When he first went digging through boxes of old tapes, Bauhaus and Love and Rockets co-founder David J didn’t yet know that he was about to embark on a long, fruitful conversation with his own past, present and even future self. As he uncovered demos recorded over some four decades (released in 2024 in the form of the acclaimed triple album Tracks From the Attic), he noticed that some songs were asking him to get reacquainted with them. He eventually complied, approaching material that sometimes he had no recollection of having written as when producing another artist’s music. The old demos became new demos: ideas reworked and sometimes radically transformed, lyrics adjusted when they showed a potential to narrate life in the not-so-roaring 2020s. Thus reshaped, the songs were shared with an ensemble that convened in the studio to breathe new life into them. Some are virtually unrecognizable, while some have kept their original form and charm intact – just developed and grown through the experience that comes with years of music making. It’s an arresting distillation of David J’s eclectic taste and the ever evolving musicality that came out of it: from the influence of late ‘70s New Wave to a lifelong love of classic country and Nick Drake-like romanticism.
Where the original Tracks from the Attic invited listeners to be present in the room as a young singer-songwriter found his own way (wandering in the fields of experimentation and collecting the meanderings that followed), the new album puts us in front of an artist who has honed his craft and mastered the art of pruning. Indeed, David J compares the making of Tracks From the Attic Revisited to the tending of a garden. “The demos were like neglected little seeds that had been set aside, or fallen on fallow land,” he reflects. “They’ve been gathered up, nurtured, tended and brought back to life as little buds. Now this is the bloom.”
Numbered Black Vinyl edition in Unipak-style LP jacket printed in 5 colors (full color + metallic gold ink). Includes a folding lyric sheet insert and a full-color postcard-sized digital download card.
Side A
1. I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come (Revisited)
2. If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love (Revisited)
3. The Most Beautiful Girls in the World (Revisited)
4. Leaning Towards the Falls (Revisited)
5. Homo Sapien Blues (Revisited)
Side B
1. I'll Put Off Thinking About You for Awhile (Revisited)
2. New Year’s Day (Revisited)
3. All the Pilgrims (Revisited)
4. Vincent in the Flames (Revisited)
5. Punishment by Roses (Revisited)
"This one of the best follow-up records we've seen released in decades... It comes together as an absolutely, ABSOLUTELY, gorgeous album. If you are looking for any shape or form of a controversial or unfavorable critique about any of it, you won't find it here with us... Our strongest opinion is for you to pick up a copy of the demo's album and 'Revisited' and embark on a musical journey that you won't regret."
—TONE Scott, Goldmine
"There is a biting wit that permeates the record... The technical brilliance of the release is further elevated by the mastering of Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) at Third Man, which lends a rich, cohesive warmth to the diverse sonic threads... By revisiting these neglected seeds, David J has cultivated a bloom that is both striking and profound. ‘Tracks From the Attic Revisited’ is a rare instance where the dialogue between an artist and their past results in a future that feels both inevitable and essential."
—James Broscheid, The Big Takeover
★★★★★ "The record carries a rich, analog warmth. For David J, the gloom of post-punk was never a permanent destination to the stars, but rather a necessary passage toward transcendental meditation—a way to break on through to the other side, into the light... By pulling these songs out of the dark of his dank storage room, he didn't just preserve his past—he gave it cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an essential second life force."
—Christopher D, Scene Point Blank
"Feels fresh and vibrant... Whilst much of Tracks From The Attic evidenced an artist in their infancy, Revisited finds David J fully grown and bringing all his experience to bear, creating an album that shines and shimmers. If proof were ever needed that mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow, it can be found here."
—The Midlands Rocks
"Utilising a myriad of styles to cover his eclectic tastes from country to folk-inspired through to '70s new wave, he's re-crafted these tracks in such a captivatingly prolific way that it easily demonstrates this resonance as not only a songsmith but also a musician who is impressively confident in exploring a rich tapestry of influences and remoulding them into a sound and atmosphere that is very much his alone."
—Lee Powell, Vive Le Rock
"Another beautifully packaged release from the long-running Independent Project Records label. There's always a lot of care and obvious passion with everything the label releases, and this set of songs from the legendary David J is certainly no exception... Right out of the gate, the version of 'I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come' is truly beautiful. The sound quality is fantastic and exactly right for the song. The same level of greatness continues throughout the entirety of this superb release."
—Mike Frame, Razorcake
"Inspired... J’s signature singing, understatedly gentle but with a distinct sense of presence and style, remains strong; if anything age simply gives him a sense of different possible approaches, such as the clear hint of Bowie on 'I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come.' Similarly his eye for a good deft wry line or title gets a nice further showcase here, thus 'Homo Sapien Blues' and 'If Muzak Be The Junk Food Of Love.' Meantime, having nearly everything get a fuller arrangement nicely recreates the feeling of his live band performances."
—Ned Raggett, THE SHFL
"It was a great move for David J to revisit these songs and to refashion them into what was actually more than a very solid album. This one played like an old friend visiting with series of tales that began with a humorous slant before moving into areas of depth and truth with generous helpings of compassion. The amount of artistic seasoning that has occurred between the initial spark of these songs and the place where the artist is today ensured that this was more than just a place holding exercise."
—Post-Punk Monk
