World Of Pooh - The Land Of Thirst LP

he 1989 lone long player from San Francisco’s World Of Pooh is a record that upon hearing it for the first time in the 3rd quarter of 2025 I asked the universe, “Woah baby where have you been all my life?!?!!??!”. 

A jangle pop group in the same broad sound-region as The Feelies and The Clean, surely somebody should’ve told me about this one?

Some aspects of the bands initial mode-of-operation and this Starlight Furniture Co reissue I assume are humorous bits of self sabotage, with complete disregard to fostering any type of Cleaners From Venus style posthumous indie infamy. This makes my initial fondness for WOP swell bulbously as does what’s revealed the more I listen…..

While this could pass on a timid cardigan wearers college rock mixtape there’s a real heavy tension in both lyrics and performance. A willingness to lean into sweaty and primitive pulses, as well as a slew of ambitious and artful musical undertones. I feel Pere Ubu and The Velvet Underground. The links to Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Caroliner Rainbow make sense. I will be investigating more of Barbara Manning’s music! — Nic