Slow Buildings (30th Anniversary Re:Masters) (RSD 25)

Record Store Day ’25 sees Pale Saints complete their series of 30th anniversary reissues with the release of an expanded edition of their third and final album, Slow Buildings. By 1994, they were the quartet of Meriel Barham (vocals / guitar), Chris Cooper (drums), Graeme Naysmith (guitar), and Colleen Browne (bassist), who, having just left The Heart Throbs, replaced founding member Ian Masters. Masters had departed the band to form Spoonfed Hybrid with AC Temple’s Chris Trout.

Primed by the brilliant single “Fine Friend” (a song adapted from 1981’s “Poison in the Airwaves” by Scottish band Persian Rugs), third album Slow Buildings shows the band still venturing forward – this time, keeping the experimentation and guitar fuzz of their early records, whilst opening up their songs so Meriel’s vocals could hit new, pop heights.

As with the 30th anniversary reissues of their previous two albums, this special pressing sees this long-out-of-print record being remastered and expanded to include a wealth of bonus material that’s sure to delight fans. Working with mastering engineer Kevin Vanbergen, this new edition runs over two discs, with the album packaged alongside the Fine Friend EP and a great selection of previously unheard tracks and demos, handpicked by the band.

This special vinyl pressing is being pressed on petrol blue vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve designed by Timothy O’Donnell and Roy Burns III, using the original art photography by Dominic Davies. A record that stands the test of time 30 years on, Slow Buildings is well worthy of reappraisal. This reissue is being released in the memory of Graeme Naysmith.