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The Bats
At The National Grid Reviews
"At The National Grid hardly sounds like the work of a band emerging
from a decade-long hiatus. After spending the prior 10 years defining
the jangle wing of the then de rigueur Zealand pop sound, many assumed
the Bats had quietly disbanded. Grid celebrates the virtues of patience.
Most of its tracks sport the same folk-laced fireside charm as the Bats'
earliest work, yet somehow sidestep rehash. Scott's and guitarist Kaye
Woodward's voices have aged into wonderful harmonic foils, converting
an early band weakness into a newfound strength. Importantly, Grid weaves
in aspects of the dronescapes that marked a departure on 1995's excellent
Couchmaster, offering relief from the upbeat 4/4 docket that at times
nudged the Kiwis' mid-life outings toward sameness. During their respite,
an import-only greatest hits package flawlessly bundled the Bats' indispensable
highs. Improbably, At The National Grid holds up as a fitting companion
piece. "- Glen Sarvady CMJ
"It’s been a strangely seismic year for the Oceanian music scene:
The Go-Betweens launched one of their semi-annual reunions, the Tall Dwarfs
mounted a U.S. tour, and a sadly truncated INXS attempted to renovate
itself on network television. Seemingly popping out of nowhere, New Zealand’s
Bats have returned, wielding their first album in a decade. The Bats At
The National Grid is a bit of a shock, not because of any major musical
changes (the band’s jangling purr remains intact), but because it sounds
oddly contemporary—the kind of docile rock that would make Sub Pop’s post-Shins
A&R team slobber. On tranquil acoustic numbers “Bells” and “Western
Isles,” Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward’s voices fasten together beautifully,
practically strumming the guitars for them; but when At The National Grid
turns frantic (as on “Horizon,” the record’s best track), those same vocals
turn defiant, backed by increasingly ramshackle fuzz-guitar asides. That
the Bats can churn out such an alternately haunting and heartfelt collection
in their 23rd year is a testament to their indefatigable skills. It’s
also a good reason to harass them into getting together again before another
decade passes" = Magent magazine
"The Bats' first album in ten years starts off perfectly with the
low-key "Western Isles," with Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward
singing delicate harmonies while the guitars gently hum behind them. It
is a lovely welcome back, and not only do they pick up where they left
off, At the National Grid may be their best album since Daddy's Highway.
If you know your New Zealand pop or college rock history, that's really
saying something. That record was a masterpiece of understated emotion
that sounded completely unique and true. This record is lighter in tone,
more cleanly recorded, and almost as powerful. The songs are perhaps the
most diverse-sounding batch they have released yet, ranging from the slow-burning
"Pre War Blues" and the noisy instrumental "Hubert"
to the sweet-as-pie "Bells," the clattering indie rocker "Things,"
and the bouncy "Flowers & Trees." Of course, they all sound
like the Bats, with Scott's fragile but forceful vocals, the jangling,
intertwining guitars from Scott and Woodward, Paul Kean's melodic and
up-front bass, Malcolm Grant's simple but rock-solid drumming, and — above
all — poignant and lively songwriting. In fact, Robert Scott is at the
top of his considerable talents here, crafting tunes that linger long
after the record is over. Maybe that is one of the benefits of taking
ten years off. Woodward's one song, the surging drone rocker "Mir,"
is a gem, too, and her vocal harmonies are as sparkling as ever. In fact,
the whole band is as sparkling as ever, and having the group back at such
a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream.
Indeed, after 23 years with the same lineup and after having taken ten
years off, you would expect a band to come back and rest on its laurels
(see Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.), playing the old hits to the faithful. Not
the Bats. Thank Christchurch for that! " - All Music Guide Review
by Tim Sendra
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