All The Flowers Growing In Your Mother's Eyes
1990 - REX
Arriving in the heyday of the alternative revolution, the Throes'
astonishing debut, All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes,
captured the innocence and idealism of that singular movement. Driven
by the songwriting prowess of Bill Campbell and Harold Evans, the
Throes create dour, moody pop akin to the Smiths and R.E.M.. Songs
are built around Campbell's sparkling guitar and driven forward by
Evans' idiosyncratic percussion. Where most college rock bands flounder
amidst pretentious lyrics and too-light music, the Throes convey their
often-poetic sentiments adroitly. "This Love Is an Ocean"
churns and rolls, moving slowly forward while "Passion Flower"
is up-tempo and colored by sadness. Even the sweaty, punkish rave-up
"Skin Kings" is propelled by a sentiment of self-loathing
and disgust. All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes works because
it stays open and airy and buoyant despite these weighty confessions.
The record is charged with the unmistakable energy of possibility,
the sound of a young band who still believes they can change the world.
~ J. Edward Keyes, All Music Guide
Fall On Your World
1992 - GlassHouse Records
After the fresh-faced college-band optimism of their debut, The
Throes’ second record, Fall on Your World is something of a
collapse. Though the band swelled to five members, the extra players
have weighted the music down rather than opening it up. All sense
of melody seems to have departed with former drummer Harold Evans,
and what’s left is a plodding aimlessness that sabotages any
of the band’s brighter ideas. Even the would-be pop opener Say
Hello is waterlogged and dreary. The Throes seemed to have succumbed
to psychedelia, and Fall on Your World is ruined by the drugged-up,
swirling guitars of Tangerine Leaves, For the Honesty and Noose of
Trust. Steve Hindalong’s vacuum-packed production sucks the
life out of the proceedings, adding to the prevailing sense of stagnancy.
The band occasionally finds their feet: Oh Well is a Morrisseyesque
acoustic ballad and Pain of the Next recalls the airy, jangly pop
of the band’s debut. But the bulk of Fall on Your World is the
very definition of sophomore slump: self-serious, plodding, and distressingly
bereft of ideas. ~ J. Edward Keyes, All Music Guide
12 Before 9
1995 Rode Dog Records
A significant step forward after the calamitous Fall on Your World,
12 Before 9 is sunnier and less tedious than its predecessor. Opening
with the jangling, sarcastic "So Controversial" (written
for Michael Roe, frontman of the 77's), the band regains much of their
melodic sensibilities. Bill Campbell remains the band's only original
member, and the Throes are beginning to seem increasingly like a product
of his singular vision. Though they are still sandbagged by occasional
bouts of psychedelia (the unforgivable "Circles of the Wheel"
and "Stunned"), the Throes also seem more willing to produce
the sort of heartsick pop that made their debut so indelible. "Mess
With Me cops the melody to the Cars' "Best Friend's Girl"
and bends it to create a dark tale of manipulation. "Words"
is one of the best songs Campbell has ever written, a somber meditation
on fame and its consequences. Still, much of 12 Before 9 feels bloated,
and Campbell's dominance over the proceedings is a large part of the
problem. ~ J. Edward Keyes, All Music Guide
Limited Edition Tin - 2 cd set with pictoral history
1995 - Rode Dog Records
Ameroafriasiana
1997 - Brainstorm
Much of the rabid following the Throes had amassed with their
near-flawless debut had abandoned them by the time their final album,
Ameroafriasiana, was released. It's no wonder: The Throes' relentless
touring and less-than-spectacular albums had served to over-saturate
their audience with mediocre material. Those who remained found a
second triumph in Ameroafriasiana. It's hard not to attribute the
success of the record to the return of Harold Evans, but Campbell
for his part seems more focused than he has in years. Even the band's
psychedelic impulses are grounded in melody. "Understanding"
opens into a gigantic, gorgeous chorus, "Grieve" is driven
by a sinister, snaking guitar line, and the galloping love song "Satiable"
glows with optimism and satisfaction. Only the plodding, repetitive
"Slip" is an outright disaster. The rest of the record couples
the winsome charm of All The Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes
with a maturity and wisdom earned through innumerable hard years.
That it served to be the Throes' swan song is both tragic and oddly
fitting -- a graceful note on which to end a turbulent career.
~ J. Edward Keyes, All Music Guide
Ameroafriasiana has recently been added to iTunes. Buy today at Apple iTunes store!
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