Name: Bright and Guilty
Brand: The Wolfhounds

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

OPT4048

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Colour

Blue

Colour details

Pale Blue

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Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with 12 Page Booklet.

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-07-29

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5065010051164

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Total Cap

2 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / blue

Artist

The Wolfhounds

Genre GB

Indie Pop / Shoegaze

Label GB

Optic Nerve

Based in Preston in the North West of England, Optic Nerve Recordings is a reissue label specializing in releases from the 80's and 90's. With a passion for preserving and sharing music from these iconic decades, Optic Nerve brings back to life rare and forgotten gems for music enthusiasts to enjoy once again. From indie rock to new wave, their carefully curated collection showcases the diverse sounds that defined an era. Discover timeless classics and hidden treasures as you explore the extensive catalog of Optic Nerve Recordings.

The Wolfhounds are an English indie pop/noise pop band formed in Romford, Essex in 1985. The original lineup consisted of *Dave Callahan*, *Paul Clark*, *Andy Golding*, *Andy Bolton* and *Frank Stebbing*. After disbanding in 1990, the band reunited in 2005 and has since been actively writing, recording, and performing live. They have released new albums in both 2014 and 2016, showcasing their enduring talent and passion for music.
With a unique blend of indie pop and noise pop influences, The Wolfhounds have carved out their own distinct sound within the music industry. Their songs captivate listeners with catchy melodies and thought-provoking lyrics that resonate on a deep level. Known for their energetic live performances, they continue to wow audiences with their dynamic stage presence.
Despite experiencing changes over the years, The Wolfhounds remain committed to creating innovative music that pushes boundaries. Their dedication to their craft is evident through each release, as they consistently deliver high-quality albums that leave a lasting impact on fans old and new alike.

Deluxe reissue of their 1989 sophomore album. Presented in a gloss laminated gatefold sleeve, which features the original LP plus a bonus disc with all the A and B sides, some compilation tracks and an outtake, plus a 12-page booklet containing previously unpublished lyrics and tons of contemporary reviews and photos. Completely remastered for your listening pleasure.

In 1989, while the musical world was fêting serial-killer worshipping noise bands, white boys with dreadlocks and the first glimmers of techno, one band – The Wolfhounds – was describing the times and the country exactly as they were. Or at least as they saw it.

Well, not exactly. The privations of finding enough money to live on, a semi-permanent roof over your head and perhaps the hope of real change were all there in the lyrics along with the multitudinous shards of ideas in the music, both raging and reflective – but there was also a sense of magical realism and authentic personal circumstance imbued in it all.

Formed as a frantic noisy fusion of sixties garage and independent post-punk in Romford in 1984, by 1986 it was the band’s misfortunate to be corralled with the jangly and quirky bands of the era-defining C86 tape, given away free with the NME that year. The frustration of being lumped with the lumpen was already spilling over into a heightened creativity that would see the band release three LPs in 18 months, the first and perhaps most fully realised of which was Bright and Guilty.

The band’s sense of melody saw three singles taken off it, and all received plentiful radio play that resulted in enthusiastic audience responses when the band toured with My Bloody Valentine and the House of Love shortly after the LP came out. This renewed attention also saw them being threatened with legal action by the food company satirically targeted by one of the singles – Happy Shopper.

The band’s magpie listening habits also saw the first glimmers of an interest in sampling with the track Cottonmouth, hip hop in the drum rhythms of Invisible People and Son of Nothing, discordant post- hardcore in Non-specific Song and even percussive hints of Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs in Charterhouse.

The album’s lyrical themes have sustained the relevance of these 30-something year-old songs. The dictatorship of the class system over the economy is touched on in Charterhouse, the unfairness of housing policy in Rent Act and Red Tape Red Light, the desperation of not having enough money to even seek employment in Useless Second Cousin. But there is contemplation and mystery, too: Rope Swing’s nostalgia for pre-teen childhood, Invisible People’s detailing of intangible weaknesses.

Of all their peers, The Wolfhounds post-C86 output stands up straight and proud, and you’ll find echoes of their sound in Fontaines DC, Idles and many others – but not performed with the brashness, vigour and uniqueness of the originals.

Bright and Guilty

Music GB

Buy The Wolfhounds - Bright and Guilty (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.