‘Palomine’ – Bettie Serveert (1992)

"Well, I wish I had known you then,

Well, who knows, I might have been a better friend."

Favourite Christmas present of 1992. ("This is very seasonal, Michael.") From my sister. I doubt she remembers it. Would have been plucked from my annual wish list, which was most usually dominated by obscure indie records. Only now have I realised how annoying it must have been for my aunts and uncles trying to find anything from this list in their local Our Price. Putting ‘Pornography’ by The Cure on the list one year probably wasn’t a great idea either.

Every record that found it in to my Yuletide stocking though was much cherished and worth every effort it must have taken to find. ‘Palomine’ in particular (released on 4AD's short-lived spin-off label Guernica). This album, and its accompanying limited edition bonus 7-inch single ‘Brain-Tag’, rarely left my record player the following year. A ridiculous exaggeration, I know, but you get the idea. Carol van Dijk’s stark vocals – at turns mournful and strident – were quite irresistible and the band were never better than on this affecting debut. And how cute’s that toy dog?


No Spotify linky available for this album, so here's the video for the title track ...