Fuzzkill Records are becoming a force of nature on the Glasgow music scene, putting out releases by a wide array of great local bands, throwing the odd party of a show and generally just enjoying the well-deserved success that has been growing for a good while now.
This Valentines special cover comp is indicative of a label that’s in good form, one that gets to pull off the good idea for a good cause (all donations going to charity) and gets to bring together the roster and associates alike.
More importantly, for the bands themselves it’s a chance to have a good old legitimate chance at doing a favoured song, everybody in the hunt to do a good tribute.
I had the pleasure of playing with The Bellybuttons back a few months ago and I really dug on them, I loved the sound, so it was a pleasure to hear them open proceedings, doting their hat in a fine fashion to Arthur Alexander on ‘Anna (Go To Him)’.
The dreamy guitar lines here doing all the right things in place of the piano, good sincere vocals and all round a great cover.
Much loved PAWS bring a wonderful ‘Sea Of Love’ to the table, very distinctive in their style, and a short and definitely sweet effort.
I’m always pleased to see anyone cover Teenage Club, Pinact doing the right thing by being the band to do it here with a great no frills cover of the classic ‘Sparky’s Dream’.
The Beatles get representation in the form of ‘I Will’ as Poor Things do a buzzing and punk rock rendition.
Some choices are more eclectic and to great effect.
My hat goes off to The Shithawks for hitting the ball out of the park with the manic ‘She’s Like The Wind’ by Patrick Swayze.
Indeed some of the choices here I’ve not heard before, and my thanks to Catholic Action for introducing me to Emitt Rhodes, and hopefully some more people too with the cracking ‘Somebody Made For Me’.
A compilation should be well rounded, and here in this great mix of obscure and more known choices we get different styles of interpretations to others (see Tuff Love’s great lo-fi version of ‘Lovely Day’), but with the more straight up covers, of all the bands playing to their strengths, SHARPTOOTH’s brilliant Shangri-Las cover of ‘Remember Walkin’ In The Sand’ really does the song and themselves justice.
When you got the voices for it, this haunting and infectious tune is all yours: the building shimmering chords, the clicks and clatters over the grooving bass, the striking melancholy of the lyrics.
This album has a good and hearty selection of songs with something for everybody, a recommend listen for sure.
Words: Matthew Thomas
Rave Child 