A decided mixed bag from this Reading label – Tripwires are perhaps not strongest choice as an opener though it hints at a possibly good live act but on record they’re a little punchless and the Placebo-like vocals don’t help. Projekt A-ko also starts a bit quietly but soon they kick into the distorto-sound that we know and expect from any former Urusei Yatsura comprised band. To The Barricades make a quite nice meandering pop tune in the vein of Ben Folds or Badly Drawn Boy with just a wee bit more oomp. However, perhaps most interesting is Ben Marwood – remixed by Mr Fogg, it’s a folky piece of pop-punk sounding very much like a fast-moving Bright Eyes or an English version of Frightened Rabbit, all gruffly jangly with impassioned vocals. Not a bad little collection then but Broken Tail seem to be becoming rather expert in the area of unearthing pop gems.
