The Particles were a Sydney band who formed in 1977, hung out with The Saints, and then went and did something completely different. By 1980 they were making jangly, playful indie pop that sounds like Orange Juice or Television Personalities if those bands had grown up in Australian punk basements. Guitarist Peter Williams and vocalist Astrid Spielman were the core, and her delivery is this perfect mix of deadpan and delighted, like she's in on a joke you haven't heard yet.
1980s Bubblegum rounds up everything they recorded: three EPs, compilation tracks, and a bunch of live stuff including their 1983 Triple J session. The songs are short and hooky. "Driving Me" has this bassline that won't quit, "The Trumpet Song" is exactly what it says on the tin and better for it, and "(Bits Of) Wood" is a weird little collage that shows they weren't just about three-chord pop. The production is lo-fi in that 1980 indie way where the charm comes from the limitations. Some of the live tracks are rough but that's the point.
Spielman passed away in 2015. This collection from Chapter Music is the full document of what she and Williams made. If you like the C86 sound, the twee end of post-punk, or just want to hear what a Sydney band was doing when everyone else was being tough, this is worth your time.
