Inky Bloaters is the third solo album by Danielle Dax, an English experimental musician and former member of the Lemon Kittens. It was originally recorded between 1985 & 1987, and released in 1987 on the Awesome Records label. This was the last album by Dax released on the Awesome label before signing with Sire. The album was re-released in 1993 on the Biter of Thorpe label (BOT131-04CD) and distributed through World Serpent Distribution.
Dax wrote all the lyrics for the album and shared music writing and arrangement with David Knight. Dax provided vocals, guitars, keyboards, flute, sitar, kalimba, percussion and drone guitar. David Knight played guitars, tapes, keyboards, percussion and drone guitar. Ian Sturgess played additional bass, harmonica, jaw harp and percussion. Steve Reeves played guitar and composed music for When I Was Young. Martyn Watts played drums. The cover artwork is by Dax.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Danielle Dax; all music is composed by Danielle Dax and David Knight
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Flashback"
4:23
2.
"Funtime"
3:28
3.
"Inky Bloaters"
3:32
4.
"Sleep Has No Property"
4:32
5.
"Bad Miss 'M'"
2:47
6.
"Big Hollow Man"
5:20
7.
"Brimstone in a Barren Land"
4:33
8.
"Where the Flies Are"
3:20
9.
"Born to Be Bad"
2:58
10.
"Fizzing Human-Bomb"
3:45
11.
"Yummer-Yummer Man" (CD Bonus Track)
3:25
All tracks except "Born to Be Bad" appear on the 1988 US compilation Dark Adapted Eye. Tracks 5–6, 8 and 10-11 appear on the 1995 UK compilation Comatose-Non-Reaction. A different recording of "Fizzing Human-Bomb" was released on The Janice Long Session EP.
Michael Jourdan of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars. He noted the album sounded "bigger" and "more commercial" than her previous albums, with traces of "guitar-driven dance-pop" of the 1980s decade. He compared "Flashback" with the work of Blondie and noted "Big Hollow Man" had "[taken] a page from Prince". However, Jourdan felt that the "more conventional arrangements" resulted in an album that had become more dated than her previous work. The songs "Flashback", "Inky Bloaters", "Big Hollow Man", "Brimstone in a Barren Land" and "Where the Flies Are" were highlighted as standouts from the album.[2]
