Street Smart Discography

So this is a record that I always wanted to happen, but honestly never thought that it would. Thankfully, certain labels are always trying to pull cool stuff out of the bag, and Topshelf are no exception. So when I heard about this record, I was straight on to the Topshelf UK store to grab myself whatever variant I could. 

Street Smart Cyclist - Discography - Topshelf Records - 1st Press - Tan /150. 

This sleeve is awkward as balls to photograph as the writing is in a font that just disagrees with camera focus. No worries though, I'm sure you get the idea. Possibly the strangest cover art I have seen all year too, and kind of out of the way thematically from other Street Smart Cyclist releases. I do think there's a certain charm to it though. The centre label has the band name and no other markings, which is cool because that means I don't have to photograph it up close.

I guess it's the B-Side where things take shape on this release though. Although a discography release, there was only a handful of songs released by this band: 3 on a Self Titled CDR demo that got later released on vinyl through Our Neighborhood Records; 3 more on the Lint Traps EP (which never saw any real physical release I believe) and then a couple of unreleased tracks. 8 songs total, but 8 really great songs that you just can't find physically anymore. The S/T 7'' regularly fetches $50 plus on eBay and Vinyl Collective, which I would be really hard pushed to pay for essentially about 9 minutes of music. As a nod to their previous physical output; all 8 tracks were pressed to the A-Side, leaving this side open to an etching. This windmill also appears on the cover art for the elusive self titled 7''. The more you know right? 

When I ordered this variant, I was assuming tan to mean a flat colour; but the mix in the record is pretty neat too I guess. It makes a bit of an odd contrast against the colour scheme of the sleeve, and that's okay by me. 

Back cover. Again, the font on this thing made it nearly impossible to photograph. Hence why I took a photo of it without the record. Nothing too fancy going on here, which is how I like things most of the time. According to the sleeve, the songs have been remastered for optimal sound. Due to the lo-fi nature of these recordings, they are never going to blow you away in terms of production, but under the circumstances these songs do sound really quite impressive. 

Finally, we have an insert. Not a clue what the semi drawn dot-to-dot looking cat illustration is though. This insert goes through the track-listing, allowing for original release credits and band personnel. However, no lyrics. Considering that the whole second side of the insert is printed, there are no lyrics. It's all that nasty blue floral pattern around the edges of this side of the insert. 

This small imperfection aside, I am glad that these songs have been released together, and that they have seen the light of day again after a few years away.