Blow Away Your Troubles

Said at the time to have been \"recorded on a hand-cranked, mud-cooled, reel-to-reel, sound-on-sound tape recorder,\" the early works of Martin Newell and his Cleaners from Venus represent the very best of the quirky lo-fi tape community that was sprouting up everywhere in the backs of alternative music magazines in the early \'80s. There\'s plenty of quirk in Newell\'s songs—weird noises that poke through the primitive performances—but what holds them together is a beautiful sense of melody. \"Marilyn on a Train,\" \"Helpless,\" \"Modern TV,\" and \"Winter in the Country\" have a wistful presence that back in those days felt like a postcard from the British Isles from a lonely Soft Boys/Ray Davies/XTC fan. Sometimes it\'s a wonder these songs hold together as well as they do; they sound so fragile. Harmonies slide into view, as bass lines have a likably basic feel and guitars chime like no one wanted to disturb the neighbors. This is an expanded version of the original album, with a wealth of surprises.

Cleaners From Venus, the lo-fi pop project of the English musician Martin Newell, offered a mix of rough edges, distanced vocals, definite hooks, and unexpected mixing choices. This box set features the first three 1980s cassette-only efforts with liner notes, flyers, buttons, and unreleased tracks and photos.

Discover Blow Away Your Troubles by Cleaners from Venus released in 1981. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.