Retrofit

Section 25 - Retrofit (LTM)It's always interesting when bands revisit their back catalogues. That's not to say it's always successful, but if you enjoyed a band in your youth it can be fascinating to hear their take on songs 10, 20, 30 years after they made an initial impact.Retrofit revisits songs from the first period of Section 25's history when they were signed to Factory Records (they split in 1986 before reforming in 2001), and they've not shirked at reconstructing material that is considered the core of their oeuvre. With a far cleaner and electronic-based sound, Retrofit will be a surprise to those who remember the original band as the scuzzier, DIY cousins of Joy Division, though with the deaths of founding member Larry Cassidy, and his wife (and vocalist / keyboardist) Jenny Ross, the band have inevitably evolved. Interestingly, they've managed to regroup, whilst keeping Section 25 a family affair. Drummer Vin Cassidy has returned to the group and Larry and Jen's daughter, Bethany Cassidy, features throughout Retrofit.Frankly, it's encouraging to know that they're still going strong and it's great to again hear songs like "Looking From A Hilltop" and "Dirty Disco" however they're presented. 8/10.

Section 25 headed into the making of "Retrofit" with the equally excellent "Part-Primitive" and "Nature & Degree" albums already under their belts. Combined with a new awareness created around the band by the likes of Orbital sampling them, name dropped by DAF and LCD Soundsystem right up to the new wave of post -"err"-post - (nearly there) post punk declaring them an influence.With the untimely death of leader, vocalist and head provocateur Larry Cassidy in February 2010 it may have been perceived that this was another tragic and sad loss for a band that had attained the deserved respect of their peers for never straying from the Factory Records ideology of "NO SELL OUT".As Tony once said...After losing Larry the band chose to regroup and release the finished album. "Retrofit" is a sort of "best of" Section 25 where their back catalogue has been updated, reworked and what we get is a record that delivers a sound that can happily rub shoulders with some of the best new breed electronic artists out there today.Although, there is a clear and marked difference between this record and it's newer competitors vying for your 79p per track. The difference here is Section 25 were innovators (see "From the Hip") and the "retrofit" process loses not one ounce of the depth, feeling, view and cognitive dissonance that has trademarked their sound.If new to the band you may be unaware that Beth Cassidy's voice is replacing the vocal left by her late Mother and on several songs she sings with her now late Father. With that in mind what you have is a record that achieves something that is quite possibly unique.Unique in the sense that Section 25 have delivered an album that not only exposes how dynamic and influential the bands back catalogue is, how relevant it can be, but how it has transpired that of all the equally important and more lauded groups they grew up with only the Cassidy's could do it with absolute integrity.A band then that have not only retrofitted their back catalogue but have now rebuilt and retrofitted themselves.