Brian Raftery - www.magnetmagazine.com
Seemingly popping out of nowhere, New Zealand’s Bats have returned, wielding their first album in a decade. The Bats At The National Grid is a bit of a shock, not because of any major musical changes (the band’s jangling purr remains intact), but because it sounds oddly contemporary—the kind of docile rock that would make Sub Pop’s post-Shins A&R team slobber. On tranquil acoustic numbers “Bells” and “Western Isles,” Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward’s voices fasten together beautifully, practically strumming the guitars for them; but when At The National Grid turns frantic (as on “Horizon,” the record’s best track), those same vocals turn defiant, backed by increasingly ramshackle fuzz-guitar asides. That the Bats can churn out such an alternately haunting and heartfelt collection in their 23rd year is a testament to their indefatigable skills. It’s also a good reason to harass them into getting together again before another decade passes. [Magic Marker, www.magicmarkerrecords.com]
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Tim Sendra - All Music Guide
The Bats' first album in ten years starts off perfectly with the low-key "Western Isles," with Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward singing delicate harmonies while the guitars gently hum behind them. It is a lovely welcome back, and not only do they pick up where they left off, At the National Grid may be their best album since Daddy's Highway . If you know your New Zealand pop or college rock history, that's really saying something. That record was a masterpiece of understated emotion that sounded completely unique and true. This record is lighter in tone, more cleanly recorded, and almost as powerful. The songs are perhaps the most diverse-sounding batch they have released yet, ranging from the slow-burning "Pre War Blues" and the noisy instrumental "Hubert" to the sweet-as-pie "Bells," the clattering indie rocker "Things," and the bouncy "Flowers & Trees." Of course, they all sound like the Bats, with Scott 's fragile but forceful vocals, the jangling, intertwining guitars from Scott and Woodward , Paul Kean 's melodic and up-front bass, Malcolm Grant 's simple but rock-solid drumming, and -- above all -- poignant and lively songwriting. In fact, Robert Scott is at the top of his considerable talents here, crafting tunes that linger long after the record is over. Maybe that is one of the benefits of taking ten years off. Woodward 's one song, the surging drone rocker "Mir," is a gem, too, and her vocal harmonies are as sparkling as ever. In fact, the whole band is as sparkling as ever, and having the group back at such a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream. Indeed, after 23 years with the same lineup and after having taken ten years off, you would expect a band to come back and rest on its laurels (see Pixies , Dinosaur Jr. ), playing the old hits to the faithful. Not the Bats. Thank Christchurch for that!
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Steve Guimond - December 22nd, 2005
Six albums to their name, 23 years together as a band with one lineup. Weighty stats that back up The Bats' claim to the jangle-pop throne, made famous round the world under the auspices of "that New Zealand sound." A shame that this gem sees the light of day on a tiny label, but those in the know will track it down for its sublime music works, chilling harmonies between leader Robert Scott (you know him from The Clean) and bassist Kaye Woodward, and subtle songwriting complexities. Check out past Flying Nun releases, particularly Couchmaster and Silverbeet, as further evidence of The Bats' genius.
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“For over a decade, the Bats have been one of the handful of bands defining the "Flying Nun" or "New Zealand pop" sound, their body of work forging a consistent and original identity for both the band and its "scene." The Bats' salient features have always rested upon Robert Scott's carefully crafted songs, his sweet, nasally voice and a soft, billowy jangle, slathered across every Bats song like a heavy morning mist on the countryside; occasional glorious harmonies between Scott and bassist Kaye Woodward were like icing on the cake... ” Trouser Press Guide.
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BATS: At The National Grid
At The National Grid hardly sounds like the work of a band emerging from a decade-long hiatus. After spending the prior 10 years defining the jangle wing of the then de rigueur Zealand pop sound, many assumed the Bats had quietly disbanded. Grid celebrates the virtues of patience. Most of its tracks sport the same folk-laced fireside charm as the Bats' earliest work, yet somehow sidestep rehash. Scott's and guitarist Kaye Woodward's voices have aged into wonderful harmonic foils, converting an early band weakness into a newfound strength. Importantly, Grid weaves in aspects of the dronescapes that marked a departure on 1995's excellent Couchmaster, offering relief from the upbeat 4/4 docket that at times nudged the Kiwis' mid-life outings toward sameness. During their respite, an import-only greatest hits package flawlessly bundled the Bats' indispensable highs. Improbably, At The National Grid holds up as a fitting companion piece.
- Glen Sarvady
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All Music Guide - The Bats At The National Grid - Review by Tim Sendra
The Bats' first album in ten years starts off perfectly with the low-key "Western Isles," with Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward singing delicate harmonies while the guitars gently hum behind them. It is a lovely welcome back, and not only do they pick up where they left off, At the National Grid may be their best album since Daddy's Highway . If you know your New Zealand pop or college rock history, that's really saying something. That record was a masterpiece of understated emotion that sounded completely unique and true. This record is lighter in tone, more cleanly recorded, and almost as powerful. The songs are perhaps the most diverse-sounding batch they have released yet, ranging from the slow-burning "Pre War Blues" and the noisy instrumental "Hubert" to the sweet-as-pie "Bells," the clattering indie rocker "Things," and the bouncy "Flowers & Trees." Of course, they all sound like the Bats, with Scott 's fragile but forceful vocals, the jangling, intertwining guitars from Scott and Woodward , Paul Kean 's melodic and up-front bass, Malcolm Grant 's simple but rock-solid drumming, and -- above all -- poignant and lively songwriting. In fact, Robert Scott is at the top of his considerable talents here, crafting tunes that linger long after the record is over. Maybe that is one of the benefits of taking ten years off. Woodward 's one song, the surging drone rocker "Mir," is a gem, too, and her vocal harmonies are as sparkling as ever. In fact, the whole band is as sparkling as ever, and having the group back at such a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream. Indeed, after 23 years with the same lineup and after having taken ten years off, you would expect a band to come back and rest on its laurels (see Pixies , Dinosaur Jr. ), playing the old hits to the faithful. Not the Bats. Thank Christchurch for that!
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The Bats – At The National Grid
Saturday, October 08 2005 @ 11:37 PM CDT
Contributed by: tmc
The Bats have been around for over 22 years. ‘At The National Grid’ is the bands first new LP in 10 years. The LP is released on October 17th in the UK on Egg Records.
So, What to make of ‘At The National Grid’. After being turned onto the band a few weeks ago by their greatest hits package The Bats - Thousands of Tiny Luminous Spheres – this new LP sounds equally self assured. It has a quiet yet sonically pleasing sound. Songs like ‘Hubert’ have a gentle feel that is punctuated by distorted guitars. I am not sure if the band have ever been mentioned next to Galaxie 500, but they could well be distant cousins. Each band using fine melodies and buzzing guitars to create songs that crawl inside your head and stay there – albeit insideously. After just a couple of listens this album has got me hooked.
If this new LP matches their back catalogue I have six more LPs to explore and enjoy. And that can only be a good thing. ‘At The National Grid’ has many highlights and it’s overall feel is of a band making music for the love of it. The sound is gently distorted jangle pop – the band seem to use all their experience to take great pop songs and just subtly twist them with guitar parts that hint at noise pop.
It's been a revelation hearing 'At The National Grid' so quickly on the heels of just discovering the band. I have no time for historical context or knowing where this new LP fits in within The Bats back catalogue. I just know from listening to 'At The National Grid' these past few days. I am lucky enough to be hearing one of the LPs of the year. This isn't promise, or potential, this is a bonafide monster of an LP. And one that should give The Bats a whole new audience
If you are an existing fan of The Bats I would be curious to here opinions on how this new LP ranks against their previous LPs. As I mentioned earlier you can buy this record in the UK from Egg Records.
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THE BATS At the National Grid
(Magic Marker) Rating: 7
US release date: 20 September 2005
UK release date: Available as import
by Jill LaBrack
It almost seems reactionary to release an album as good and straightforward as the Bats' latest, At the National Grid. Armed with a truckload of talent and an ear for pop craft that major record labels should be killing for, the band cheerfully and quietly puts out solid records like other bands do drugs and get hyped-up reviews. It's a skill that seems woefully under-appreciated at times, as press is diverted by colorful back stories, the exoticism of lesser-known cultures and their (sometimes great, sometimes merely adequate, but different) music offerings, and the good ol' thrill-of-anything-new game. The Bats aren't playing along. They're too busy working some day jobs and putting out records whenever they get a chance (this one is their sixth in 23 years). And it wouldn't seem reactionary if it weren't so good.
For those who have missed the Bats, here's the basics. Take the sound of early to mid-'80s college radio, throw in some pretty Velvet Underground influences, add the term "jangle pop" and a touch of psychedelia and what you have is a recipe for good tunesmiths, i.e. the Bats. "They say it's all about the journey," Robert Scott sings on "Horizon" and At the National Grid reinforces that idea through the course of the its 43 minutes. Listening is less about what's cool as it is what's beautiful about settling in with solidity. One sits back and enjoys the ride, content to momentarily escape the ups and downs that go along with keeping au courant with the rest of the music-loving world. That steadiness provides perfect moments as when the line "I just want to see the world through different eyes" is earnestly sung on "Pre War Blues" or Kaye Woodward's voice comes in on "Up to the Sky", or when one realizes that the Bats are good enough to have an intro become a song, as they do on "Hubert".
It's not until the fourth or fifth listen that the strength of the production (done by The Bats with John Kelcher as engineer, and mastered by Dale Cotton) really kicks in. It's simple really: the band (the aforementioned Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward, plus Malcolm Grant and Paul Kean) is so good together that there doesn't need to be any tricks. Everything seems recorded near the same level which, of course, could be a muddled mess. It turns out to be just right here. The band, the voices, the lines coming in and out are only complementary to one another. The spaces needed to let the song through are already inherent in the whole of the band; any additional production techniques would be too much. The listener can hear everything. If one wants to follow the bass line, she can, while the same goes for every other instrument.
To switch to the personal, and to quote another PopMatters writer, Rob Horning, "...once I finish reviewing an album, I never feel like listening to it...". At the National Grid is a rare exception to this truth. Not only did I find myself Not Sick of this record, I verily became more and more enamored of it. I asked myself why, as I have barely listened to CDs I have reviewed and given higher ratings to. I think the answer lies in the overall effect. The Bats will not change the course of music. They will not start a revolution. They can, though, make an individual life a little brighter for the better part of an hour. Some artists choose this course instead of the radical one and I thoroughly appreciate and applaud them. It makes me want to listen over and over again. — 7 November 2005
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Exquisite pop songs by the finest New Zealand band, November 3, 2001
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Amazon readers review for Couchmaster
Beautiful melodies, tremendous song craftmanship and amazingly catchy guitar/vocal hooks - this is the best BATS album and I've heard all of them ... it just sounds like a band on top of their form (track 4 - work it out - sounds like "fear of god" but it's even better) Yes, THE BATS are the best band from New Zealand - better than THE CLEAN, THE CHILLS, THE 3DS, THE DEAD C et all. AFTERNOON IN BED might be the finest track but there are so many great tunes on this album it's hard to rank them. (...) Anyone who likes intelligent pop music will love this album.
New Zealand Melodic Perfection, December 29, 2003