Score: 7/10
Morr Music are clearly in the mood for celebrating. Six years from the creation of their offshoot label, A Number of Small Things, which specializes in seven inch releases, comes this compilation, a chronological compact disc release of the great (and not so great) artists that they have let loose on vinyl. The record features a plethora of artists, ranging from established acts such as Styrofoam to smaller ones such as Butcher the Bar, which leads rather nicely into a discussion on the first few tracks on the record, the latter artist’s 2007 tracks “Get Away” and “Leave this Town”.
Butcher the Bar, although a rather obscure artist, is unquestionably the strongest way to open this compilation, so it is lucky that he’s also the most recent artist to be released on the label. “Get Away” hammers out a perky Death Cab for Cutie styled tune, which although sounds like quite a bleak description, really sets the trend for the rest of the record. With vocals that aren’t as nasally as Ben Gibbard’s and a hushed guitar, “Get Away” features thoughtful lyrics such as “I may be over-reacting… but I swear this town is dead” and a Bob Dylan harmonica outro. All in all, it’s lovely stuff.
The compilation then follows with Benni Hemm Hemm who seamlessly fuse an interesting array of horns with an equally upbeat and energetic chorus. The track “Aldrei” is a sentimental work of delicately strummed guitar and gentle horns, with vocal duties handed to Jens Lekman. Benni Hemm Hemm also appear later on the record, but you can’t help but feel that this is to combat the slump the listener feels after working through the bland alt-country efforts of Mash Qrella.
Covers pop up across the compilation. Seavault re-work “Mercy Seat” by Ultra Vivid Scene, but it’s their cover of “I Could be Happy” by Altered Images that really makes an impact on the listener. Seavault excellently deconstruct the song and come off with something that’s a lot more melancholic and shoegaze than the original. Seabear also offer up an interesting re-working of a classic, with their rambling rendition of The Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks.”
Electric President and John Yoko/Lali Puna occupy the last section of part one of this compilation, but instead of tempting the listener with songs that will make them continue to part two, both bands offer up lacklustre efforts. Ben Cooper, lead singer of Electric President, has described his vocal style as “an intimate, slightly nasal vocal style that vaguely recalls Gibbard,” furthermore, “Electric President actually contains a modest number of moping moments, the duo is more interested in generating an elephantine roar.” Unlike Butcher the Bar, who professes to being an artist who “carves out vibes in my bedroom,” Electric President give themselves too much credit. The songs meander, have no real presence or force to them, and, as opposed to similarities to The Postal Service or Death Cab, they sound more like Wheetus. In “Good Ol’ Boys,” Cooper warbles that “music in my head never sounded right on paper/I’ll write myself a note and turn that note into a song,” which is a fair estimation of how Electric President sound; scrappy, half-completed pop songs. Not much can be said about John Yoko/Lali Puna either, they offer up twee and sickly-sweet pop songs in the vein of Rilo Kiley and Stars, but, excuse this crude statement; without all the good bits.
So, that was part one, as we’re working backwards, we’re now approaching earlier releases from the label, hopefully they’ll be as many gems as part one, but from the efforts of Electric President and John Yoko, they suggest a definite slide in standards.
Sadly, Populous open part two with their dreary Stars styled song “Breathes th Best,” with Torquil vocals and uncanny yet inferior similarities in composition. However, their second effort “Bon Bon Pour Les Rappers” adds something new to the mix, it’s a Gonzales-esque, wholly instrumental track and it definitely makes a refreshing change from their earlier contribution.
The peak of part two comes in the form of B. Fleischmann, who contributes four tracks to the compilation. “Frisky He Said” offers some welcome depth and melancholy (trust me, after all that twee, even noise is welcome) that compliments the earlier effort of Seavault.
Styrofoam are probably one of the most recognizable names on the record, which is no doubt down to their excessive output of remixes. Unsurprisingly, the two tracks that feature on this compilation are exactly what you’d expect from them; ethereal slices of electronica with eerily echoed vocals, essentially, it sounds like a lot of “E” (pun intended).
Now just a brief word about the two artists that close the compilation (excluding B. Fleischmann who’s already had his praises thoroughly sung): Team Forest and Other People’s Children offer up indie-electronica love songs, and chances are you’re thinking “that genre sounds familiar.” Instead of name-checking Ben Gibbard again (whoops), I’ll just leave you to fill in the gaps.
So, at the end of all of that, I’m sure you’re wondering whether this compilation is worth the CD it’s imprinted on. Well, although A Number of Small Things clearly started with an infatuation for all things cute and Gibbard, they have definitely provided the listener with an array of cross-genre listens in 2007. The compilation allows the listener a glimpse at both this label’s and Morr Music’s history, what they like and even their own influences, they have also allowed us to take a look at their weaker points and certain things that need refining (clue: more Icelandic acts, less moping young men). This is a record definitely worth listening to, as judging from their 2006-07 output, the label’s future is certainly looking bright, even if they do have a bit of a checkered past.
