This mag seldom ventures into the relatively barren 1980s, but I’m occasionally ready to make exceptions, in this case for the Watch Children. The Kinda Retarded Tapes (Perfect Pop) is a double-pack EP of ten songs recorded circa 1986-87 and they’re amongst the best garage recordings I’ve heard from that period, infected with a great cheap reverb no-fi vibe that really taps into the whacked spirit of ‘66-’67 garage punk. Guitarist/vocalist Marc Saxton’s clever/simple pop tunes have a snotty born-outta-time attitude plus a great twisted sense of humour. “Little Plastic Flowers In The Bathtub”, “Please Don’t Lose Your Mind” and “I Don’t Like You” are demented Pebbles-style punkers; “Nelson, Where Are You?” is a trippy Brit-psych piece ala Rubbles/Chocolate Soup; and there’s even an hilarious Back From The Grave tribute/send-up called “I’m In Love With Your Mother”. Only a decade after the fact is maybe too soon, but this stuff is destined for cult status some day, believe me.

-Mike Stax

(From Ugly Things # 15, USA)