At the National Grid
At the National Grid is an album released in 2005 by New Zealand band The Bats. It was their first album for ten years and the first to be released on a New Zealand label other than Flying Nun.
| At the National Grid | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2005 | |||
| Recorded | National Grid, Christchurch, New Zealand | |||
| Genre | Dunedin sound, Indie pop, Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 42:44 | |||
| Label | Pocket Music Little Teddy Recordings | |||
| Producer | The Bats | |||
| The Bats chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Alternate cover used on German release | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
Recording and release
The rhythm tracks were recorded to analogue at The National Grid studio, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The tracks were then digitised with overdubs and mixing by Paul Kean with input from the band.[2]
In New Zealand, The Bats released the album on their own newly formed Pocket Music label. It was released in the U.S.A. by Magic Marker, in Germany by Little Teddy (with different artwork and also on vinyl), in the U.K. by Egg Records, and in Australia by Reverberation.[2]
Reception
The album generally received very positive reviews. Tim Sendra at Allmusic gave it 4 stars, adding "...having the group back at such a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream." It got airplay on many college radio stations in the U.S., leading to an appearance at Austin's SXSW Festival in 2006.[1][3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Robert Scott/The Bats, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Western Isles" | 2:49 |
| 2. | "Horizon" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Hubert" | 2:11 |
| 4. | "The Bells Are Ringing" | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Single File" | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Pre War Blues" | 4:37 |
| 7. | "The Rays" | 3:13 |
| 8. | "Things I Can't Leave Behind" | 2:56 |
| 9. | "Mir" (Kaye Woodward) | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Up To The Sky" | 2:56 |
| 11. | "We Do Not Kiss The Ones We Kick" | 2:19 |
| 12. | "The Flowers And The Trees" | 3:57 |
| 13. | "Crazy Crowd" | 2:59 |
| Total length: | 42:44 | |
Personnel
- Malcolm Grant - drums
- Paul Kean - bass, guitar, backing vocals
- Robert Scott - guitar, vocals, piano
- Kaye Woodward - guitar, bass, vocals
Also credited:
- Alastair Galbraith - violin (tracks 6 & 12)
- John Kelcher - engineer[4]
References
- Sendra, Tim. At the National Grid at AllMusic
- http://thebats.co.nz/
- "The Bats: Media Releases - Official Site". The Bats. Archived from the original on 2011-08-30. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- http://www.discogs.com/Bats-At-The-National-Grid/release/656031