The Fatal Shore / Dim Locator

Setting The Sails For El Dorado

The Fatal Shore

Moloko+ PLUS 074

“This CD is fondly dedicated to the memory of Bruno Adams” says the booklet, with Bruno and Phil Shoenfelt both contributing guitar and vocals and Chris Hughes providing drums and percussion. The Fatal Shore have released 3 CDs but “Setting The Sails…” predates them all, consisting of covers recorded at the Delta Club in Prague in Spring 1997.  With Adams dying recently this CD is his epitaph. The vocal on Wild In The Wind is more convincing than when Bowie crooned it on Station To Station. If You Go Away demonstrates the clarity and precision of the bands under-stated production, and emphasises Phil and Bruno’s contrasting vocals and some vintage ‘50’s clean-cut electric guitar. Fred Neil’s Dolphins gets a respectful treatment but Bird On A Wire suffers from being the fourth song in row taken at the same medium-slow pace. The verses of My Death benefit from a bit more oomph, knocking the overcooked Bowie version into a Belgian waffle. Who’s Bin Talking leads with some vintage Duane Eddy guitar and reminds me of Thunders’ similar Copy Cats (A Very Good Thing). Simple, subtle and never overstaying its welcome, “Setting The Sails…” is both a worthy way to remember Bruno Adams and a good way to greet The Fatal Shore.

I Ate The Knife / Undone

Dim Locator

Cover Recordings

Phil Shoenfelt’s latest venture is Dim Locator, who feature on this vinyl tribute to Rowland S. Howard. It’s a Drum and Bass record: I Ate The Knife is driven by Dave Allen’s slow and intense bass, Undone is a livelier affair featuring Chris Hughes’ cyclical drumming whilst leaving room for Shoenfelt’s vocals, which here have a dark gravity reminiscent of (unsurprisingly) Nick Cave. A promising debut.