chock-full of slicing hi-end electro percussion and an aggressively repeating guitar riff. Presumably a demo but perhaps one of the unreleased tracks recorded at Chapel Studios in April 2006. The first half also includes a revelatory reading of the "The Boss," performed at Phoenix with a full set of lyrics. The second half focuses on the latter stages of the US tour, as Presley et al explode out of the gate with both new material ("Reformation", "Scenario") and expansive, thrillingly psychotropic takes on previous gems like "What About Us?"

Tracklisting:

01 Coming Down (intro tape)

02 Youwanner

03 Clasp Hands

04 Systematic Abuse

05 The Boss

06 White Line Fever

07 Coming Down > Scenario

08 Pacifying Joint

09 Reformation

10 Midnight In Oldham

11 Mountain Energie

12 What About Us?

13 Bo D

Tracks 01-06: Smith/Poulou/Pritchard/Trafford/Birtwistle

Tracks 08-13: Smith/Poulou/Presley/Barbato/McCord

(all unofficial audience recordings)