Various - Souvenirs from Egg Records

  by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 9 / 12 / 2006

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Review

I have said it before, and I say it again: thanks to all the great labels that keeps putting out compilations of old-school indiepop from the 80's and 90's! A few months ago I wrote about the great Rumblefish compilation CD that Summerhouse released. Apart from that one we have been blessed with a number of CDs in 'The Sound of Leamington Spa' series. The Glasgow-based Egg Records' "Restoration Programme" has also spawned some fantastic records too, especially with the This Poison! compilation, 'Magazine', which came out last year. It has been three years since Egg Records, headed by Jim Kavanagh, started up business again, after being away from the indie scene for more than a decade, which calls for a celebration, and this new compilation, 'Souvenirs from Egg Records', is indeed a fitting way to celebrate. On this 27-track CD we get some tracks from the CDs that the label has released during the past three years, and also some sneak previews from their forthcoming releases. If you are familiar with the previous releases on the label, the sound on these songs won't surprise you at all. Most of the tracks are jangly indiepop, with some distortion thrown in here and there to spice things up. Many of the bands here are new to me, and I must say that I am very tempted to look them up further, as the songs here sure are good! Among these "new" bands are the Hardy Boys from Scotland and Let's Go Naked from Australia, two of many bands from these two countries on this CD. Most of the songs here are excellent, even though they tend to sound quite the same after a while (many bands were heavily influenced by each other, it seems). And I can't really get to like Baby Lemonade, who sound like a Shop Assistants tribute band who found the switch on their distortion pedals and turned them up too high. According to the press sheet, Egg Records will be releasing possibly as many as 12 CDs in the near future, and I must say that I am looking forward to each and every one of them!

Track Listing:-

1 The Prayers- Sister Goodbye
2 Even As We Speak- Blue Suburban Skies
3 This Poison- The Great Divide
4 The Bachelor Pad- Meet The Lovely Jenny Brown
5 Tugboat- Smelly Ears
6 Remember Fun- Apple Of My Eye
7 Let's Go Naked- Three Limbs
8 The Submarines- Take Me Away
9 The Widdershins- Dishwashing Liquad
10 Baby Lemonade- Jiffy Neckwear Creation
11 The Hardy Boys- Let The World Smother You
12 Change Of Seasons- Soft Spoken
13 The Lighthouse Keepers- Springtime
14 The Church Grims- Seen It All
15 The Palisades- Knight In Gale
16 The Prayers- Forevers Over
17 Even As We Speak- Nothing Ever Happens
18 This Poison- Engine Failure
19 The Palisades- Today Of All Days
20 The Bachelor Pad- Smoothie
21 Tugboat- Not Going Anywhere
22 Remember Fun- Cold Inside
23 Let's Go Naked- See Me Now
24 The Submarines- Down Through The Room
25 Baby Lemonade- Secret Goldfish
26 The Church Grims- Mr Watt Said
27 Change Of Seasons- Pirates On The South China Sea