Various - Deep Elm Unreleased No 2

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 13 / 6 / 2003

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Review

This is the second instalment of a series where Deep Elm offers you unreleased tracks from some of its leading bands. I’m finding it increasingly hard to review Deep Elm stuff, because it’s all great without any exception. John and Chuck, the label's owners, are real music fans, and only put out stuff that they are 100% into. My one complaint with Deep Elm is that they put out SO much good music, its impossible to buy it all and sometimes a great band slips through the net. For example, only in the last month have I properly discovered Pop Unknown and it turns out that they’re an incredible band, with heartfelt and catchy songs and gorgeous jangly guitars. Damnit. I should have been listening to them years ago. So in a way it’s pointless trying to review their records. If you love heartfelt, emotional and original indie rock then you’ll love this record. There’s the punkier, Dischord type stuff of The White Octave and then there is the poppy emo stuff like the amazing Cross My Heart. There's the folky pop of David Singer and then there’s the post rock type feel of The Appleseed Cast. Even someone who hates indie-rock bands like Sonic Youth (in fact, I’m not a big Sonic Youth fan myself, they’re alright but emo is better!) might find themselves touched by the bare-all nature of the words. This review may have little by the way of criticism, granted, but I wrote it because I hope that someone out there takes a chance on Deep Elm because of it. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Track Listing:-

1 The White Octave– A Chinese Character
2 Cross My Heart– Complications
3 Benton Falls– Occupied For Now
4 The Appleseed Cast– The Spider Wall
5 Walt Mink– Downright Presidential
6 Drive Til Morning– Tell Me A Story
7 David Singer– A Mercenary Love Song
8 Race Car Riot– Discontinued
9 Camber– Lantern Circle
10 Slowride– This Train