The Able Tasmans played chamber-pop that ranked among the most promising
experiments of New Zealand's
"lo-fi pop".
When the band, led by
Graeme Humphreys, debuted in 1985 with the l'EP
The Tired Sun, it looked like they were merely yet another band of
amateurish
folk-pop.
Their first album, A Cuppa Tea And A Lie Down (Flying Nun, 1987),
featured 23 musicians.
Next to little ditties in typical New Zealand tradition like
Sour Queen and Virtues Asunder, there were instrumentals arranged
as if they were classical music
(Rainbow) or as if they were Todd Rundgren's novelties
(New Sheriff, Evil Barbeque).
The gradual improvement of the arrangements led to the chamber compositions of
Hey Spinner (Flying Nun, 1990) and
Somebody Ate My Planet (january 1992 - Flying Nun, 1992),
on which the leader's genius and
Leslie Jonkers' organ shine in full.
Their peak was perhaps reached on the
EP Shape Of Dolls (july 1993 - Flying Nun, 1993),
while their last
album, Store In A Cold Place (march 1995 - Flying Nun, 1996), full of
instrumentalals, was perhaps too experimental
(Parallax, Orenthal's Face).
Dog Whelk 2, Mary Tyler Moore and Klingon National Anthem
are each more unpredictable than the other.
The classic lineup was completed by
Peter Keen on vocals, Ron Young on
synth, Craig Mason on drums and Jane Dodd on bass (ex Verlaines).
Songs From The Departure Lounge (Flying Nun, 1998) is a career retrospective.
Graeme Humphreys and Peter Keen released The Overflow (Sweet Pea, 2005) under the moniker Humphrey and Keen.
Their original bassist, David Beniston, died in 2011.
