This is the second volume in the compilation series made by bands or members of bands who used to be on Sarah Records, this however is no nostalgia trip as almost all the songs featured are new material either by Original Sarah records bands or the bands the musicians are currently in.
The album opens with Dodge The Rain by Gentle Spring which is something that has been hard to do this year, as this slow piano led song of regret takes us for a slow walk in between the showers as these former Field Mice keep us hoping that one day the lovers will once again be happy together.
Jackson Pollocks favourite indie band Action Painting! ask Who Are The Cockleshell Heroes, well fishermen with jangling guitars appears to be the answer, even as they tell us about friends losing custody of the kids, while wondering who they should look up too.
Alone Tonight by Catenary Wires has a spaghetti Chamber pop feel, as this duet of longing and lust hopes that you won't be alone tonight, with tones as rich as this that is unlikely.
Apple Tree by The Hit Parade is a sweet song about the war against hope, a fight they have been losing, no matter how sweet the backing might be, as they hope they can spend time sitting under the Apple Tree looking through the records they bought in Our Price, as they dream of being a headline act this is a classy set of reminiscences.
Look Alive has Jetstream Pony bringing an Aberdeen style wall of guitars with gauzy vocals covered in layers of reverb, as the buzzing repeating guitar riffs and figures appeal to the Velvets nut in me.
Everything Is Real by Soundwire adds even more reverb, on this slow reflective song full of the Sweetest Ache's and pains of love in a narcoleptic haze, that has a stop you in your tracks floating guitar solo encased in beautifully restrained drumming.
Leaf Mosaic take us on a trip on The Branch Line that leads straight to the heart of The Springfields as bells tremble and synths build against the urgency of that trip you must go on if you want to get the gold, while leaving your past behind you quicker than the suburbs you see out of the window.
Captivate This Broken Love has Secret Shine's hazy vocals low in the mix, as the buzzing overloaded guitars at times allow the keyboards to shine through, to really work out the lyrics you may need to listen a few times, If listening to that fuzzy wall of noise isn't enough.
Beauty, You Will Break Us All finds Even As We Speak in fine form for this slow mosey through deep desire and connection, we should have for the beauty of life, ululations, imprecations among the golden rays dappled in magic, the guitar sears through, shining angelic light on the matter.
Double Ninth takes us deep into GNAC's ambient glowing world, descending out of St Christopher through prismatic 70's European soundtrack synth tones.
Tufthunter still know a lot About Chemistry, this song serves as a lesson for us all, compete with the test results, allowing jangling guitars to set off electric shocks of desire and Chemistry, allowing love to shine through, just listen and learn all about that delicate alchemical mix needed for real deep, intense violent chemistry of lust and desire, at the heart of this stand out song.
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In This, The House Of The Solitary Bees by Useless Users trumpets flourish among the buzzed loneliness that cause Secret Shine alumni to start Action Painting in the first place, splashes of sound raising rafters revealing the hidden hive.
A Final Love Song from The Orchids is welcome even as we hope they can still write a few more jangle pop treatises to love and the awe of a fine melody, this should make anyone think twice about walking away from the allure and passion within.
Wake The Silver Dancing Waves by Wandering Summer is a brighter speedier jangle pop love song, will that Boyracer have his way or will he fade to nothing among the trip hammer guitars.
Open Your Eyes and you will find yourself in Mystic Village a bucolic paradise of freak folk wonderment for those feasting Sea Urchins to gently caress our souls with.
Boyracer then mine some Unknown Frequencies to fill our heads with noise, feedback with carefully observed lyrics, as the buzzed slightly out of focus instrumentation goes close to the edit, things rise, fall, obliterating the known normal frequencies you may expect from an indie pop tune delightfully.
Robert Sekula is still deeply in love with Pamela, he will do anything to keep her, he'll even give her all his 14 Iced Bears let alone the gorgeous guitar figure that keeps repeating as she drifts away from him, will she ever return to his open arms again.
Laugh While You Can by Vetchinsky Settings a dreamy hazy song of tears of heartbreak instead of happiness and love before the breakup, memories of gifting her The Orchids and that St Christopher how will they ever get over it.
St Christopher then make up with each other so they can have a Burn Up '23 it's all revved up guitars, as the slightly bitter twisted lyrics explain just how your burning ambition has destroyed you.
The album concludes with Sepiasound trying to help someone with June In Her Eyes, they attempt this with neoclassical strings and guitar wafting through the air, almost like a soundtrack for the albums credits to roll over, many thanks to Rob and Amelia Fletcher at Skep Wax Records for their efforts in creating the Under The Bridge series of Sarah Records related compilations, here's hope Vol 3 is out soon, as these are really great collections of new music.
Find out more at https://ndrthebridge.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-bridge-2 https://www.facebook.com/groups/218904226818556 https://www.facebook.com/skepwax
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