“Lost & Found 1981-1985” - Personal Column
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
There’s a certain kind of magic when music you thought was lost to the passage of time suddenly resurfaces decades later — not as a nostalgia trip, but as a reminder that great songs never really age. That’s exactly the case with Lost & Found 1981–1985, the long-overdue collection from Liverpool’s Personal Column, a band that once seemed on the brink of making it big but ended up slipping through the cracks of the industry machine.
Back in the mid-’80s, things were lining up nicely. The band had recorded three John Peel sessions (all broadcast multiple times), popped up on Kid Jensen, Simon Bates, and Janice Long’s shows, and were starting to find their footing beyond the smoky pubs of Liverpool. On paper, they looked set for liftoff. But anyone who knows the music industry knows that talent isn’t always enough. Deals fell apart, opportunities got bungled, and the group’s story became less about ascension and more about survival, gigs, and, frankly, a lot of time spent in bars.
What makes this new release so fascinating is that it proves the music was never the problem. Personal Column wrote literate, emotionally sharp indie rock that didn’t quite fit into the molds of the time. They weren’t brooding like Joy Division, not anarchic like Crass, and certainly not decked out in frills like the New Romantics. Instead, their sound was melodic, thoughtful, and quietly subversive — and that probably worked against them in a scene that often rewarded extremes. But listening now, their songs feel startlingly fresh, like they could slot straight into today’s playlists alongside the likes of Fontaines D.C., Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, or even The National.
Part of that timelessness comes from the songwriting duo at the heart of the group: singer/guitarist Marc Vormawah and keyboardist Colin Brown. Vormawah’s vocals carry that blend of vulnerability and grit that indie singers still chase today, while Brown’s lyrical bite grounds the melodies in something more cerebral. Together, they carved out a sound that had both heart and head, hooks and heft.
Tracks across Lost & Found move between sharp-edged indie rockers and more reflective moments, always with a sense of immediacy. What’s almost eerie is how the political and social commentary woven into their lyrics hasn’t aged a day. The issues they were railing against in Thatcher’s Britain still echo in today’s climate — which makes you wonder whether we’ve moved forward at all.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
The backstory — the near misses, the wasted chances, the broken deals — gives the album a bittersweet undertone. It’s the sound of a band that should have been contenders, but instead ended up as a kind of secret history. Marc’s brief stint as a solo artist with Elektra in the States, working with the legendary Arif Mardin, shows just how much industry belief there was in his talent, even if the stars never aligned.
Listening to Lost & Found 1981–1985 now feels less like digging up a relic and more like discovering a band that, by some twist of fate, didn’t get their shot. It’s rough around the edges in all the right ways, brimming with conviction and crafted with an ear for melody that stands the test of time.
Maybe it’s a footnote, sure. But it’s a footnote that deserves to be read out loud — and played at volume. Personal Column might have missed their moment back in the day, but this album proves that the music itself never missed a beat.
“Lost & Found 1981-1985” is available now on all major streaming platforms
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Listen to Personal Column and other similar artists on our Spotify Playlist ‘New Music Spotlight - Rock, Punk & Metal’
