V/A – One Two Three

V/A – One Two Three / Datawaslost Records / 18 Tracks / http://www.datawaslost.net

The 2003 compilation from datawaslost records, One Two Three showcases a much more tight and polished set of bands, falling much more into the traditional genres than even Building did. Hilltop Distillery’s “Host of a Chance” rocks out with a set of drums, synthesizers, and a guitar – that’s it, and yet, the sound is so rich you wish to see a 6-8 member band standing right in your room. “Sound Steelers” by Post-Haste is a truly proper style; stealing the guitars from any number of 70’s and 80’s arena rock band and the rich synthesizes of Reggie and the Full Effect and The Red Hot Valentines. Continuing to rock the 60’s and 70’s vibe of this disc, Color Test mixes ska-influenced guitars with mindless 60’s pop music, at times even sounding like a Sonny and Cher or Partridge family track rather than something released just a few short months ago. Falling on hard times with the fairmount girls’ “Your Lips May Smear”, which tries to marry Me First-female vocals with utterly chaotic guitars and drums, the disc quickly takes an up turn with forty-one ninety-two’s “little miss 1565”, which interspersed the most low-key acoustic playing with feeble vocals to make an song which one can emphasize with. By the band with the most buzz about it, The Sundresses contribute a pseudo-jazz track in the form of “Universe. Universe” to One Two Three. I don’t know exactly what makes “Universe. Universe” such an amazing track, but perhaps the voice you can fall in love with or the simply drawing horn section contribute to it. All and all, a compilation that hits on all cylinders for around seventy minutes.

Rating : 6.9/10