The June Brides - There are Eight Million Stories, c.1985

I only ever owned one June Brides record, which I think was No Place Called Home, but alas that's long gone in what was a somewhat over enthusiastic clear out several years ago. I'm very pleased to say that I managed to pick up up a copy of their album There Are Eight Million Stories a couple of weeks ago whilst crate digging in a London record shop ... and what a delight it is to behold. It's quite a short album, and in fact probably qualifies as a mini-album, with just 8 tracks, but what great tracks they are.

Side one kicks off with The Instrumental which is a lovely, slightly lo-fi, indie pop tune, with guitar and trumpet, and vocals, so not instrumental as the title would suggest, and reminiscent of early Orange Juice and Josef K. Track two I Fall  and the third track on side one, Sunday to Saturday, are both near perfect, jangley, catchy, indie pop tunes. And finally on side one we have Sick, Tired and Drunk, which is quite the indie masterpiece with its fast strum guitars and once again the trumpet, reminding me just a little bit of The Teardrop Explodes.

Side two starts with Every Conversation which follows on from where side one left off. Track two, Comfort, has a rockier feel to it that the other tracks and reminds me a little of Tom Verlaine's Television. Track three Heard You Whisper returns back to the indie groove, with its infectious guitar riffs. The final track on this wonderful album is listed on the label but not on the sleeve. When it started playing I thought I recognised it, and sure enough it was a cover version of the Radiators From Space track Enemies, and a pretty darned good cover too.

The version of this wonderful album I found, of which I've shared a couple of pictures below, is the blue sleeve version. It was also released in a red sleeve.

The June Brides - There Are Eight Million Stories

The June Brides - There Are Eight Million Stories

Every track is a winner.