The Church were (and still are) a relatively unknown Australian band - at least outside of their home country. In 1981 they released their debut album, ‘Of Skins And Heart’. One track on that album became their first Australian top ten 45 - ‘The Unguarded Moment’. The Los Angeles Times described the band's music as "dense, shimmering, exquisite guitar pop” - and I think that sums up this You Tube track beautifully.
It’s a perfect pop/rock song; brilliant construction, jangly guitars, and an arresting vocal style that reminds me so much of Pete Perrett from The Only Ones. They were likened to The Byrds early in their career, and in fact one of the guitarists bears a close resemblance to a young Dave Crosby. Couple that performance with a psychedelic, blocky video shot in a garage somewhere, and wow, you have something worth spending 4m 13s of your time on.
Those boys looked dead cool too!
Hear, and see, The Church HERE
