V/A – This Is Indie Rock: Volume Three

V/A – This Is Indie Rock: Volume Three / 2005 Deep Elm / 12 Tracks / http://www.deepelm.com / Reviewed 28 October 2005

With each subsequent volume of This Is Indie Rock, Deep Elm shows that the Emo Diaries series really began being a noose around their necks; something like Free Diamonds’ “Blind Boys”, with its falsetto and free-spirited tempo would not have made it on the previous series. Keeping the flow going with the Franz Ferdinand-reminiscent strains of Campsite’s “A Way To Point The Day The Right Way”, This Is Indie Rock puts forth one of the strongest lineups in the series. Follow-up tracks like the electronic, sequenced emo of Encyclopedia will keep heads bobbing as feet are tapping. The vocals during “Let’s Be Friends” sound like a blend of Depeche Mode and Fall Out Boy, really creating something that even tops bands like HelloGoodbye in terms of pure acceptability and talent.

Why this third volume of This Is Indie Rock is so impressive is due to the pure variation in the tracks contained within. When one finds an electronic, inorganic track like “Let’s Be Friends” followed with the down-home rock of Annuals’ “Nice Day” and the low-fi version of Bloodhound Gang in Konrad’s “Flip Light Switches/Spin Cycle”. Broken October really put forth a strong case for having the strongest track on the disc with their “Just Like That”. Using a piano for the primary motivator during much of their track, their Yellowcard-like vocals put forth an intensity that is belied by he smoothness of the finished product.

Tracks like “Just Like That” are of high enough quality to really give listeners a reason to pick up the band’s full album; it speaks to the quality of This Is Indie Rock also in the sense that the compilation does not just pull out random tracks for those bands that pay the label enough (like Turkey Vulture Records). Honestly, where else can one find rap (the aforementioned Konrad), a pop-punk mixing noFX and Sum41 (Satellite of June’s “Welcome To Global Enterprise) and electro-emo (Encyclopedia’s “Let’s Be Friends”)? Other tracks may not be at the highest levels of quality put forth by the majority of the CD (Popmonster’s “Salty” underwhelms with a vocal tone that is a bland blend of Susanne Vega and Stevie Nicks). Reed KD’s “Seventeen” comes forth with another electronic-infused track but really shows the amount of variety that someone can come forth with given just a little bit of innovation. Aside from being a crib list for the bands to check out, the compilation makes an excellent party mix CD.

Top Tracks: Reed KD’s “Seventeen”, Encyclopedia’s “Let’s Be Friends”

Rating : 7.0/10

[JMcQ]