Underarms

• Artist: The Hope Blister
• Rating:
• Release Date: April 06, 1999
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

Released as part of 4AD's mail order/Internet-only series, Underarms is an engaging and largely instrumental collection of outtakes from the ...smile's ok sessions. Though the debut consisted solely of covers, five of the seven tracks here were written by Hope Blister creator Ivo Watts-Russell, engineer John Fryer, bassist Laurence O'Keefe, and cellist Audrey Riley. The disc provides a darkly ambient companion to ...smile's ok. The gorgeous, minimalist drone to both parts of "Sweet Medicine" provides a cyclical lean, and a couple tracks are downright sinister, on par with any of Main's harrowing soundscapes. "Strings" versions of Neil Halstead's (Slowdive) "Dagger" and David Sylvian's "Let the Happiness In" fill out the disc. Underarms is a small gem -- it's a shame it didn't become more widely available. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Sweet Medicine		The Hope Blister
Friday Afternoon		The Hope Blister
Iota		The Hope Blister
Dagger Strings		The Hope Blister
White on White		The Hope Blister
Sweet Medicine 2		The Hope Blister
Happiness Strings		The Hope Blister

Credits

Audrey Riley (Cello), John Fryer (Musician), Alex Russell (Recording), Ivo Watts-Russell (Producer), Daniel Boom (Mixing), Chris Staley (Musician), Daniel Boom (Recording), Daniel Boom (Musician), Ivo Watts-Russell (Musician), John Fryer (Recording), John Fryer (Mixing), Leo Payne (Violin), Sue Dench (Viola), Chris Tombling (Violin), Chris Staley (Mastering), Paul McMenamin (Graphic Design), Matthew Welch (Photography), Audrey Riley (String Arrangements), Alex Russell (Musician), Laurence O'Keefe (Bass)