Dark Was The Night CD Review
I feel reviewing a compilation album that is for a good cause, there’s nothing really important about the review compared to where the proceeds go toward. Dark Was the Night is The Red Hot Organization’s 20th compilation release (last was in ’02) featuring a who’s who in indie rock. Here’s a rough list: Feist, Cat Power, Grizzly, Antony from Antony and The Johnsons, Bon Iver, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, Buck 65, David Byrne, Dirty Projectors, Arcade Fire, Beirut etc. I could go on forever. The real importance though: buying this album goes to raising funds for AIDS and HIV.
With two CDs and 31 songs this is WELL worth your money (especially if you just get a digital copy). If there’s a better time to support a charitable organization, now’s the time. You could feel good about getting good music.
I think it’s a given that this albums blows it out of the water in terms of quality. Being a fan of most of the artists on the record make it easy to like. I’m not sure how much anyone outside of indie rock would dig the album though. When it comes to compilation albums, I guess what I’m saying is that it should be able to draw in the most amount of fans as possible while keeping up the quality of music. It’s the equivalent of calling it the “the charity compilation album for hipsters”. I also kind of the dislike for the lack of hip-hop, you have two classical tracks and one hip-hop track which is a well-done by Buck 65 but it’s a “part 2” of another song.
I’m not sure I like the album as a whole. I sort of hate listening to it’s entirety. I’ve chosen favorites, some songs I mildly like other’s I’m indifferent. Here are my favorites:
Knotty Pine by Dirty Projects ft. David Byrne
Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear
So Far Around The Bend by The National
You Are The Blood by Sufjan Stevens
Blood Pt. 2 by Buck 65 ft. Sufjan Stevens
With A Girl Like You by David Sitek
Lenin by Arcade Fire
Mimizan by Beirut (really renewed my love for Zach Condon and Co)
Another Saturday by Stuart Murdoch of Belle of Sebastian
It’s more then a handful of songs I really like and that’s saying a lot.
Is good? Yes.
Is it worth your money? Yes
Is it one of the best albums of the year? No.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Very solid album.
If you like these tracks, promise you’ll buy the album?
Lenin by Arcade Fire
Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear
Blood Pt. 2 by Buck 65 feat Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti
Tags: album
It’s awesome to hear so much musical goodness in one album! Solid review. Thank you!