Unreadable Communication - Anxious Recordings 1991-1993: Clamshell Box

British alternative group Curve had a commanding, undeniably original sound that combined sweet yet scathing vocals and pop melodies with harsh, noisy guitars and dance beats. The band appeared in the early 90s with several buzzed-about EPs and a debut album that nearly hit the U.K. Top 20, and released several singles that achieved alternative radio and club play, while the group toured with the likes of Spiritualized and the Jesus and Mary Chain. They disbanded in 1994, and by the time they resurfaced later in the decade, groups like Garbage and Republica had scored major radio hits that seemed to be heavily informed by Curves particular electronic-rock hybrid, but much more accessible. Cherry Reds four-CD box set Unreadable Communication gathers pretty much everything Curve released during their original run, when they were signed to Anxious Records, the label owned by Eurythmics Dave Stewart. (Stewart had mutually introduced Curves Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia in the 80s, and they originally collaborated together in the short-lived State of Play.) The only thing missing is Radio Sessions, a compilation of the bands two Peel Sessions, which was given a limited release in 1993 and hasnt resurfaced since. Everything on this box set was already reissued when Curve released deluxe two-CD editions of their out-of-print first two albums in 2017. For any fans who didnt pick those up, or newer listeners who havent made the dive into the bands catalog yet, this is an entirely worthwhile purchase. The set starts out with the groups early EPs, which were compiled in North America as Pubic Fruit, plus a few B-sides. Doppelganger, the bands first and best album, is appended with tracks from the magnificent "Horror Head" single, plus a riveting cover of Donna Summers "I Feel Love." The harder-edged, sometimes borderline-industrial second album Cuckoo similarly gains a handful of non-album goodies. The final disc gathers two electrifying live performances as well as remixes and single versions. These include a mesmerizing ten-minute Future Sound of London remix (Halliday later guested on the duos classic Lifeforms), a more downtempo Trent Reznor and Flood version of the jackhammering single "Missing Link," and one of the first remixes Aphex Twin ever did, which of course sounds nothing like its source material. ~ Paul Simpson