Over the past year or so, New Cross has risen to prominence, praised and slated in equal measure for the wave of young artrock bands that have sprung up in the area (although few of the bands generally lumped in with the scene are actually based in New Cross). Less celebrated however, is the region's acoustic scene, and Raw Acoustic Records are out to put that straight with this compilation of 22 acoustic tracks by New Cross bands.

There are a few moments where the two movements meet head on - New Cross' leading lights Art Brut team up with Jim Rhesus and Richy from Abdoujaparov for an acoustic stab at live favourite 'Moving to LA', and very nearly pull it off, while Nebraska strip down 'Peggy Sue' (their own track, not the Buddy Holly classic), and manage not just to retain, but to magnify it's beauty (though I'm sure I can hear an electric guitar in there somewhere - surely that's against the rules?)

Elsewhere, we are introduced to The Gemma Ray Ritual's intricate indie folk, the smoky jazz/country atmospherics of Evi Vine's 'Inside Her', and the glorious rhyming for rhyming's sake of The Crowd, while The Dirty Pins keep up the tradition of politically motivated acoustic storytelling with 'The Welfare State'.

Bobby Birdi adds a little variation amongst the numerous blues and country influenced bands, taking rootsy acoustic dub out of the hands of Later With Jools Holland with the compelling 'Without Love', while Pi & Draz take acoustic guitars and piano somewhere altogether darker with the murky 'Dystopia'.

However, the find of the compilation has to be the punky strummings of Anna Vincent - imagine an acoustic collaboration between Justine Frischmann and Graham Coxon. 'The New Excess' pairs up jaunty strumming with highly literate, politicised lyrics and gorgeous vocal harmonies to devastating effect.

As always on local band compilations there are one or two duff tracks, but considering the number of bands featured here, they are few and far between, and while few of the bands here are likely to scale the dizzy heights achieved by New Cross affiliates Bloc Party and Art Brut, the general impression is that of a thriving, varied scene getting by just fine without the need for national press intrusion.

British Sea Power are probably best known as the foliage loving, brighton-based purveyors of uplifting guitar music.Their debut album "The Decline of..." was an under-rated masterpiece, filled to the brim with erratic guitar lines and, let's face it, rather strange lyrics. So it was with immense anticipation that I put this cd on.

Opener, and lead single, "It Ended on an Oily Stage", whilst slightly less erratic, is still absolutely brilliant, with a chorus that could lift you from your seat and right out to sea. Another stand out track is 'Please Stand Up', which is going to be a massive festival sing along, with a guitar riff that touches the sky and a chorus that's just begging to be sung by thousands.

In general, 'Open Season' has definately been toned down, perhaps some of the roughness of the last record has been ironed out. But this is no bad thing. The record is near perfect, and has been released at the just the right time, as the weather is getting better, it seems to perfectly fit.

Review by Jackie Barker
www.britishseapower.co.uk
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101101 is the tremendous debut album from post-pop stars-in-waiting Alto 45. It’s crammed full of charming lo-fi pop experiments and hums with dry English whimsy. Imagine, if you will, a more experimental version of Clearlake’s lovable jumble-sale power-pop, and then you’re pretty close. (There are also shades of Blur, Looper and the Electric Soft Parade buried in the mix just for good measure.) Alto 45 have wriggled free of suburbia and they’re armed-to-the-teeth with glockenspiels, synths and jangly guitars. Don’t be scared – they’re lovable pop-eccentrics, they mean you no harm. (In case you’re wondering, they’re the ones dressed in white lab coats!) In time, they may well prove to be our own homegrown answer to the sublime Grandaddy. The songs on 101101 represent a subdued-yet-joyful celebration of the little things in life that matter. Alto 45 are another little thing in life that matters.

Review by Tom Leins
www.alto45.co.uk
Read Joyzine's interview with Alto 45 or listen to 'Moses Gunn'
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I’d like to be able to say that this album careered past in a relentless attack of riffs, screams and drums. Indeed, the first couple of tracks hurtle along at 100 miles an hour, a meaty cocktail of furious vocals with more than just a nod to the days of punk gone by. Alas, the truth is that the album leaves you feeling rather empty afterwards, a bit like eating a Big Mac meal and realising an hour later that it didn’t quite do the job. Whereas the aforementioned ‘Lone Painting’ and ‘Bone China’ get the album off to a good start, much of the album fails to keep up the momentum and killer tunes. Instead, we are left with the rather dull and similar sounding ‘Pneuma’, ‘Clara Bow’ and ‘Petal’ to fill the space before the band finally pick up the pace with ‘Dog Days’ with its catchy melody and fantastic drumming and the vastly superior ‘Sally is a girl’ – the long lost Nirvana track if there ever was one. Grungy guitars, less pointless screaming and more actual singing realises much of the potential you know the album and its songs hold.

With Kristin Hersh’s vocals more Courtney Love than Brodie Dahl, its unfortunate that for the remainder of the album, she returns to the formulaic throaty scream, leaving an album that is frustratingly limited in its approach and delivery. It is a shame that at only 37 minutes long, at times the album honestly felt much longer than that. And for goodness sake, somebody buy Hersh some throat sweets before she loses her voice completely.

Review by Bevis Man
www.throwingmusic.com
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This is a curious release, although I am not sure if it an official one. It is book ended by their first offering from their Warnings/Promises album. Sandwiched between this fine song is a mini greatest hits. Songs from 'The Remote Part', '100 Broken Mirrors' and their first album 'Hope is Important' are included here. It is a great reminder of how fantastic they sound and what they have achieved. Although they have come under some criticism with their new album you can’t argue the strength of their back catalogue. Songs include “When I argue I See Shapes”, “American English” and my highlight “You Held The World in Your Arms”. It’s obvious that this band has still so much more to offer.

Review by Sonia Pagliari
www.idlewild.co.uk
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