This album presents eight tracks from two John Peel sessions from 1992 and 1993 together with the previously unreleased Clockface recorded live in the post-punk band’s home city of Boston in 1991.
Central to Come’s sound is the skronky guitar interplay of Chris Brokaw and songwriter Thalia Zedek which is backed by the bass and drums of Sean O'Brien and Arthur Johnson.
The first session features songs from their debut album, ‘11:11’. The second precedes 1994’s LP ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and two of the tunes (Wrong Side and Mercury Falls) subsequently appeared on that record.
The full-blooded snarl of Dead Molly kicks things off to show that the band have far more in common with the No Wave of NYC than the three chord wonders of 1970s UK Punk rockers.
Zedek’s rebellious howl struggles to be heard in the dense mix but conveys a healthy disdain for restraint. She sings on all tracks apart from City Of Fun on the 1993 session where Brokaw takes on lead vocals for the cover of an Only Ones song.
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The second Peel session is less raw but no less intense. Not for the first time, the stripped down, back to basics sound demanded by the legendary Maida Vale studio plays to the group’s strengths.
The fact that Come supported and toured with bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr tells you a lot about their target audience. This welcome release shows that they deserve to be ranked alongside those mighty peers.
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