MOJO (UK, September 2000)
THE SERVANTS
She's Always Hiding 7"
Single
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but there's currently
a group of earnest young men doing the rounds of London's beery
backrooms who play the sweetest, smartest evocations of The Velvet
Underground's sepulchral third LP these increasingly '60s-sated,
guitar-jaded ears have possibly ever heard.
Still awake? Good, because The Servants (for it is they) are
- wait for it - different. Not for them the simplistic allure
of dark shades and darker strides, nor the convenient kudos of
easy chords. No, what brings The Servants close to Lou's crew's
gossamer grace-cum-disembodied depth is that self-same timbre;
the giddying suggestion of melodies conjured from the ether; a
recognition of enduring classicism; a similar striving for a sound
as perfect, as profound as (eek!) silence.
Heck, their "She's Always Hiding" is the greatest dark-eyed,
love/hate song Reed never wrote...
New Musical Express,
Bill Prince (UK, January 4 1986)
She's Always Hiding is one of the most delicate and tuneful
love songs released this year, all ringing mournful guitar and
unaffected vocal… While all around succumb to the "new
shambles" of indie rock, the Servants are demonstrating a
little more thought and vision.
Record Mirror (UK,
May 3 1986)
THE SERVANTS
The Sun, A Small Star 12"EP
This is excellent, far better than their first record. A cross
reference might be early Go-Betweens and Primal Scream (the former
band's violinist Amanda Brown interweaves some of the most nagging
plangency heard on catgut since Paganini). Another bonus is some
crisp, incisive drumming - rarer and more valuable than you'd
imagine.
New Musical Express,
Mat Snow (UK, October 18 1986)
Of the many ways to unearth new talent, the best is to show up
early enough to catch unknown opening bands at shows. At London's
Bay 63 in August, the unheralded, young Servants were far superior
to a lazy, somewhat overhyped Felt, and their new four song
The Sun, A Small Star (Head UK) is even better, proving perhaps
that it wasn't even a good set for them. Tracks like "Meredith"
and "It Takes No Gentleman" combine the inventive aggressiveness
of US indiepop with the crisper UK production. Take note: this
record is far more exciting and impressive than anything on the
current, formidable Creation roster, and with just a little more
seasoning (and attention) could easily leave behind the mess of
OK pop bands there. This is the exquisite, real thing.
Boston Rockpool,
Jack Rabid (USA, October 1986)
DAVID WESTLAKE Westlake
Album
The nonchalance with which David Westlake doesn't bother to dream
up a title to these brief glimpses says much for the Creation
impress. From the blurry Phil Nicholls sleeve and the black rollneck
sweater, he paints himself fully into the post-Velvets space of
gentle angst, wry melancholy through a film of thin regret. Think
only of Reed's Perfect Day for a co-ordinate of where these
glances lie.
"It's a dream I can't seem to escape from," he muses,
and these six pale water colours are all love songs, moaned and
muted tales. The sheer ease and glow of the guitar patterns, gently
apart, drifting, makes a fair harbour for him to rest (un)troubled
words: "You might say how foolish I have been/But at least
you'd know something of my love." Words poise themselves
on the edge of some despair to savour the act, never fleshed-out
yet stark and suspended.
As with much of Creation, it may be sixth form poetry, but it's
good. "And it's like I'll explode with everyone else/If I
don't get things straightened out with her," he murmurs,
distant and lost, a victim to unspecified hostile forces. Westlake
looks to abase himself, before love, the girl or simply everything,
to reach this languid world, an ideal poetic isolation, passive
before passion. In this scheme of things, keeping aloof - from
the songs, from us - is paramount.
Really, it's the Mary Chain without violence, barbs of nonchalant
and carefree feedback, stark images replaced by muted strum and
mild words, unruffled at the centre of a world headed down. Songs
all take place after the event, glancing back, cooled by wry reflection,
brittle and lovely. We never know if he's involved - does Westlake
have a girlfriend? Is he eaten by love, or a desire for timeless
whispers?
For Morrissey to duet with Suzanne Vega.
Melody Maker,
Ian Gittins (UK, December 5 1987)
THE SERVANTS
It's My Turn 7" Single/12"
EP
The Servants are back, and with David Westlake at the helm. Their
three year hiatus has done nothing to change their sound as this
ditty harks back to the sublime beauty of The Sun, A Small
Star. Layered guitars and a haunting bass-line help to create
a strong comeback for these wandering lads.
Boston Rockpool (USA,
October 1989)
It's My Turn is a hopping popper with a Smiths-like bounce,
and the equally sprightly Afterglow is also a gem. What
breaks The Servants over the hump, dating back to '86's The
Sun, A Small Star and the corking Meredith is Westlake's ear
for a tune, a witty lyric, a memorable guitar line. Quietly he's
been one of the best songwriters in England for half a decade
and few have noticed. This is the real McCoy in a pool of the
OKs, alrights, pretty-goods, fairs, not-bads and sometimes mediocres
of the UK indie precious pop scene, and he should be up there...
challenging for the crown. A splendid single, we can only hope
for more.
The Big Takeover,
Jack Rabid (USA, October 1989)
THE SERVANTS Disinterest
Album
Since NME's C86 compilation showcased that year's most promising
bands, a number have faded or disappeared altogether. The Servants
seemed to be among that number, splitting up and then reforming
in late '88 and keeping a low profile since then.
Disinterest, their debut album, is 12 well-honed songs all performed
without too much ado. There's a feeling of flux throughout - The
Servants sound like they need some red corpuscles pumped through
their veins. C86 is remembered here, as are the dissonant guitars
of Josef K and the dry craftsmanship of The Go-Betweens.
Although overt passion is rare it breaks out on "Move Out",
which has a restless melody and some chiming guitars, and the
closing track, "Afterglow", where a melancholic bass
underpins a yearning, convincingly vulnerable vocal melody.
Disinterest's dryness verges on the astringent. Don't expect
a rush of adrenalin!
Select (UK,
August 1990)
The Servants were one of the class of C86, but failed to build
on the interest that tape generated. Their return after a two-year
absence finds them with a set of sprightly rock songs in the vein
of The Go-Betweens and Edwyn Collins. The single "Look Like
A Girl" is interesting enough but pales in comparison to
"Move Out" and "Third Wheel". Time for them
to don their "promising" hat again.
Q (UK,
August 1990)
Disinterest is the SERVANTS' second album with a new line-up
built around singer/songwriter David Westlake that initially sounds
like long-lost out-takes from Talking Heads' 77 and ends
up sounding great; taut guitar jerkiness and sardonic lyric play.
CMJ New Music Report (USA,
August 3 1990)
THE GUINNESS WHO'S WHO OF INDIE AND NEW
WAVE MUSIC
Guinness Publishing, 1992
Servants
David Westlake's carefully crafted guitar pop tunes were the central
attraction of west London's Servants. Accompanied by John Mahon
(guitar), Philip King (bass), and John Wills (drums), the band
featured on the New Musical Express C86 cassette ('Transparent').
Their first single, 'She's Always Hiding' (1986) surfaced around
the same time on the label Head, followed by a four-track EP,
The Sun, A Small Star. But Westlake left soon after joining Creation
Records, releasing a self-titled album in 1987. The Servants later
reformed in 1989, but the results were restricted to a one-off
single, 'It's My Turn'.
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