The Law of Things is the second album by the New Zealand band The Bats, released in 1990.[6][7] It was released by Mammoth Records in the United States.[5]
| The Law of Things | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Recorded | Sept–Oct 1988 | |||
| Genre | Dunedin sound, indie pop, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 38:56 | |||
| Label | Flying Nun Records[1] | |||
| Producer | The Bats, Brent McLachlan | |||
| The Bats chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [4] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10[5] |
The track "Smoking Her Wings" was released as a single, and the album peaked at #38 in the New Zealand charts.[8][9]
Production
editThe album was recorded at Writhe Recording in Wellington, New Zealand, toward the end of 1988.[10] It was produced by Brent McLachlan and the band.[4]
Critical reception
editTrouser Press called the album "monumental," writing: "Capturing all the hooky appeal and personal charm of their first records, it updates the recipe with seven years of instrumental mastery and superior sonics."[11] The New York Times wrote that "the production is raw; the song structures are almost self-consciously unsophisticated - just jaunty guitar riffs, roughshod 4/4 rhythms and, in the more aggressive tracks, base lines that rumble and swell and even drown out the other instruments."[12]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by The Bats/Robert Scott
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Other Side Of You" | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Law Of Things" | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Never Said Goodbye" | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Yawn Vibes" | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Time To Get Ready" | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Ten To One" | 2:38 |
| 7. | "Mastery" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "I Fall Away" | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Cliff Edge" | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Nine Days" | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Bedlam" | 3:28 |
| 12. | "Smoking Her Wings" | 4:37 |
Personnel
edit- Malcolm Grant - drums
- Paul Kean - bass
- Robert Scott - guitar, lead vocals
- Kaye Woodward - guitar, vocals
Also credited:
- Alastair Galbraith - violin (tracks: 1, 4 to 8, 12)
- Brent McLachlan - engineer, co-producer
References
edit- ^ "The Bats - The Law Of Things (2014)". Flying Nun.
- ^ "The Law of Things - The Bats | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 465.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 81.
- ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 31.
- ^ "The Bats | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Kot, Greg (11 December 1992). "BATS ARE FLYING HIGH IN U.S." chicagotribune.com.
- ^ "The Bats". The Bats.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz.
- ^ "The Bats - AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz.
- ^ "Bats". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ Schoemer, Karen (17 August 1990). "Sounds Around Town (Published 1990)". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
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