Sonar Kollektiv have a great tradition of getting the best out of a compilation and on this forbidden pleasure series of downtempo obscurica, they have truly excelled themselves
It’s packed with great songs of a folky feel that sometimes gets a bit jazzy, a little bit of soul and sometimes a bit MOR. It’s also dangerous as it’s a reminder of how good some of these artists are like Clara Hill’s Folkwaves’ ‘About Me’ with its big strings and Thief’s ‘Down, Down’ (not on Sunchild) as well as introducing us to new artists.
Definitely this should come with a health warning as there won’t be many Fly regulars that are familiar with US rock band Midlake from Denton, Texas. The Beyond The Wizards sleeve remix of ‘Roscoe’ will get you loving old Fleetwood Mac albums! Yep it’s that dangerous.
Even though there’s some West Coast rock influence in ‘Duet’, I’d also forgotten how good this track is by Beaks Co-Op taken from the album The Sound Inside. Definitely feeling this as a late summer tune.
Well known tracks like singles from Little Dragon ‘Twice‘, Jamie Woon’s ‘Wayfaring Stranger‘ and Nostalgia 77′s ‘Little Steps’ are interspersed with less well known artists but still turn heads.
My favourite is the special remix of Eva Be’s ‘She Walks Alone‘ but there’s some unexpected gems from Roebeck, A Race Of Angels (great name), another Beyond the Wizards remix a Tunng-like ‘Losing The Will To Survive’ and the ‘minimal’ track from Kalabrese.
I fell out of love with the Modfather Paul Weller sometime ago but tracks like ‘The Loved’ which ends the album are a timely reminder of how good he is; rumours have it he’s getting involved with the next Lost & Found compilation!
A year since Secret Love 3, that included some ‘finds’ like Mocky ‘I’m Yours’, Hanne Hukkleberg, Fink’s ‘Pretty Little Thing’, Micah, Thief and Tunng’s hit ‘Jenny Again’, this edition shows there’s no letting up in quality and definitely one to follow.
Reviewed: Various – Secret Love 4 (Sonar Kollektiv) Cat. No. SK160CD Release date: 29th October 2007
Tracklisting:
1 The Lawries – Sailboats (3:40)
2 Midlake – Roscoe (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Mix) (6:51)
3 Clara Hill – About You (4:12)
4 Andrew Bird – Imitosis (4:00)
5 Breaks Co Op – Duet (4:43)
6 Roebeck – Atlantic (5:32)
7 A Race Of Angels – Africa Displaced (4:07)
8 Findlay Brown – Losing The Will To Survive (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Reanimation) (6:39)
9 Choir Of Young Believers – Riot (4:42)
10 Thief Down – Down (4:21)
11 Little Dragon – Twice (3:08)
12 Kalabrese – Hide (4:31)
13 Nostalgia 77 feat Lizzy Parks – Little Steps (4:58)
14 Jamie Woon – Wayfaring Stranger (5:17)
15 Eva Be Feat. Pegah Ferydoni – She Walks Alone (Secret Lover Remix) (3:24)
16 Paul Weller – The Loved (3:15)
Links
www.jazzanova.net
www.sonarkollektiv.com
www.myspace.com/beyondthewizardssleeve
www.myspace.com/evabe
