Mirror Test

Longtime fans eager to pick up this long out of print post-punk classic are going to get much more than a simple remaster. According to the liner notes, the band was never quite happy with the original recording, so they took this opportunity to actually remix it and shuffle the tracking order, hence the "redux" appended to the title. Having the original LP, I can attest that the mix is a bit on the brittle side, but it's not terrible by any means. So, aside from boosting the volume and beefing up the overall sound with a bit with compression (it's a bit loud but thankfully not brickwalled), the liner notes explain that they also unearthed and/or added some instrumentation that was left off the original mix, which mainly seems to be acoustic guitar strumming, lots of high-hat, and a few random keyboard parts, resulting in a more fleshed-out mix.In most instances, the effect is welcome and fairly unobtrusive; the only real misstep being the radically altered "Summer & Smoke." Originally a spare arrangement with little more than bass, vocals, and piano, they brought in the kitchen sink with this one, including a disconcertingly discordant synth-string part that clashes with the rest of the instrumentation. The track shuffling also takes some getting used to, as it messes with the perfect progression and cohesion of the original. "The Green Years" is a stunningly gorgeous song, but I'm so accustomed to it being toward the end of the album that it's a bit strange having it suddenly come in at track number 4. Likewise, they included contemporaneous bonus material by incorporating it into the album's tracks, rather than tacking it onto the end. "White Russians" b-side "Map of My World" is a great track, but again, it doesn't fit so well placed right smack in the middle of the album when you're not used to it being there.But despite the revisionist approach (harsher critics might called it meddling), this is still an awesome album loaded with the band's trademark dreamy, beautiful, intricate melodies and lush, melancholy atmosphere. Both the original and the redux are consistently engaging, and although the band's line-up changed dramatically prior to this album's creation, the material easily stands up to the two classic albums released by the original line-up. So, if you've got the first two, this one definitely deserves your attention. Easily recommendable to anyone who digs moody post-punk of the Chameleons UK, Joy Division, And Also The Trees, and Cure ilk.