Original Mirrors are mainly remembered for one reason:
future Lightning Seed Ian Broudie was in the band. Original Mirrors formed in
Liverpool, England, in 1979 after the collapse of vocalist Steve Allen's art
rock group Deaf School in 1978. (Prior to the Original Mirrors, Broudie was a
member of Big in Japan with Holly Johnson, Budgie and Jayne Casey). With Broudie
on guitar, the band also featured Peter Kircher (drums), Jonathan Perkins
(keyboards), and Phil Spalding (bass). Recalling glam and power pop, Original
Mirrors don’t resemble Broudie's later '60s influenced work. The group's
self-titled first album was released in 1980 with no commercial success; a similarly
bleak fate awaited their next and last full-length, Heart Twango & Raw
Beat, in 1981.
Fans of producer and Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie
might eye the self-titled debut from Original Mirrors with raised expectations.
They will quickly be disappointed once they hear the album's dated power pop
grooves.
Ooooo, this is
gonna be harsh
Released in 1980, Original Mirrors features Broudie on
guitar, but there's not even a trace of Broudie's incandescent new wave pop
with Care and the Wild Swans. In fact, if Broudie's name wasn't in the credits,
nobody would be able to guess his involvement. The first track, "Sharp
Words," is lightweight neo-psychedelic rock that approximates the Teardrop
Explodes' '60s feel, however, vocalist Steve Allen lacks range and personality.
The blandness of Allen's voice prevents any of the songs from catching fire;
then again, the repetitive lyric of tracks like “The Boys the Boys” doesn’t
help, either. Broudie's affection for Motown probably inspired the cover of the
Supremes' "Reflections"; unfortunately, it is embarrassingly flat.
Although the LP is upbeat and energetic, the songs are rather forgettable.
Collectors of Ian Broudie's work might be tempted to track down Original
Mirrors in used vinyl shops; they should search for unopened copies because
there isn't much on the LP worth hearing. Original Mirrors isn't a disaster;
it's merely a small first blemish in Broudie's otherwise star-studded resume.
Review by Michael
Sutton