Codeine: Classic or Dud?

I bought the Numero box set a few months ago, it's a thing of beauty but I've not been in the headspace to delve in since.

Unreleased album from 1992 on its way:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfE-AU7pJOL/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

O_O

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read this book called "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping," by Paco Underhill, and early on he mentions a detail-oriented assistant whose job is basically to stand around supermarkets and observe how various people shop. Then he drops a mention that this person used to be in a '90s band called Codeine. (!) From an interview with Underhill I found:

What kinds of habits—and what kinds of people—make for good observation?

Over the last 34 years I sent out crews of trackers all over the world. When I’m in an environment observing, I have to be very careful after doing it for an hour—I haven’t seen what I need to see. It’s often the second or third day when you really see and understand. So a lot of it is a Zen-like state of patience.

One man did 500 missions for me. He had a short career as a guitar player in a prominent early 90s band called Codeine. It had its own distinct beat. He became a kindergarten teacher. I found him doing substitute teaching and he was so patient and so observant and so rhythmic, with a slow steady beat, and he was so empathetic.

I assume it's John Engle, then:

John has been doing fieldwork for my company, Envirosell, for more than ten years, in between working as a kindergarten teacher. Trained to monitor five-year-olds, does he have patience? Oh, yeah. He also just
completed his two-hundredth fieldwork assignment. He’s of medium height, with brown hair, a spare build, crinkles in the corners of his eyes and big broad feet. He has no trouble standing all day.

thanks josh, i'm glad he's found his niche

there's a bit of background on the forthcoming album here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfPiTihuGKE/

Seems to be mostly early versions of songs that were later reworked as their final album The White Birch:

https://numerogroup.com/products/dessau

I love that album and I think it's probably unimprovable upon but we shall see

i make it 4 songs that later appeared on The White Birch, 2 songs that were on Barely Real, plus 2 others (I Wonder, Something New) that i think were probably on that numero box

I loved Frigid Stars when it came out, it was an escape from stupid bombast and auteurism.

Then I threw it away, embarrassed about my slowcore period. I think I paid too much attention to other people's opinions.

Dug it out and enjoyed it, now I'm revisiting this 90's tendency.

These have reformed for a few east coast dates in April with further dates likely in the fall. Good to see them come out of hiding again, the 2012 show I saw was epic.

https://www.codeine.nyc/

They played that Numero group event in Los Angeles already I think. Playing DC with Barbara Manning opening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRqkmHHFqUs