Fruits de Mer Records June 7" Releases Reviewed

I was lucky enough to receive a bundle of  four promos for Fruits de Mer's June releases in the post today and thought I'd share their contents with you.
As is the norm with this exceptional label, they're all 7" singles, the format of kings, and they're due out in the next few weeks.
You can pre-order them at www.fruitsdemerrecords.com. These releases are all very limited edition runs with no CDs or downloads so don't dilly dally or you will miss out ( and we don't want that ). There are generally less than a thousand copies of each title pressed and it's not unusual for them to sell out as pre-orders before the release date.

First up we've got a new single from the legendary Pretty Things, and rather good it is too. The a-side is a live take of "Honey, I Need" recorded in 2010 - there's a full album coming from this gig too, "The Pretty Things 1st Album Live at the 100 Club".
The b-side is an even bigger find - a newly surfaced acetate of a 1965 demo - "I Can Never Say". Lovely.
While you're at it check out "Sorrow's Children", a fabulous tribute to the Pretty Thing's "S.F Sorrow" also on Fruits de Mer ( if you're lucky enough to find a copy ).

Next up we have a split 7" from the Baking Research Station and Cranium Pie. It turns out that the Baking Research Station is made up of members of Cranium Pie which is a bit sneaky, but their take on the classic Egg track "A Visit to Newport Hospital" is so terrifyingly deranged that I'm loathe to make an issue of it. Fans of seventies Italian horror soundtracks and Deram prog of the more loopy variety will eat this up. Ditto for the b-side on which Cranium Pie pay tribute to Arzachel's " Queen St Gang". Definitely one to listen to with the lights on.

There's also a new 7" from the Lucid Dream combining their own "Hits Me Like I'm Stoned" with an excellent cover of "Try a Little Sunshine", originally by obscure UK psych freakbeat favorites The Factory.
It's psychedelia of a more modern vintage, fusing the drive of Spaceman 3 with the pleasing jangle of the Byrds. Extra points awarded for infusing "Try a Little Sunshine" with enough of their own identity to make it sound like one of their songs.

Last but certainly not least we've got my pick of the bunch, an old favorite by Nick Nicely. NME proclaimed "Hilly Fields (1892)" to be "the best psych single since the 60's" and who am I to argue? Side one of this treat features the original 1982 version in all it's glory while Side two features "Hilly Fields (The Mourning)" a brand new reimagining which ditches the cellos in favor of more acoustic guitars and a whole lot of melancholy.


Thanks to Keith from Fruits de Mer Records for the promo goodies.