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Originally issued by RCA Victor in 1970, Upstairs Coming Down was the only album released by British group P.C. Kent. Its mixture of acoustic songwriting, melodic pop, psychedelic detail and more ambitious arrangements gives the record a character that sits comfortably between late-1960s folk rock and the emerging progressive sound of the new decade.
The group’s music is built around layered vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, harpsichord, bass and drums. Rather than relying on heavy studio effects, P.C. Kent use changes of texture and instrumentation to create contrast, moving easily from delicate pastoral passages to fuller, more dramatic ensemble sections.
The unusually titled “Little Baby Won’t You Please Come Home, Honey-Child Won’t You Just Allow Me One More Chance, Please” sets the tone with an eccentric blend of pop melody and loose psychedelic invention. “Sweet Suzie Brown Boots” follows with a warmer acoustic character, while the instrumental “Broadened” introduces one of the album’s more reflective moments.
“Please Time Please” and “I’m Hanging On” highlight the group’s gift for understated melodic writing, before “We Are the Police” expands into a more adventurous arrangement. On the second side, “Prelude to Brighton Rock” acts as a brief introduction to “One for the Road,” while “Suzy” and “After Dark” bring the album back towards concise, intimate songwriting.
“Blue Railway Fields” provides another atmospheric instrumental passage, and “Plastic Wedding” closes the record with a more elaborate mixture of keyboards, guitar and vocal harmonies. The album’s constant movement between gentle folk textures and psychedelic colour gives it a distinctive identity despite its relative obscurity at the time of release.
Now regarded as a sought-after British underground album, Upstairs Coming Down offers a fascinating glimpse of a band working at the meeting point of psych-folk, melodic pop and early progressive rock. This Ojo De Mujer edition presents the complete original twelve-track album on pink coloured vinyl.
Track listing:
Side A
A1. Little Baby Won’t You Please Come Home, Honey-Child Won’t You Just Allow Me One More Chance, Please
A2. Sweet Suzie Brown Boots
A3. Broadened
A4. Please Time Please
A5. I’m Hanging On
A6. We Are the Police
Side B
B1. Prelude to Brighton Rock
B2. One for the Road
B3. Suzy
B4. After Dark
B5. Blue Railway Fields
B6. Plastic Wedding
