Album Details

• Artist: Various Artists
• Album: Holiday Matinee, Vol. 2
• Label: Better Looking
• Year of Release: 2000
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: kev_stev on 2007-07-21

I'm not a fan of compilation albums, not at all.  However, throw in some Saddle-Creek artists with a few rare songs, and, well, call me a sucker, but i'm gonna purchase it.  After giving this album a few listens, though, I was very surprised as to what I found: a compilation album that flows from one song to another, that avoids monotony but still manages to have a form of cohesiveness--briefly, it does not sound like a compilation album.

The opening track is Wheat's "Flat Black," a mellow, though catchy song that leads into "Flechette" by No Knife, who pick up the pace of the album with a faster tempo and heavier guitar riffs.  Followed by an instrumental from The Album Leaf, Cursive's "The Radiator Hums" resounds, and the album really kicks off from there.  Songs from Bright Eyes, The Busy Signals, and The Mercury Program are wonderful additions to this album, though the highlight for me is the melancholy "Tell Shipwreck I'm Sorry" from The Good Life, which is unequivocally the saddest and one of the best written songs on the album.

Though every compilation album has its flaws, this one is worth picking up, being a great introduction to a group of talented artists whose names may have not been brought to your attention yet.

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