Sadly, some of my favorite bands are forgotten by today's music listeners. While the Joy
Divisions and Fausts of the world are commemorated by box sets and a continued interest in their
influence, lesser-known bands (who were more subtly influential) are forgotten, delegated to the
obscurist enthusiasm of cult record collectors and music geeks. New Zealand's This Kind of
Punishment probably falls into the latter category--while their three mid-80's albums have been
reissued on CD, they are rarely talked about anymore and many people have still never heard of
them.
This Kind of Punishment formed from the remains of Nocturnal Projections, a post-punk band that was heavily rooted in the gothic sounds of Joy Division. Led by brothers Peter and Graeme Jefferies, whose chilling voices were the perfect icing on the cake, Nocturnal Projections released a few cassettes before breaking up in 1983. Soon after, the Jefferies brothers recorded the first This Kind of Punishment album at home on 4-track, abandoning punk rock for a stripped-down, quiet approach.
The self-titled first album shows the formation of the This Kind of Punishment sound--retaining the moodiness of Nocturnal Projections, but with mostly keyboards, piano, and guitar. The driving "After the Fact" opens the album, building to a climax with pounding drums and ringing electric guitar. It's one of the most accessible This Kind of Punishment songs, with the refrain "Doesn't it always?" sung over descending piano figures and creating a dark, beautiful wall of sound. The somewhat experimental "Don't Take Those" contains some twisted vocals that may be a bit of an acquired taste, but the song is a good illustration of the dark, brooding intimacy of This Kind of Punishment.
"If An Axe is an Arm" is a beautiful acoustic song (with both brothers singing together) that shows This Kind of Punishment at their most perfect. Third member Chris Matthews takes vocals on the morose "Just Another Funeral" and "Some More Than Others" is a jarring critique of imperialism. "Two Minutes Drowning" sounds like it could have influenced the slowcore movement, except that virtually no one ever heard this album. Flying Nun's original 1983 pressing of 1000 copies quickly sold out and except for a brief cassette reissue on Xpressway, this record was unavailable until Roof Bolt's 1998 CD reissue.
A Beard of Bees, This Kind of Punishment's second album, was recorded in 1984. Still using the 4-track, the brothers Jefferies reach a more mature level in their songwriting. More instruments were used, especially in the six-man group improvisation "East Meets West".
Graeme's songwriting really reached a new level with "From the Diary of Hermann Doubt," a complex and introspective song that is closer to James Joyce than anything in pop music. Chris Matthews returns with two songs, "The Horrible Hour" and the haunting "The Sleepwalker." His voice is not unlike Peter and Graeme's, spooky and perfect for the minor keys and cold piano accompaniments of the music. The lengthy "An Open Denial" is the final song, played by the brothers alone, which slowly unfolds as Peter croons some of the most obtuse lyrics ever. The song is arranged so delicately and pastorally you'd hardly realize what he's singing, as Graeme adds a trembling violin to Peter's piano arpeggios.
The third and final This Kind of Punishment album, 1987's In the Same Room, busts out with "Immigration Song," the loudest and most aggressive This Kind of Punishment song ever. Feeling somewhat inconsistent, the album shifts moods with each song, from the contemplative "Left Turns Right" to the angry guitar-driven thrashfest "Don't Go". Michael Morley of the Dead C writes and sings the anthemic "Holding," the most straightforward item I've ever heard from him. "Overground in China" and "The Men by the Pool" are more subdued, with the now-trademarked This Kind of Punishment guitar sound. It all comes together for "Words Fail Me," the final track, which comes almost full-circle back to the sound of Nocturnal Projections.
The CD issue of In the Same Room tacks on the 5 by 4 EP, originally recorded in 1985 between the last two albums. This five-song EP shows This Kind of Punishment at their more experimental, with "Mr. Tic-Toc," a expressionistic spoken poem the highlight. While enjoyable, it's not as essential as the albums.
After the band dissolved in 1987, Graeme went on the form the Cakekitchen, who have released several albums. Peter embarked on a solo career, debuting with the stunning The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World, featuring "The Fate of the Human Carbine," possibly his best song ever. Both Jefferies brothers remain active in the New Zealand music scene, and neither has abandoned their gloomy roots.
Those who are fans of the New Zealand sound should enjoy This Kind Of Punishment. A lot of NZ artists (Alastair Galbraith, Roy Montgomery, etc.) share a similar atmosphere to their music that This Kind of Punishment piloted in the 1980's. For some reason I keep coming back to these records--perhaps it's the dark, yet abstract quality to their songwriting--and they never fail me.
Note: There is also a live cassette that was released by Xpressway. Please contact me if you have any information on this tape.
