The Triffids/ Best of The Triffids

The Triffids
Best of The Triffids
(Domino)

Since 2006 The Triffids' back catalogue has been gradually re-released, and this single disc Best Of is being put out alongside another nine discs of remastered melancholy to mark the end of the series. Like the closing moments of a firework display, this is the final blow-out.
The work here really is quite overwhelming, without even mentioning the extras. No longer does it seem acceptable to just own a charity shop copy of Born Sandy Devotional.
Things are organised chronologically, with hits 'Wide Open Road' and 'Save What You Can' acting as bookends. Unfortunately, as the years progress through the compilation, both sound and production become increasingly dated. By the time we get to their 1986 album In The Pines, the sound of touring peers Echo And The Bunnymen begins to drip through the music. Occasionally, the band would attempt sustained distortion. Today these experimental tendencies will be forever shadowed by Kevin Shields’ extended ventures.
Throughout the '80s, Aussie bands would find favour in the warm embrace of the British music press, while bemoaning the pub-rock tradition of the Australian pop charts. Now, listening to their hits back-to-back just tells how far removed this little island is from our Antipodean relatives of the 1980s. The ballads are so sweet and loving it seems impossible to comprehend a world where this isn’t accepted. Along with their music, The Triffids have filled the silence with the lasting impression of their drama.