MELBOURNE REPORT

The Sweets of Sin The Sweets of Sin Jarra Hill JHR-201 1 (through Larrikin)

THE Sweets of Sin is the first band for awhile that has had any idea what to do with computer instruments.Not for them the easy solutions, either the great - washes of string-like sounds or mechanical percussion sounds of all the other records. Instead they weave each new sound into a sparkling web of sound that is both pop and something more. Between them, the improbably named Frank Mankyboddle, Steve Z, and Daniel O'Shea Clements also play guitar, saxophones, french horn, flute, clarinet, and drums. The result is beyond comparison. although the early experimental records of 10CC come to mind. The Sweets of Sin choose a different tone for each song and push their ideas as far as they will go. The result is aural cabaret, a circus of pleasant surprises. One Question: why is one lyric written in German and another in Arabic? What are we supposed to know about these people?

Buy The Sweets of Sin and try to guess what this English-group is really on about.

Bruce Gillespie