Various - Sweet 16 Vol 4

  by Geraint Jones

published: 12 / 2 / 2002

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Review

Various artists compilations? Yes, I know they’re often a risky proposition. Too much filler? Same old songs? Same old bands? Not here!! This, the fourth in Parasol’s regular series of samplers, does a very good job of promoting their current roster and recent and forthcoming releases. With twenty tracks including several unreleased exclusives for about half the cost of a regular album, this latest instalment in the series has plenty to recommend it. It’s possible that you won’t like everything here, but if any of the artists included hold appeal then I think you’ll enjoy what’s on offer there. That’s not to say that everything sounds the same, but that the tracks blend and compliment one another very well. Demonstrating Parasol's A&R prowess the album opens with ‘Nevermore’ by current press darlings, Swedish garage-psych-pop rockers The Soundtrack Of Our Lives taken from their acclaimed album ‘Behind the Music’. Parasol licensed all three of the band’s albums for the US last year, long before anyone in the UK spotted their potential. What better way to gain your attention?! Other tracks of interest include those by White Town, who’ve had a long standing association with Parasol that precedes their surprise UK #1, ‘My Woman’ of several years ago, a track from Jeff Kelly’s (lead singer of the Green Pajamas) solo debut and a great unreleased track from the sadly less than prolific Adam Schmitt. Then there’s Neilson Hubbard’s interesting interpretation of Howard Jones’ ‘No One Is Too Blame’, Chitlin' Fooks, who feature Bettie Serveert vocalist Carol Van Dyk with their Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris influenced ‘Not Enough Tears’. And if that’s not enough to convince you then try the adrenaline-fuelled power pop rush of Autopilot, the wonderfully quirky cover of The Supremes ‘Love Child’ by Fonda or the dark textured pop of The Signalmen. Entertaining and fun, this is a great welcome mat into the house of Parasol that’s more than worth the paltry entry fee being requested.

Track Listing:-

1 The Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Nevermore
2 White Town – Make The World Go Away
3 The Witch Hazel Sound – Music Becomes Vibration
4 Jeff Kelly – Cruel Velvet Sea
5 Absinthe Blind – Overdone
6 Adam Schmitt - Overdone
7 Lasse Lindh – Bruised
8 Neilson Hubbard – No One Is Too Blame
9 Chitlin’ Fooks – Not Enough Tears
10 Starlet – When Sun Falls On My Feet
11 June & The Exit Wounds – Where I’m Taken
12 Angie Heaton – Teach Me
13 Autoliner -  Misunderstood
14 Mark Bacino – Downtown Girl
15 Fonda – Love Child
16 The Melody Unit – Welcome Back Tomorrow
17 The Orange Alabaster Mushroom – Valerie Vanillarom
18 Signalmen – Hold Me Down
19 Jack Logan & Bob Kimbell – Nothin’ But Sky
20 Jenifer Jackson – Since You’ve Been Away