The Rip - Complete Recordings (1984-1987)

The Rip was Alastair Galbraith's first band; formed along with Robbie Muir--later of the excellent Plagal Grind--and Jeff Harford of Bored Games, the trio released two EPs on Flying Nun in the mid 80s. I've collected them here for your listening convenience (and I hope enjoyment as well!) 1984's 'A Timeless Peace' and 1987's 'Stormed Port' are similar musically, showcasing Galbraith's delicate compositional gifts and songwriting ability. The Rip's recordings could be described as folk-inflected, Barrett-esque jangle-pop, featuring lovely, ethereal melodies accented by Galbraith's distinctively haunting violin. At times they are very reminiscent of the classical minimalism of the Verlaines' early singles and EPs, and that's always a good thing. Expect a veritable deluge of Xpressway-related material soon, Mr. Galbraith's work included, in addition to a thorough overview of that other very talented set of brothers, Graeme and Peter Jefferies.

Here is a very good interview with Alastair Galbraith in which he discusses the Rip, Xpressway, Plagal Grind, and much more. Enjoy!

- Ariel

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A Timeless Peace (1984)
- Holy Room
- De Reszke & Dylan
- Wow
- Up and Wow

Stormed Port (1987)
- River Chasm
- Starless Road
- Stormed Port
- Entropic Carol
- Wrecked We Hymn