Roadtest

One side effect of my recent workplace relocation should be the acquisition of approximately an LPs worth of listening time a day going to and from work.

I’ve decided therefore to use at least some of this time to try and broaden my horizons by listening to some of the many magazine compilation CDs piling up around me on the car stereo.

First up is Uncut’s 15 track Playlist CD for February. I actually managed to listen to the whole thing right through en route to Stranraer on Saturday and without reading the rtacklisting beforehand and therefore without preconceptions. After a couple of plays I’m quite surprised how consistent the CD is. Sure there are a couple of clunkers I won’t listen to again in a hurry (Jamie T and Pentangle) but overall it’s a pleasant enough set of songs.

The one downside is that there isn’t much that really jumps out. In terms of energy, the View’s ‘Wasted Little DJs’ is almost in a league of its own but I’m as yet undecided about the final merits of the song.

The one track that does impress is the Decemberists’ ‘The Crane Wife 3’ taken from their new LP, ‘The Crane Wife’. I know virtually nothing about them other than the fact that the Vinyl Villain has mentioned the fact that they’re playing Glasgow soon (this Sunday 4^th, in fact) and a short C4 Teletext interview with them at the weekend in which the male singer explained why he liked writing songs from the perspective of female prostitutes.

On checking their Myspace site, there are a remarkable TWELVE songs posted, including a fair chunk of the new LP. Even without TVV’s recommendation, this is a band I would be interested in following up. So, for JC, here are the Decemberists.

The Decemberists – The Crane Wife 3

Doubtless you can buy the Decemberists at all good independent record stores or even online here.

 

~ by manicpopthrills on January 29, 2007.