Original Mirrors - Original Mirrors (1980)
Who, then, are Original Mirrors, and why have you never heard of them? And moreover, why should you care?
Primarily, the Original Mirrors will be forever remembered as an early vehicle for the songwriting and producing talents of pop-obsessed Scouse genius Ian Broudie, who later founded the Lightning Seeds. Prior to the Original Mirrors, Broudie had been a member of Big in Japan, along with Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson.
The remainder of the band's members had great pedigree too, though; lead vocalist Steve Allen had been in art-punk outfit Deaf School, while drummer Pete Kircher had enjoyed chart success a decade earlier as one-fifth of Honeybus, who are one of my all-time favourite Sixties bands.
The first album from this Liverpool-based quintet disappeared without trace in 1980, despite being championed heavily by the late John Peel. It resurfaced briefly in the mid-90s as a CD reissue (bundled with 1981's follow-up Heart, Twango And Rawbeat). Perhaps it was re-released in order to capitalise on the success of The Lightning Seeds; we shall never know either way because, just like the original albums, it disappeared as quickly as it resurfaced, which is how I came to pay a hefty twenty quid for it on mail order, just to hear a band I'd never heard, solely on the strength of my appreciation of Broudie and Kircher's previous and future efforts. I'm pleased to say, though, that the gamble paid off.
Track one, Sharp Words, starts the album with the band already in fifth gear. It's a punchy little number with some frantic octave bass work and some hypnotic drumming, which serves to introduce us properly to the rhythm section before the rest of the band properly get a look in, and well they might, because they really are one of the best rhythm sections I've ever heard – no-one misses a single beat. Some wilfully angular lyrics add a sense of avant-garde nonsense, although vocalist Steve Allen seems at times like he's taking it all rather too seriously. There's also some 60s organ in there for a bit of vintage flavour, but the overall feel of the track is fresh and invigorating.
The second song starts with some U2-esque delayed guitar and a droning male chorus, in fact it's only when the vocals come in that it you fall in and realise that that it's actually a very clever reinvention of the Supremes' 1967 smash hit Reflections. I think it's the only time I've heard an all-male band cover the Supremes, and it's a brave move that really actually works quite well. The production literally shimmers, although the vocals go a bit OTT in places again. Interestingly enough, the 'beeping' intro from the Supremes version even puts in a cameo in a very subtle nod to the original, and is perhaps one of the earliest examples of sampling in pop music that I can recall. Reflections really should have been the hit of the album, but then all things being fair, the Original Mirrors really should have had a share of the early 80s limelight.
The Boys, The Boys (hey, nice title, lads) picks up where Sharp Words left off, stylistically speaking, although for me things don't really get going until the ska-styled outro, which kicks like a mule and introduces us to Chris Hunter's excellent saxophone work. There's more of the same on the slower, atmospheric Flying, possibly my favourite cut of the whole album, where the vocal slowly transforms into a gorgeous sax solo which reminds me of the lush fadeout on Hazel O'Connor's 'Will You' from the film Breaking Glass.
Side One finishes on another energetic note with Chains Of Love, which, despite some dated keyboard sounds, doesn't drop a single beat and would have actually been quite cutting-edge back in 1980. It would probably have been a hit had Duran Duran recorded it, but maybe Original Mirrors never got the same kind of exposure. Kircher's metronomic drum work is a particular highlight here; when closely examined, it's clear that he doesn't try to dominate proceedings, preferring to scatter his trademark rock-solid beat with some very intricate drum fills.
The galloping Could This Be Heaven, which was released as a single, starts side Two off in a suitably pacey fashion without copying anything we've already heard, but sounds ever-so-slightly camp when viewed through modern eyes; it reminds me of those all-too-energetic unsigned bands you used to see on Summertime Special in the early 80s but could never remember the name of. It's not an unpleasant song, by any means, but the next one, Boys Cry, I found a bit uninspiring. It rips off a number of very familiar rock and roll riffs, and the wolf-whistle in the instrumental break really stinks the place out, but if it's the album's only true low point, then it shouldn't put you off.
Night Of The Angels is possibly the least accessible track on an album otherwise full of instant pop gems, sounding perhaps a bit like the kind of thing Soft Cell would release a couple of years later, but it's an excellent track all the same. Momentum is restored with the penultimate track Panic In The Night, which contains more saxophones and some excellent call-and-response vocals from the band, who all contribute backing vocals elsewhere around the album. The set closer, Feel Like A Train, sounds quite unlike anything else on the album, and may well have sat more comfortably on the second album, and leaves things on a bit of an anti-climax for my personal tastes.
I actually think the Original Mirrors were way ahead of their time, but sadly the album has dated rather badly as a result of employing 1980's cutting-edge technology. Original Mirrors is an excellent debut album, which should have established the group firmly as a fixture in the early 80s, and it's not entirely clear to me why they weren't bigger. It is, however, a difficult piece of work to review! It seems to want to defy categorisation, but then it's probably not fair to try and pigeonhole bands, who – let's face it - spend their lives wanting to be accepted on their own terms.
Certainly, all of the songs possess an infectious energy and are tightly played by a very lean and efficient band where there's absolutely no room for dead weight, even if Allen's vocal delivery sometimes goes a bit 'showbiz' for my liking. For all my occasional complaints about his delivery, he is a very talented vocalist with an interesting style. Broudie's influence reveals a deep love of power-pop, but fans of Three Lions, Change or What If... should not expect an album of lost Lightning Seeds gems.
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