Reatarded

Matador Singles '08
Jay Reatard
Matador, 2008
4 stars

The incredibly inventively-titled Matador Singles '08 compiles a bunch of 7" singles that this prolific Memphis punk-rocker put out earlier this year. At the time most of these sold out quick-smart, so this compilation is a great way for those of us who don't fetishize vinyl to score the lot of them at once. Reatard is a genuine talent - with his debut LP Blood Visions he showed a real knack for combining raw garage aesthetic and pop smarts, and with this collection of songs he shows that his pool of ideas is faring well. As well as his own terrific singles (opening track See Saw is a standout) he covers Deerhunter's Fluorescent Grey - a nice pairing, as Reatard and Deerhunter brainchild (and fellow Blogger) Bradford Cox seem to share an inability to not make and continually release great music. Reatard (actual name Jay Lindsey) plans to record his new album in January next year, and if this is anything to go by it's going to be a ripper.

Artwork: B+
Dudes (I think they're the other band-members) piss-farting around with a bunch of Jay Reatard singles. That in itself is punk - those things are worth a fucking mint!

Published in mX, Thursday November 27, 2008.