Modern Poets – Politics, Poetry, and…

Modern Poets
Politics, Poetry, and…
1990 (no label)
Brisbane, Australia

Jonathan Sargeant – Vocals
Timothy Hills – Guitar, vocals
Ben Thomson – Bass
Phil Neil – Drums

Side 1:

1. She Says
2. Ethic of Love
3. Rock of Strength
4. Crushed
5. Understanding Mary
6. Driving

Side 2:

1. Big Slide
2. Planet Go to Rest
3. Fall From Grace
4. Forest Fire
5. Everything is Fine
6. Epiphany
7. This Burning Town

I can’t seem to find much on this band online, except for a Facebook page which indicates this tape was re-issued on CD recently at a one-off reunion concert. The sound here kind of covers a wide range of late 80s to early 90s alternative rock. They start off with the happy sounding late 80s pop alternative of “She Says” and then jump into the swirling trippy early 90s alternative rock of “Ethic of Love.” I prefer it better when they are doing the trippy swirly stuff, as that reminds me of the type of music The Prayer Chain was kind of doing at this time. But the other stuff is pretty good as well. The tape cover makes it look like the title is Politics, Poetry, and… Chrome – which would have been cool. But apparently chrome is the tape, not the last word in the tape title. Think about your detail placement on covers people! Speaking of the cover, this is hands down the longest cassette cover I have ever seen. Not only does it wrap all the way around the back of the tape (in a tape box that has the spindles missing), there are 7 more panels folded away in addition to the two for the cover (the picture above is just half of it). There also seems to be an earlier 7-inch single for “Red Sun” and “Understanding Mary.” It seems they broke up not long after this release.