Every song is a gem in the rough and The Painted Word (titled like a Tom Wolfe book and originally released in 1984 by Illuminated Records) is a near perfect album of jangly riffing guitars, organ chords, freaky tambourines, and VU-like drumming combined with resonant, detached, often wounded romantic lyrics.
Can you believe that Dan Treacy writes and sings with even more Britishness than Ray Davies? Or is Dan Treacy the UK\’s version of Jonathan Richman as played by Ray Davies?
Is Dan Treacy one of Britain\’s last great songwriters?
The Painted Word travels into post punk psychedelia and it\’s easy to hear similarities with Swell Maps, the Only Ones and the Modern Lovers.
But The Painted Word is also a very DIY punk album.
The Painted Word actually features for the first time a band photo (even if only a dark, fuzzy one) on the front cover.
The Painted Word is a stark, heartfelt album made by a vulnerable and damaged genius and an amateurish band offering loads of brilliantly adapted pop-art weirdness.
The Painted Word is a dark, hauntingly beautiful masterpiece.
Battles, Black Dice, Crystal Stilts and MGMT have been showing love and support: are you gonna do the same?\”The Painted Word alongside Big Star’s Sister Lovers, and any one of Nick Drake’s LPs, is one of the best emotionally introspective records I’ve ever heard. Dan Treacy’s songs tear me apart. This is their finest moment. Both the humour and tragedy of the songs are beautiful.\” (Alan McGee).