One of two long lost Psychic TV albums, back in print. Allegory And Self signaled an unexpectedly poppy new direction for the band. Gone are the anti-rock, anti-punk aesthetics (read: lack of guitar, drums, melody) of Throbbing Gristle and early Psychic TV. Opening couplet “Godstar” and “Just Like Arcadia” are surprisingly catchy, with jangly guitars, bluesy rhythms and poppy vocals not too dissimilar from what bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses were cooking up north in a parallel universe. The album is peppered with a few other bright moments, notably the smudged cassette pop of proto-Ariel Pink jam “We Kiss” and “Baby’s Gone Away” (demos of which appear on the ultra-rare Pagan Day, also reissued), but contains plenty of the post-industrial goth theatrics we expect from Genesis P-Orridge & co. In 1988, Allegory And Self was Psychic TV’s poppiest album to date, until later that year when they dove head-first into acid house on Jack The Tab and Tekno Acid Beat, foreshadowed here on “Ballet Disco” and the Italo-leaning “She Was Surprised.” Reissued for the first time ever on white vinyl as a joint release by Sacred Bones and Dais Records, this pressing is limited to 1500 copies and includes a 16-page booklet of illustrations and liner notes and code for free digital download. Recommended.

• white colored vinyl pressing
• limited edition
• 1500 copies pressed
• digital download included
• music label: Sacred Bones Records 2017

reviewed by peanut dust 07/2017