One of the most fondly-remembered homegrown acts of the ’90s and a band hotly-tipped for international success, Blink somehow managed to miss world domination. It wasn’t for want of great songs and a reputation as a blistering live act. Twenty years since the release of their debut album, Map of The Universe (and hot on the heels of a recent comeback gig), this 19-track compilation features the best of the band’s output, along with a couple of previously unreleased tracks.
Their strength was in crafting terrifically catchy, irresistibly effervescent tunes with quirky lyrics and ambitious arrangements. One of their best, ‘Going To Nepal’, from their debut, combines jerky syncopation and dense keyboard textures, with an insistent melody and memorable lyrics. ‘Cello 20’ blends a Happy Mondays-style rhythm section with atmospheric strings while the bright, shiny pop of ‘That Was A Happy Day’ is another gem and should have been a smash hit. They could be angry and defiant too, as on ‘It’s Not My Fault’ (also from the debut) where frontman Dermot Lambert pleads, “don’t hate me cos I hate myself”).
If anything, they were just a tad too stylistically diverse for their own good – they sound like a completely different band, for example, on the jangly, mid-tempo ‘To Go’ from their second album The Sound Of Sadness, while ‘Dead Little Bird’ combines grungy guitars with high-pitched vocals. Of the unreleased tracks, ‘Can’ is a propulsive, almost U2-esque rocker while the trippy ‘Billy’ similarly ignites into a whirlwind of distorted guitars and voice. With liner notes by 2fm’s Dan Hegarty and a hilarious essay from our own Olaf Tyaransen, Catch That Moment is not only a great listen but a great read too – and a memorable look back at one of our finest bands.
OUT NOW.