ex norwegian / permanent clear light

A most unexpected joy found waiting on our welcome mat as we stepped in from the Autumnal snap after a day’s 9 to 5 drudgery. Fruits de Mer veer into the year-end celebrations with news of some killer releases waiting in the wings to grace their enviable roster, both the Chemistry Set and Michael Padilla outings, due very early 2016, have, I can tell you, been holding our stereophonic player to ransom since arriving last week. The same can be said for a superb Jack Ellister set while the anticipation of the long known about ‘Bowie’ covers subscribers freebie, has had us pacing to and forth to the letterbox with the kind of expectant eagerness afforded to a child at Christmas. And then there’s this. With a slated release date poised for Christmas Day and pressed up on a strictly limited 50 only lathe cut 7 inch, the last official FdM release of the year looking like creating a collectors feeding frenzy when it goes on sale. A split single no less with familiar favourites Permanent Clear Light sharing groove space with Ex Norwegian for what is a very special outing. Ex Norwegian open the event, a cover of an old String Driven Thing tune made famous by a on the decline Bay City Rollers in the latter half of the 70’s, left in the hands of these Miami Beach based dudes ‘it’s a game’ assumes a sunny sided effervescence that shimmers with a Raspberries like pristine pop toning, add in the psych phasing trims and a shading of 60’s day-glo’ing replete with a smarting power popping pout and you have yourself an acutely infectious vintage stirred superbly in a Flamin Groovies meets the Velvet Crush fashioning. Over on the flip, Permanent Clear Light take time out from putting the finishing coat on their second album ‘the other side of life’ to adore this lathe grooved platter with the self penned ‘Corneville Skyline’. A deliciously dreamy slice of psych tinged woozy pastoral loveliness which upon first listens loiters blissfully on the steps of XTC’s  ‘oranges and lemons’ yet on repeat listens radiantly reveals itself as a Pretty Things peculiar resulting from a  studio love in with Arthur Lee’s Love with both gathering parties lazing beneath the softening shade glow of the A side of the Beatles ‘Magic Mystery Tour.