EP Review: 28th Day by 28th Day (1985) (Label: Enigma Records)

28th Day were a (much too) short lived antidote to a College Rock scene that was beginning to get lost around in the vortex of its own importance and a post-punk / new wave scene that was morphing into the ridiculous hairstyles and shoulder pads of everything new romantic..



Fronted by Barbara Manning (latterly World of Pooh and SF Seals) with primary song writing duties held by boyfriend Marquis Cole (latterly Downsiders), this band briefly moved precariously around the fringes of College Rock but welded the foundation of insistent jangling treble guitar to post-punk pounding drums and chunky bass lines. A darker more insistent sound was therefore added to their College Rock sensibilities.

Probably the best example of the sound is the EP's closing track Burnsite (see below) in which Joy Division bass muscle is added to R.E.M tyle jangling sustenance as Manning takes complete control of everything that can occasionally be good about the subtle usage of a vocal echo machine

Burnsite

Despite their obvious poise with the above Post-Punk nuances, the finer moments of the album are in tracks such as Where the Bear Sings (see below) and  Pages Turn where the bass influence is diminished and the jangle is allowed to shine through with beautiful effect. To a certain extent there is an obvious Paisley Underground inflection to these tracks which fortifies an EP that offers so much to many different types of music fan.

   Where The Bears Sing

This was the only release by the band before they all went their separate musical ways. As is the case with many college rock bands their star rises in cycles. As such there was an early 90's release which added a few tracks and then a complete recordings release in 2003.

However having listened to these subsequent releases, the new tracks, most of which are demos/ covers/outtakes, add little to the sheer brilliance of this EP and I would not swap my original vinyl for the world !!!

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