Back in
the eighties there was a kids programme called 'Why Don't You?' that
strangely asked young viewers to turn off their television sets and
go and do something else less boring instead.
That
oxymoron was the catalyst to the space/time continuum folding in on
itself that led to George Lucas deciding that making some Star Wars
prequels was a good idea, but on the plus side it also subconsciously
cemented the DIY concept into the heads of some West Lothians who
have now dubbed their loose collective of artists as the small fries,
or Les Frites Petites, and self released a very impressive
compilation that showcases all their talents.
Starting
off with adullboy with his expertly balanced take on remembering the
eighties that juxtaposes the care free attitudes of being a kid at
the time with larger worldly issues it sets the bar high, but the
fantastically named Wullie Mammoth isn't backwards about coming
forwards as he takes the baton and runs with the looped 'The Factory
part 1' that then gives way for Combie with his revitalizing of the
indie guitar sound of Britpop with 'I kissed the Sun'.
Three
tacks in and as locally birthed compilations go this one hasn't
managed to put a foot wrong, and Lovers Turn To Monsters doesn't
intend to let the quality dip on his watch.
Introspective
singer/songwriters are pretty much ten a penny, but with 'Skeletor'
being put up for consideration it would be churlish not to create
some space for Lovers Turn To Monsters to shine in.
Ryan
Morcombe could shelter under the same wide umbrella term of acoustic
troubadour, but with each artist revealing their own individual take
on what that is, all he does is expand our understanding of how
inclusive that one man, or a woman, and a guitar sound can be.
There's a
wealth of approaches that can be taken, and pretty much any style of
song can be framed with just a guitar, and similarly The Boy With The
Lion Head extols the virtue of 'the same again, but different' ethos
that's embedded in this release.
With
Craig Weir there's a home taping demo element creeping in, but that's
not to say that he's posted in a less than worthy track for
inclusion.
If we
imagined that everyone did a session on a specific day then it just
sounds like Craig is the guy who couldn't make it and had to record
elsewhere and was out of the loop with the project.
Ross
Mitchell on the other hand delivers at the other end of the spectrum
with a fully fleshed out 'New York' that could be a Bruce Hornsby out
take
Brian
Gatens takes it back to a more simplistic approach with 'Only Been A
Week' and draws attention to his own strengths as a vocalist with a
warm delivery of the song.
Kick The
Hornets Nest are the first band who instill a bit of a punky vibe into
the compilation with what sounds like a song that's been stripped
down from being originally a heads down rifftastic splurge of guitar
driven US styled pop punk with a bite.
I would
hazard a guess that Electrolite took their name from REM, and if that
is the case then it's no surprise that the Georgian band hover like a
ghost over the song, but along with them there's something of
Morrissey in there to.
It's a
potent mix and as they are the first full band playing electrically
the songs stands out and draws the ear.
Taking on
the closing track Andy Robertson finishes the first volume with a
very accomplished take on the celtic folk sound that cements his name
as someone that those who gravitate to that style should file away as
worthy of further investigation.
It's
actually rare to get a DIY compilation that could be described as all
killer and no filler, but here's an exception to the rule.
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