Various - A Wish On A Star

  by Laura Branch

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

When I first received this compilation, I vowed that I would do my utmost to avoid falling into some kind of clichéd review about dreamy music making up the dreamy records roster; But it’s difficult for little ole me. Having said that, this CD certainly covers the whole dream spectrum from the obviously wistful to out-of-this-world ethereal oddities. It would, however, be simplistic to make such a generalisation, as there is clearly a depth to this compilation which underlies the dreamy description. Oh yes, and it’s a jolly good listen. Coinciding with my relentless desire for “order and completeness” (it’s a “Go-Between” thing…), 'A Wish on a Star'” possesses a neatly cyclical structure in that we begin and end with rather different offerings from the same artist – that being (The Real) Tuesday Weld. The opening track – 'The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid' has a big band flavour – but is kitsch-ed up, and with a slice of Hawaiian charm, while the concluding track – 'The Bird + The Bees' is worthy of the “progressive nostalgia” label, as tissue papery vocals flutter along gently. Although the compilation is assuredly eclectic, certain groupings can be made. A unifying characteristic is the ability of the songs to be at once understated yet impactful. We see the power of complex simplicity in artists such as Silver Springs with 'The Ballad of Toledo', where the vocalist sounds as if he’s singing in a bathroom, or somewhere equally echo-y. Either way he sounds totally uninhibited and sings his heart out like no one else is listening. This subdued style is demonstrated yet again by the likes of Graham, whose track 'Jezebel Blue' is at once fragile, yet possesses a certain strength and determination. The vocals are of key significance, while the minimalistic accompaniment of piano, bass, and acoustic guitar builds to a muted crescendo. Arco produce quite an intense sound on 'Stream', where the frenetic, spiky guitars and gentle yet fraught vocals leave you feeling a little on edge. A slightly more subdued and mournful offering is made by 'Rivulets', with their almost whispered vocals. A quirky offering is made by the 1940’s influenced S Hotel who exude a jazzy, hazy cool. The rich, resonant female vocals enable you to visualise those smoke filled bars. Flare on the other hand, provide make gentle indie pop with an underlying cutting honesty and vitriol in 'Some Words on Parting', whilst Jamie Owen’s nonchalance is equally captivating. There is also an overriding American sound. More specifically, some of the songs seem to be tinged delightfully with the deep south – particularly Santa Sprees' offerings, contrasting with the (generally) more formulaic and structured c86 style of most indie pop compilations. 'A Wish on a Star' then acts, of course, as an introduction to the Dreamy roster and their ethos, but more importantly than that, it acts as the indie pop equivalent of a chill out album – seemingly gentle but with that underlying cutely earnest sincerity.

Track Listing:-

1 Tuesday Weld - The Return Of The Clerkenwell Kid
2 Santa Sprees - Back In Yr Pram
3 M Ward - I'll Be Yr Bird
4 Broken Dog - I'll Think Of It Today
5 Dudley Klute - Caribou
6 Graham - Jezebel Blue
7 Flare - Some Words On Parting
8 Jamie Owen - Some Breezes
9 Rivulets - Swans
10 Silver Springs - The Ballad Of Toledo
11 Ursula - Mi Ilegada
12 Arco - Stream
13 Summer Hymns - Trolling On The Lake
14 S Hotel - Kings Parade
15 Cole Marquis - Criminal
16 Witch Hazel Sound - Man Who Invented California
17 Stars On The Water - Making Up Is Hard To Do
18 Santa Sprees - Make Room
19 Izumi Misawa - Serenity
20 Tuesday Weld - The Birds + The Bees