Audiopile Review: Admittedly, we had braced ourselves for Spell Blanket to be somewhat of a barrel scraping affair, albeit, one we were still feverish to explore. Instead we’re met with a treasure trove of revelatory songs and impressions that Trish Keenan was slowly piecing together during the post-Tender Buttons period. After the release of the imaginary library visions of Witch Cults and Berberian Stoud Studio, it seemed that Keenan and James Cargill were leaving behind the retro-futuristic pop that had won them an eager fanbase. But Spell Blanket tells another story, an extensive peek at what could have been. While the 36 tracks across Spell Blanket are certainly not as fully realized as the releases in their magnificent run from Work And Non-Work to Tender Buttons, it still works together quite well, a somewhat lo-fi vision of the Broadcast sound. From the fuzzy majesty of “March of the Fleas”, the child-like psych-pop of “Roses Red”, or the ghostly hypnagogic of “Follow the Light”, Spell Blanket is brimming with memorable songs that surely would’ve become staples of the Broadcast canon if they’d only had the chance. Filling the gaps between some of the more fully realized songs are bits of Keenan’s outlines of tracks, simplistic sing-song-y bits and eerie refractions, all painstakingly pieced together into a surreal tapestry by surviving member James Cargill. While there is one more collection due out later this year that collects demos that would appear in their final form on Haha Sound, Tender Buttons and Future Crayon, Spell Blanket will be the final release of any new, completely unheard material from Broadcast, an eye-opening collection that is now an essential piece of the Broadcast legacy.

Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009 comprises songs and sketches drawn from Trish’s extensive archive of 4-track tapes and MiniDiscs. The recordings lay the groundwork for what would have been Broadcast’s fifth album, offering a window into Trish and James’ creative process during the post-Tender Buttons period from 2006-2009. Photography used in its artwork is by Trish and James and the artwork is designed by Broadcast’s long-time collaborator Julian House. Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009 will be released via Warp Records on May 3rd and available on standard black 2LP and CD.