Distant

So bittersweet in parting, SARGE's final release, a collection of new/unreleased/rare tunes, nearly everything they recorded that hasn't been released, including some vivacious covers, vinyl-only gems and assorted whatnot. The album leads off with three new, unreleased tunes recorded by SARGE's final line-up, Elizabeth calls them 'demos', we call them smashing and beautiful songs… Then six dangerously electrified live tracks, blistering versions of 'Stall', 'Fast Girls', 'Half As Far', 'Dear Josie, Love Robyn', 'Homewrecker' and 'The First Morning', recorded at Chicago's Cabaret Metro and notorious Champaign-Urbana rock club Mabel's in 1999, during fellow local scene heroes Braid's series of farewell shows. 'Distant' also includes their cover of CYNDI LAUPER's 'Time After Time' from the 'Stall' 7-inch single, available for the first time on CD, plus SARGE's wholly unreleased version of NANCY SINATRA's You-Go-Girl classic 'These Boots Are Made for Walking', and their cover of WHAM!'s seasonal smash 'Last Christmas' from their 1998 My Pal God Holiday Compilation appearance. The album closes with two new, unreleased acoustic numbers, Elizabeth and her guitar, pure pathos: The title track 'Distant', and the closer, the carefully worded, somewhat wounded 'All My Plans Have Changed…', with journeyman Derek Niedringhaus on bass guitar. It's true SARGE has disbanded, though singer/songwriter/guitarist ELIZABETH ELMORE will surely continue marching on as a solo artist… She is driven.