The Amos House Collection
Various Artists
Wishing Tree

A wonderful collection put together to benefit the Amos House of Rhode Island. The Amos House is a non-profit organization that helps less fortunate families to get back on their feet. Who better to contribute to people's independence than these independents? Most songs on this compilation are previously unreleased, which is a nice treat for fans of bands like The Aluminum Group, Idaho, and Death Cab for Cutie. So many bands, but highlights seem to be Departure Lounge, who start out the set with a drifting lullaby pop song, then a beautiful cover of The Marine Girls' "Love to Know" (also covered by Unrest) by The Aluminum Group. Death Cab gives us a nice "Tiny Telephone" version of "Lowell, MA," and a wonderful introduction for me to the pop song smoothness of The Clearing, with "Water Spout". The Teenbeat sound of Aden never disappoints, and Wheat's "New Boyfriend," also available on the B-side of a European single, is soft, dreamy perfection. The last two tracks, Spoon's "I Could See the Dude" and Delphine's "Swear, That I Swear," bring the CD to a close, and tie it around to the beginning... so you can listen to the whole thing again, without missing a heartbeat.

Wishing Tree Records, Box 197, Warren, RI 02885, http://www.wishingtreerecords.com

Marcel Feldmar

this review is/was online at Ink 19
and is available here for archival purposes only