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Post-punk duo Second Layer was formed in London in 1979 by southpaw guitarist/vocalist Adrian Borland and bassist/keyboardist Graham Bailey , who would both gain greater fame in the somewhat more mainstream act, The Sound . Borland has previously been active in Wimbledon punk trio The Outsiders, which released two albums and an EP on their own Raw Edge label before disbanding. Second Layer's heavily synthesized and dystopian "cold wave" sound first surfaced on a couple of EPs, issued on their own Tortch label, and when debut album World Of Rubber was released on Cherry Red in 1981, it was a very different beast indeed, being far more abstract, the minimal instrumentation masking occasional morbid lyrics about "Black Flowers", bodies in an open grave and, on "In Bits", the disintegrating personality of Borland's protagonist; "Japanese Headset" subjected an unknown foreign soundtrack to stereophonic effects. Since The Sound signed with major label WEA, shortly after, they released World Of Rubber ; the album ended up being Second Layer's swansong, making it all the more sought after today. Includes three bonus tracks. Grey vinyl; Double-sided insert; edition of 500.
Our take: World of Rubber is the lone album from this short-lived UK minimal synth / cold wave duo whose members, Adrian Borland and Graham Bailey, were the guitarist / vocalist and bassist for the great post-punk band the Sound. The Sound grew more polished and pop-oriented over the course of their run (their later records are good, but have a U2 style of polish), so as you might expect Second Layer is even rawer than the earliest material by the Sound. While Borland’s voice is instantly recognizable, World of Rubber has little of the dramatic rock flair that’s a big part of the Sound’s Jeopardy. While I’m sure some fans of the Sound will miss the big riffs and big choruses, I think Borland’s songwriting is just as powerful in this context. Instead of anthems, Second Layer has a brooding, monochromatic style that reminds me of the Cure circa Faith or Seventeen Seconds or Closer-era Joy Division, that quality accentuated by a rather primitive-sounding drum machine. If you’re a fan of minimal synth groups like Solid Space or the Units, this has a very similar aesthetic, but its power is amplified by a world-class singer and songwriter. A very cool obscurity for deep post-punk heads.