Review Revue: The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder

Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the '80s and '90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.

Every once in a while an album comes along that so impresses the DJs that they find themselves with nothing to say. Or, almost nothing. Until someone points it out and then everyone gets all gushy. Such was the case with the second (and sort-of final?) album from Liverpudlian psych/pop/post-punk band The Teardrop Explodes. It's unclear if any of these folks were familiar with the band already - the very clear demarcation of band name vs. album title on the cover suggests otherwise - but they certainly fell hard for Wilder.

The Teardrop Explodes hasn't existed for a long time, but you might recognize the name Julian Cope, whose long and multifaceted career more or less began here. Cope released two albums via his label Head Heritage last year and published a "time-shifting gnostic hooligan road novel" in 2014, so clearly his creative drive hasn't slowed one iota.

"What, no comments on this fabulous album!!!!!!?????? Play 'Culture Bunker,' 'Pure Joy,' 'Passionate Friend,' and everything else!"

"(P.S. Do it now!)"

"WOW!"

"Uh, left us all speechless . . ."

"FUCKING AMAZING"