Record Reviews
Out Of The Darkness
By René Schaefer
Ups & Downs’ new compilation provides a glimpse of what might’ve been, writes RENÉ SCHAEFER.
[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.] Ups & Downs are an interesting case study of timing being crucial to the rise and fall of a band. Formed in 1983, they soon fled the oppressive environs of their native Brisbane (aka “Joh-town”) for the more amenable environment of Sydney. The band’s psychedelically-tinged jangly guitar rock saw them quickly hailed as local proponents of the emerging Paisley Underground. Despite the fact this musical style took its cues from ’60s bands like The Byrds or Doug Yule-era Velvet Underground, it was a refreshing new sound that ran counter to the then-dominant fashions for New Romantics and slick, synth-based mainstream pop music.
While American bands such as R.E.M., The Rain Parade and The Dream Syndicate were seen as the progenitors of the style, and The Smiths were starting to mine similar territory over in the UK, in Australia The Church, Sunnyboys, Go-Betweens and Died Pretty had developed similar sounds relatively independently, and primed audiences for new groups like Ups & Downs and The Moffs. Based around songs written by Greg Atkinson, often with input from his drumming brother Darren, Ups & Downs quickly accumulated a set of strong original material. ‘Out Of The Darkness’, ‘The Living Kind’, ‘Travelling’, ‘In The Shadows’ and the later gem ‘Lit By The Fuse’, were propelled by feverishly strummed guitars and chiming leads and a sublime sense of melody and dynamics and still stand as archetypal Australian guitar pop songs.
Buoyed by the success of a string of independently released singles and EPs, Ups & Downs quickly rose as high as an “alternative” band could, (ie. supporting larger mainstream acts like Midnight Oil and Hunters & Collectors and international visitors). But where to from there? As Darren Atkinson explains in this compilation’s liner notes, the band never managed to capitalise on their achievements. Rather than following up interest from overseas labels, they spent a couple of years quibbling with their label, the Polygram subsidiary True Tone, demoing songs and basically keeping a low profile. Simultaneously, their sound kept evolving away from their signature jangle towards the new technology of samplers and sequencers.
Ironically, these experiments sound dated and clumsy these days, smothering perfectly good songs in horribly “contemporary” production. Ups & Downs weren’t the only band to fall into this trap in the second half of the ’80s though – The Go-Betweens, The Church, The Triffids and just about every other bigger band of the era were equally confused by hip new technologies, which more often than not only detracted from the essence of their music.
“‘Out Of The Darkness’ makes a strong case for an Australian band that never got the kudos they deserved.”
For Ups & Downs, trying to be contemporary was a miscalculation that seriously sabotaged their career. Their only full-length release, Under The Watchful Eye, was a confused mix of guitars, expanded arrangements and un-necessary electronic frippery. The band’s old audience lost interest and they failed to attract a new one. Even a belated return to their old style, on their final EP Rash, couldn’t revive fans’ interest. Ups & Downs folded in 1991, leaving the Atkinson brothers to form Big Heavy Stuff.
Subsequently, the legacy of the band lies in their singles and EPs, and it seems surprising that their greatest moments haven’t been gathered together on a single release before now. Out Of The Darkness squarely focuses on the good stuff, combining their early classics with cherry-picked moments of from their later releases. With 20 tracks on this album, one would expect some moments that fall short of brilliance, but with the exceptions of the odd touch of sequencer or drum machine in a song like ‘Moments Away’, this compilation is remarkably consistent all the way through.
More than an exercise in nostalgia, Out Of The Darkness makes a strong case for an Australian band that never got the kudos they deserved, despite their brief flirtation with success. Hopefully the time is right for such a re-assessment.
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