When they first emerged amid the post-punk debris of the early-80s, Blurt were cast as eccentric subversives, and the arrival of this the second Volume of The Best Of further cements their reputation as oddballs.

Following 2003’s The Fish Needs A Bike collection, this set continues the strangest of tales, picking up the story in 1987 and finishing in 1996. Sporting a lineup of alto sax, bass and drums, a sound and a attitude which had more in commons with the spirit of New York’s ‘no wave’ explosion of the late-70s and early-80s, Blurt’s edgy, off-kilter white funk still defies attempts at tidy classification. Lit up throughout by the singular Ted Milton’s expressionistic sax excursions, particular hot spots here include the esoteric sound of Aboule Ton Fric, Too Bombed Too Soon, Shoot & Shout, the title track and the closing Kazimir’s Tractor.

Dissonant, abrasive and unsettling, Blurt make for uneasy but rewarding listening, and alongside its earlier companion, the 16-track retrospective is the perfect departure point for rediscovering an uncompromisingly bohemian combo, who are still carving out their own little corner of the cosmos.

© 2006 Grahame Bent/Record Collector   taken without permission

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