Australian quartet The Church pretty much defined the softer side of late-'80s alternative rock with a combination of Byrds-esque jangle and loads of atmosphere; most remember the band best via the group's sole American hit, 1988's "Under The Milky Way," from the album Starfish.
Though its profile has undeniably waned to the point of where-are-they-now-ness with all but the most loyal fans, The Church has continued to make music that's both catchy and challenging since its heyday. Now part of the amazing roster of quality lifers over at Cooking Vinyl Records — a roster that includes Cracker, Billy Bragg, Frank Black, Alejandro Escovedo and American Music Club, to name but a few — the foursome has just released an amazing piece of work in Uninvited, Like The Clouds. Dreamy, poetic and often seriously contemplative, Uninvited is at least as good as anything The Church has ever done, including its best-loved output.
The band is hitting Florida stages for the first time in God knows how long (and bringing with it Rob Dickinson, former vocalist for the brilliant late-'90s U.K. act The Catherine Wheel), and will undoubtedly touch on every era of its existence. Those going just for "Under The Milky Way" are likely to hear some stuff they enjoy at least as much.
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2006.