Homespun

Subtitled The Apple Venus Volume One Home Demos, this is essentially a companion piece to Apple Venus Volume One, XTC’s rather brilliantly conceived record which was released earlier this year. As the title suggests, this collection consists of first take demo versions as well as more advanced arrangements of the songs that appeared on that highly acclaimed release.

Despite the fact that all of the songs here were recorded in the homes of the band members, it all sounds pretty wonderful and surprisingly complete. The one thing you can be certain of where XTC are concerned is that they don’t take the easy option when it comes to arrangements – whether it’s the complex orchestrations of ‘River Of Orchids’, the eastern ragga sounds of ‘Greenman’ or the Beatlesque harmonies on ‘I’d Like That’.

There are plenty of other gems to savour here: ‘Fruit Nut’ sounds like classic Move, ‘I Can’t Own Her’ with its lush strings and melancholy mood is suitably epic while ‘The Last Balloon’ is as mellow and gorgeous as anything they’ve done in the past.

Weird certainly, but wonderful all the same.