The Terminals, Touch (side A)

New Zealand's Terminals' first EP and album emphasized their 60s garage influences with a more melodic approach.  1992's Touch brought line-up changes that moved the band into a darker, heavier space.  The more chaotic influence of Pere Ubu became more obvious, and Peter Stapleton's work with brooding, introspective groups like Flies Inside the Sun and Dadamah might also have affected the group's direction.  Brian Crook, from the Renderers and Scorched Earth Policy, joined on second guitar, and brought a powerful interplay with Stephen Cogle.  Touch captures an incredibly powerful band combining rock, post-punk, and a trace of noise into a distinctive sound.  The songwriting, singing (mostly Cogle, with a few songs by Crook), and playing are consistently remarkable throughout Touch.  The sound quality is never pristine and I always wish for more high-end air, but it sounds good enough to capture the band's magic, and it never gets in the way.  Kim Pieters's cover painting perfectly reflects the group's beauty and also its dark energy.