It’s Immaterial

It’s Immaterial were an English sophisti-pop band from Liverpool that released a string of shortplayers on assorted small-press labels between 1980 and 1985, followed by two albums on Siren between 1986 and 1990.

Members: John J. Campbell (vocals), Martin Dempsey (guitar, 1980-84), Henry Priestman (keyboards, 1980-84), Paul Barlow (drums, 1980-84), Jarvis Whitehead (guitar, keyboards, 1982-90)

2-chord ditty punchy horns, yobbo harmonies “Young Man Seeks Interesting Job” (credited to Terry Britten)

four wollops per bar, crisp circular bass, ’50s vibrato twang, echoey chords, remote wordless vocals “No Place For A Prompter“

galloping precision, octave-darting bassline, alternately slashing/matted/harmonic/tremolo guitar, loutish chorus “A Gigantic Raft (In the Phillipines)” re-rerecorded.

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airy, light accordion, 6/4 piano accented “Happy Talk”

flamenco touches, trumpet laced, mid-tempo, E “The Sweet Life”

Cm locomotive rhythm, piano/acoustic churn, prominent chorus, harmonica “Driving Away From Home (Jim’s Tune)”

uptempo, punchy sax, pizzicato cocktail guitar, droning/open-cadence bass amid constant pulse, flowing vocals “Festival Time”

soft harmonies, snare drive, Hammond sustain, ascending horn refrain “Ed’s Funky Dinner”

dark (Bb), misty mandolin/violin waltz, drawn vocals “Hang on Sleepy Town”

lengthy gentle vocals, rubbery 1/5 bassline, echoey rhythm box… celesta/woodblock “Lullaby”…glockenspiel

dropping 1/5 bassline in B, metronome, piano-accented key changes, subdued vocals… kalimba “The Better Idea”

soft, understated, subtle tapestries

darting keys, galloping electro/acoustic precision, understated vocals “In the Neighbourhood”… Spanish guitar, echoey piano, windy underground tunnel vibe

soft snare/bass, marimba/piano touches, faint techno sequencing, angelic vocals “Heaven Knows”

pizzicato guitar, light harp filigree, airy/low-key vocals “Homecoming”… whacking 2/4

desolate windy intro, congeals around fragmentary piano, faint/resilient acoustic strum, faint syncopated rhythmic accents “An Ordinary Life”

same airy, breezy, soft barren”Summer Winds”… trumpet notes

“Your Voice”, “Endless Holiday”, “Missing”, “New Brighton” 🙂

Blue Nile and The Beautiful South., vocals remind of Hugh Cornwell at times on Stranglers ballads “My Young Dreams, “Strange Little Girl” “Laughing”

12″ extras: @
Dm/oft-emphasized 5th light accordion, faint piano pizzicato strings/guitar “Faith”… echoey ivory, slightly more emphasized vocal delivery “hey Frankie, I almost died for you”

“River” 🙂

Discography:

• “Young Man Seeks Interesting Job” / “Doosha (A Success Story)” (1980)
• “A Gigantic Raft (In the Phillipines)” / “No Place For A Prompter” (1981)
• “Imitate The Worm” / “The Worm Turns” (1981)
• “White Man’s Hut” / “Solid Piles of Food” (1983)
• “Ed’s Funky Diner” / “Washing the Air” (1985)
• Fish Waltz (EP, 1985)
• Life’s Hard and Then You Die (1986)
• Song (1990)