Undone: A Brief Review Of The New Reissue Of Teenage Snuff Film From Rowland S. Howard (The Birthday Party, Crime & The City Solution)

Whether it's because of its previous unavailability, the untimely death of its creator, or its provocative title, Teenage Snuff Film, the 1999 album from Rowland S. Howard, has been the sort of release that's become almost legendary. Even for those of us who've nearly memorized the hooks he crafted in The Birthday Party, or mourned the sadness in this world as tunes from albums from Crime and The City Solution roared in the background, this debut solo release from Howard was a sort of un-holy grail. Thankfully, this album is back in print as of today due to the good work of Fat Possum Records.

"Dead Radio" feels like what peer and band-mate Nick Cave crafted in bands with Howard, but the spectacular "Break Down (And Then...)" finds Rowland marrying a twang right out of a Western film soundtrack with a slyly menacing vamp (helped by Mick Harvey's organ) that carries the cut forward. It's a distinctive kind of composition, and one which feels like a classic upon first listen. Elsewhere, "Silver Chain" uses a similar approach, while "Exit Everything" puts a faintly pop face on the style of material that Rowland perfected with "Shivers" decades earlier with The Birthday Party precursors The Boys Next Door.

For all that feels familiar here, Rowland S. Howard bravely allowed two surprising covers to creep their way onto Teenage Snuff Film. Old gem "She Cried", made famous by The Shangri-Las among others, suits Howard's delivery style, while his laconic take on "White Wedding" contains more genuine menace than Billy Idol's TV-friendly sneer ever could. Still, for all that darkness here on those covers and the originals throughout, "Autoluminescent" is strangely transcendent, a hymn for one at the edges of salvation (and the title of the excellent recent documentary on Rowland S. Howard), while "Undone" clatters and churns like "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Where Howard's former band-mate chose to use this kind of thing to tell a story, Rowland is more interested in submerging his entire self into the song. The effect is, like on lots of Teenage Snuff Film, a style of music that's nearly operatic in its emotional range, and decidedly theatrical in its presentation. Taking that into account, and hearing this remastered version of the record, one can understand why this album has generated a reputation for being a magnificent work of Art.

The reissue of Teenage Snuff Film by Rowland S. Howard is out today via Fat Possum Records

[Photo: Stefan De Batselier]