Various Artists - The Buntingford Long Playing Record LP (Zaius, 2022)
"At the dawn of the 80's, The United Kingdom was awash with regional compilations documenting the burgeoning local punk, postpunk, DIY movements that were swelling across Blighty. Spurred on by Rough Trade's seminal, Wanna Buy A Bridge?, the idea soon became quicksilver. From Portsmouth ('South Specific'), to Richmond ('The Snoopies Album') to Cardiff ('8 from '80), no local scene was too insignificant. So it should come as no surprise that Buntingford, a small market town in East Hertfordshire, would tag in with one of the strongest, yet most obscure collections of the era. Comprised of about a dozen or so local youths under different monikers, The Buntingford Long Playing Record sidetracks the punk handle-which was surely a scarlet letter in this bucolic civil parish-but expertly nails a brace of shambling mod, powerpop & DIY tracks. And to a person, it would seem the works here were both their magnum opus & swan song. If this isn't a perfect example of the Protestant Work Ethic in action, I'll gladly eat a spotted dick. Possibly THE greatest collection of one & done pop/punk masterpieces from that magical, bygone time.Originally released in 1981, now reissued by the estimable Zaius Tapes label, edition of 250. RIYL; The Messthetics series, the Matchbox Classics label, Johan Kugelberg's top 100 DIY singles list." - Zaius