FUEL
Timeless EP
1994 Diffusion Records
Fuel was shoegaze/indie band from Scotland, had strong connections and a similar guitar sound to quintessential ethereal band “Cocteau Twins”. Formed by Hamish McKintosh in 1987 and produced by the Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, a first album “The Back Of This Beyond” was released. Undeterred Hamish produced a second album which was due to be released but the collapse of the record label meant this was postponed. In 1994 second single “Timeless EP” was released with major contributions from the Cocteau Twins, including the vocal talents of Elizabeth Fraser on the song “Butterfly Knife” and Robin Guthrie’s inimitable sound on the astounding shoegazer should be classic “Wildfire”.
'' The delayed follow-up to first single Songs In The Key Of E , ''Timeless EP'' finally emerged on a new label, Diffusion, in 1994. Hamish Mackintosh here works with regular collaborators Robin Guthrie and Lincoln Fong, not to mention Elizabeth Frazer and a slew of other musicians. Both Guthrie and Frazer contribute their instantly recognizable selves to the great opening track "Butterfly Knife," a dreamy, swoony number with a hint of Arabic music to it, just enough, breaking into a fuller arrangement at points for extra punch. The other cuts provide their own highlights, including the soaring lead guitar figure and flange wash of "Shiva," and a surprising but not bad stab at Manchester baggy funk, "Candygram." The title track is perhaps the best of them all, haunting choir effects, piano, and more providing the bed for Mackintosh's serene, breathless vocal, literally sounding lost in space and time, beautifully so. ''
(allmusic review by Ned Raggett)
01. Butterfly Knife
02. Shiva
03. Timeless
04. Candygram
05. Wildfire
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