Shriekback

Shriekback resists straightforward categorization more than most groups. Although funk elements informed much of their approach, the band pursued an agenda that favored introspection over dance-floor energy. Synthesizers and drum machines were fused with pulsating bass lines and unconventional vocal deliveries, conjuring an ancient atmosphere in which distinctions between human and animal dissolved. Their fourth album, Big Night Music, supplied perhaps the clearest encapsulation of this sensibility: the music served as fitting accompaniment to nocturnal existence, stressing latent potential instead of peril. Frequently eerie without qualifying as gothic, the recordings periodically allowed pop and dance inflections to emerge. Even as greater accessibility developed, an enduring aura of enigma kept the band elusive. Any assessment of their trajectory is further hindered by the absence of one standout album that gathered their strongest attributes; instead, peak tracks are distributed across ten years marked by extensive stylistic shifts.

The group formed in 1981 as an informal collective centered on the core trio of Dave Allen on bass, Barry Andrews handling keyboards and vocals, and Carl Marsh contributing vocals and guitar. Allen and Andrews had prior experience with Gang of Four and XTC, respectively, while Marsh had worked with the lesser-known Out on Blue Six. They rapidly forged a signature sound largely disconnected from those earlier affiliations. Allen’s robust yet fluid bass work formed the foundation, advancing well beyond his earlier, more rudimentary contributions with Gang of Four. Layered above were inventive and detailed drum programming, Andrews’ layered synthesizer textures, Marsh’s precisely placed rhythm guitar, and contrasting vocals that ranged from Andrews’ hushed delivery to Marsh’s melodic lines. Technical limitations in both voices were offset by the ensemble’s cohesive execution and its thoughtful, incisive lyrics.

Their debut appeared as the six-song EP Tench on the English Y label in 1982. The following year brought the LP Care, also issued on Y, which included the near-hit “Lined Up” that introduced many listeners to the band. Warner Brothers acquired and released Care in the U.S. with a revised track sequence and two substitute songs, among them the polyrhythmic “My Spine (Is the Bass Line).”

Despite critical praise and notable airplay on college and early modern-rock stations, Warner Brothers deemed the results insufficient, dropping the band and deleting Care soon after its American release. Consequently, the 1984 follow-up Jam Science appeared solely in Europe on Arista. More polished, less atmospheric, and more reliant on electronics than Care, it featured the dub-tinged single “Hand on My Heart.”

Much of the early catalog is most conveniently found on two inaccurately titled yet essential Kaz Records CDs. The Best of Shriekback: The Infinite draws seven tracks from Care, three from Tench, and the single “Working on the Ground.” The Best of Shriekback Volume Two: Evolution adds one further Care selection, five from Jam Science, and a selection of remixes and B-sides.

Near the close of the Jam Science sessions, drummer Martyn Barker joined to make Shriekback a quartet, though the lineup soon reverted to a trio when Carl Marsh exited during the recording of the third album. Andrews assumed sole vocal duties, and guitarist Lu Edmonds joined, imparting a harder-edged quality to Oil and Gold, released in 1985. Tracks such as “Malaria” and “Nemesis” delivered greater rock intensity than prior work, expanding the audience considerably. The Island Records U.S. edition of Oil and Gold achieved solid sales.

Two further Island albums followed in the 1980s. Big Night Music in 1986 centered on the trio of Allen, Andrews, and Barker, supplemented by additional musicians including guitarist Mike Cozzi, keyboardist Steve Halliwell, and backing vocalists Wendy and Sarah Partridge. Extending the trajectory toward broader appeal, the album favored a more natural sound anchored in live percussion. Shriekback appeared positioned for unexpected mainstream success, yet Allen left prior to Go Bang! (1988), an album that met with lukewarm responses from reviewers and listeners alike. Some cited the missing foundation of Allen’s distinctive bass, while others pointed to uneven songwriting that included an ill-considered cover of KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight.”

Shriekback seemed to have concluded its run, vanishing from view in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their sole release in that interval was the 1990 compilation The Dancing Years. Allen, Andrews, and Barker reconvened in 1992, however, to produce the strong Sacred City, which essentially resumed the direction established on Big Night Music. Another extended hiatus followed until the band resurfaced in 2000; Andrews, Barker, Edmonds, and two new members issued Naked Apes and Pond Life on Australia’s Mushroom label. That release inaugurated an active decade that included studio albums such as Having a Moment, Cormorant, and Glory Bumps—the last two functioning essentially as Andrews solo efforts—along with multiple compilation projects. The self-released Life in the Loading Bay appeared in 2010, followed by Without Real String or Fish in 2015.