Nord Express

Nord Express were one of those great groups that somehow seems to slip between the cracks, becoming the favorite of the few folks that come in contact with them, but always remaining a "well-kept secret". It was certainly no fault of the music: Nord's dynamic duo of Rob and Ron worked a somber vein of pop that drew from influences like the Flying Nun label, early Go Betweens, third album VU and Galaxie 500, coming-up with a sound that was at once deep and melodic, drawing in the listener with subtle shifts in sound, not unlike groups like Aden or Bedhead. Add Rob's Peter Jeffries/Leonard Cohen style vocals on top, and you have a potent brew.

This first ep combined cyclical, entrancing folkish tunes like "Around The World" and "The Letter" with more immediate pop songs like "The Natural" to great effect. The back-up vocals from superstar Pam Berry add extra flavor to the proceeedings, and the ace production from Archie Moore teases-out the subtleties of ech song, allowing them to fully develop without becoming to busy or tricky. It's a truly lovely record, and one that grows with each repeated listen. And be sure to also check out their even more ambitious full album Central - it's another lost classic.