A quietly influential British indie pop record returns with renewed presence. Bristol-based avant indie pop outfit Modesty Blaise share a newly remastered version of “Carol Mountain”, a centrepiece from their landmark album ‘Melancholia’, available now on Bandcamp. The track arrives as the first preview of the album’s 25th Anniversary reissue, an expanded three-disc edition featuring restored audio, session outtakes and refreshed artwork. The full ‘Melancholia – Remaster’ collection lands April 24 via From Lo-Fi To Disco!.
“Carol Mountain formed one of the main tracks of the whole album. It was recorded in multiple parts and using three different drum kits. It’s inspired by Steven Gaines’ book ‘Heroes & Villains’ about The Beach Boys, and written in about half an hour on a Sunday morning,” says Jonny Collins. The recording story moves in the opposite direction. Months of sessions followed, including orchestral musicians from a Bristol orchestra and a barbershop quartet assembled for the arrangement.
The newly edited video draws from footage filmed in New York during a 2002 Modesty Blaise performance. At the time, the band featured Jonny Collins, David W Brown, Gregory Jones, Clem Courtney and Julien Clapperton. The visuals capture the group at a moment when the record’s reputation continued to grow beyond its original release.
Originally issued as a standalone single, “Carol Mountain” distills the sonic language that defines ‘Melancholia’. The track unfolds slowly, built on layered instrumentation, orchestral colour and deliberate pacing. The result lands with remarkable poise. It stands as a beautifully constructed piece of English pop songwriting that still carries weight decades later.
The anniversary edition expands the album into three discs: the remastered original record, the ‘Melancholia [de]Construction’ outtakes collection, and ‘Melancholia – The Singles’. The remaster, completed by original engineer Martin Nichols, brings greater dynamic range and deeper detail to the recordings while maintaining the character of the original sessions. The album’s atmosphere remains intact, now presented with renewed depth and dimension.