Nick Garrie
The Nightmare of J. B. Stanislas
[Elefant]
9/10

In 1969 Nick Garrie, an ex-pat British drifter got discovered in France and given a record contract and a 56 piece orchestra. After the promos were pressed, the owner of the label topped himself and everything fell to pieces, Garrie became a French teacher somewhere in sleepy England and the LP became a super-rare baroque pop masterpiece, copies occasionally changing hands for a grand or so. Reminiscent of The Beatles, The Zombies and with something approaching the surreal songwriting genius of early Marc Bolan, Syd Barrett or Brian Wilson, it’s like a Christmas and a Birthday for anyone who likes brightly psychedelic, cathartic tunes and the beautifully-aged aesthetic of 60s production. Almost every tune is a standout but ‘Ink Pot Eyes’, ‘Deeper Tones of Blue’ and ‘Stephanie City’ are particularly breathtaking.
By Edgar Smith