Being released between the post-punk and new wave phenomenon, it borrowed heavily from both these styles, but additionally, was heavily drenched in jangly ‘60’s guitar.

Forming in Sydney in 1980, Steve Kilbey (vocals, bass and keyboards), Peter Koppes (lead/slide guitar), and Nick Ward (drums), recruited Marty Wilson-Piper (various guitars, vocals). This was the original line-up that went on to record of skins and hearts. In mid 1981, Richard Ploog, who took over the sticks, replaced Nick Ward.

The album reached number 22 in the Australian Album Chart but it was another five years before the world really found out whom these neo-psychedelics from Australia were. of skins and hearts was issued in the US and UK as The Church with additional tracks for each country.

Once broken down, most of the songs are simple in structure, straightforward rock songs with jangly ‘60’s guitar layered throughout, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. The simple things in life are often the best. Steve Kilbey’s vocal delivery adds an heir of mystery to his at times, surreal lyrics and suitably, he has been described as one of rock’s great poets, a title that he should be more than comfortable with.

Opener, For A Moment We’re Strangers has a nice post punk/new wave edge about it and sets the pace nicely. A great track to get the punters in and catch their ear. Similarly, Memories Of Future Tense has the ‘edge’ also with a hint of glam rock just to set the hook a little deeper.

Strip away the Wilson-Piper and Koppes guitars and replace with some synths and I can actually hear Gary Numan singing parts of Chrome Injury and Is This Where You Live quite easily. A scary thought maybe, but with a little reworking, they just scream for his vocal treatment.

Album favourite, The Unguarded Moment, was the first big success for The Church and to this day, is still a radio staple, but the best track comes in at number five, Bel Air. A shimmering guitar intro which carries on throughout, with a basic back beat provided by Kilbey and Ward that is constant between each verse. Slowly it builds to its beautifully haunting, almost frantic climax, on the back of one of the most delightful chord progressions that I have heard. Listening to the vocals of Bel Air, I find an attraction in Kilbey’s delivery or, it’s more of an expression of words. I can’t really describe it, but Robert Smith of The Cure has it also.

New wave is splattered all over She Never Said and Fighter Pilot, with Fighter Pilot being the stronger of the two and, along with Bel Air, fairly underrated in regards to the Church catalogue.

The ballad styled Don’t Open The Door To Strangers closes, and again the Kilbey/Smith vocal link makes it presence felt, probably more so than in other numbers.

The constants throughout the album appear on every track, except Don’t Open The Door To Strangers. All tracks have the brooding, ‘Smith like’ vocal of Steve Kilbey, the psychedelic jangle combination of guitars from Koppes and Wilson Piper and a ‘straight ahead’ rock framework covered with a skin made from the combination of the end of the post punk and beginning of the new wave.

After listening to this album a few times now, I keep coming back to the similarities between Steve Kilbey and Robert Smith vocals. Is it the accent? No, I don’t think so. I can hear that Kilbey (circa 1981) used to sound like Smith does now, but has evolved from there. By the same token, Smith didn’t used to sound as he does now, especially when you think back to around 1980 and Boys Don’t Cry etc. 

Or is it that Smith now sounds like Steve Kilbey used to?

Maybe it just shows up how similar the whole post punk/new wave thing was and how similar early material by The Cure and The Church was.

And both names start with the letter “c”.

Ponderous man, really ponderous. Much like a lot of Kilbey lyrics.

Think about it.