Album Review: The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional

Of all my 'travel albums', the record I was most excited about is Born Sandy Devotional by Australian pop-rock/indie band The Triffids. The oldest album on my list, Born Sandy Devotional was released in 1986 and is considered by many to be a classic. In fact, it seems that out there somewhere are a tiny strand of the population who simply worship this record - just look at the length of this article about it! When my limited edition remastered edition off eBay arrived at home I imagined myself listening to it as I travelled amongst distinctly Australia scenery and expected to return to Britain worshipping the disc myself. I was also enticed by the album's title, which seems to mean everything and nothing at the same time. So, is Born Sandy Devotional a classic?

The first thing to note about this album is that it takes several listens to get into, as it is rather strange. This is partly because of frontman David McComb's vocals - he announces the lines more than he sings them - but is primarily due to the cryptic and often bizarre lyrics. What does the refrain of "sleep no more, sleep is dead" on Estuary Bed mean? Who is the chicken killer of track three and why are the children singing "here he comes the chicken killer again?" And if you are going to attempt to decipher the seven minute Stolen Property, then I wish you the best of luck with that. Although the lyrics can be confusing, there are some clear themes that run throughout the album. It's a record of despair, longing, distance, and barren Australian landscapes.

The album does begin in a pretty classic manner. Opener The Seabirds is a compelling narrative with some memorable lines and is followed by the melodic and catchy Estuary Bed. The baffling Chicken Killer is next, and whilst not in the same calibre as the first two tracks, it continues the impressive pace the record has kicked off with. Unfortunately, Born Sandy Devotional then starts to lose its way and never really regains any momentum. Keyboardist Jill Birt takes the mic for Tarrilup Bridge, which is atmospheric but forgettable. Lonely Stretch is the most straightforward song on here, it's a tale of getting lost on the spookiest of back roads, with the line "I took a wrong turn off an unmarked track, took a wrong turn couldn't find my way back" sung with an appropriate degree of panic. It's an enjoyable song, but it lasts a little too long and the big ending just isn't that big, one of many examples of how this record sounds its age. Coming in right at the heart of the album is Wide Open Road, the most famous track off Born Sandy Devotional and the only one I had heard prior to this trip. And it's a classic. The song conjures up images of travelling across barren stretches of sparsely populated, sun baked land with its expansive sound, pounding drums, and powerful lyrics. Wide Open Road is surely the soundtrack to rural Australia. Frustratingly, The Triffids fail to capitalize on the momentum initiated by Wide Open Road, as the following two songs - Life of Crime and Personal Things - feature confusing lyrics and leave me questioning their purpose. The penultimate track, Stolen Property, is not bad but doesn't feel nearly as epic as it is supposed to, again probably because the music hasn't aged that well. That leaves Tender Is The Night, sung by Jill Birt, her voice works well on this one and it is a nice song that ends a somewhat pessimistic record on an uplifting note.

So there we have it. I want to love this album, I really do. However, in reality there are a few songs here I love, but just as many I merely like, and as many again that don't really do anything for me at all. A classic? Not in my opinion. An essential Australian album? Certainly.

7/10