Various Artists
Album: Some Of It's True:Loves...Vol.1
Label: Hidden Trail
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.hiddentrailrecords.co.uk/

As the curator of the Fatea Showcase Sessions I have an (Un)healthy interest in compilation albums, it always interests me how they are put together. Naturally some are easier than others, tribute albums and single genre have an easy theme to build around. Variations on a theme such as across the whole acoustic spectrum, a little bit more difficult and then you get releases based on the talent of a region and these can be really problematic.

I have to say, upon hearing, "Some Of It's True:Loves…Vol1" the debut release from Sussex based Hidden Trail records, they've done a cracking job of balancing the diverse needs of the songs on the album. As important by going for the region neutral title they are not alienating a potential audience that might be put off by a parochial title.

I was aware of a couple of the artists on this album, because they are known in genres that I write about, something which on its own would encourage me to give this a listen, as would the pay as much as you like approach. I might baulk at paying a tenner for a number acts that I'm not previously aware, but would be more than happy to punt five, six, seven etc, particularly if I was sure of the quality of a couple of the acts, in my case Donna Fullman and Barricades Rise, both of whom impressed me enough to have featured on the Sessions in the past.

This type of compilation also gives plenty of chance for a crossover audience. I quite like, punk, rock and new wave, something that dates me, but rarely have time to explore those genres for new talent, a compilation like this gives me the chance to catch up on one or two.

True, there were a couple of acts on here that I didn't like, but that's true of many releases, there's quite a few albums that I don't like tracks off, but there is nothing on the compilation that is poor or made me want to knock it straight on to the next track, a sign of quality.

American Werewolf - Do Whatever
Synne Eileen & The Sunbeams - So Typical
Peter Buzzelle - Red Sun
Barricades Rise - Sleepwalkers
Flash Bang Band - Danananana Freud
House Of Hats - Sewing Machine
Early Ghost - Everything Goes With It
Rachel Hawker - Spin
Donna Fullman - I Can't Sleep
Catherine Ireton - Fallback
Porquesi - Ernest Hemingway
Russell M Harmon - Without You, I'd Cease

Neil King