Vol. 23
of
Little Darla Has a Treat for You
offers a state of the Bay Area
indie pop
label for summer 2005. Selections from
Piano Magic
(
"Love and Music"
),
Darren Hanlon
"Brooklyn Bridge,"
on the
Darla
-distributed
Candle
), and perennial cad
Momus
"Robin Hood"
) are literate and meticulous pieces of songwriting, while
California Oranges
'
"Falling Back"
is a sugary crunch-
pop
jam and an edit of
Aarktica
's lengthy drift-tronica piece
"Bleeding Light"
displays yet another side of the contemporary
dynamic. The imprint has always had a worldly and inclusive spirit, and this volume is no different.
Thievery Corporation
remix French chanteuse
Isabelle Antena
's
"Nothing to Lose,"
and Puerto Rico's
Superaquello
offer a nimble hybrid of
electronics
,
Wedding Present
guitar, and lovely Spanish-language vocal on
"Como Campana."
A track from the combo's 2004 effort,
Bien Gorgeous
, it illustrates again
's rep as an unmatched clearinghouse of international
. As usual, the label offers plenty of exclusive material, too, making the set's economical price point even more satisfying. Staying international, Denmark-based producer
Manual
contributes an exclusive cover of the shimmery
Jan Hammer
(and
Miami Vice
) classic
"Crockett's Theme,"
while
Lullatone
(aka U.S. expat
Shawn James Seymour
) transmits the minimalist laptop twee of
"Little Songs About Raindrops"
from his home in Nagoya, Japan.
Magic Arrows
might hail from Milwaukee, but
"She's a Light/Iowa"
comes from somewhere wholly more mysterious, a glimmering blend of
orchestral
ambience and
Windy & Carl
.
Jennifer O'Connor
"Color and the Light"
is another set highlight with its weighty melancholy and incredible atmosphere, as are the brittle,
Four Tet
/
Aeroc-ish
beats of
Kobol
"Broken Ebony."
Really though, there's nothing lacking here. With its pedigree, variety, and price (cheap!),
is a hard habit to break for any
fan. ~ Johnny Loftus