A Rocket Girl Compilation

They Say...

Review by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Named for the U.K.-based label that put it out, run by Vinita Joshi and specializing in a wide range of turn of the century psych, ambient, and indie bands, the two-CD effort A Rocket Girl Compilation is a fine portrait of a great outfit, one that pursues its vision of music and quality above all else excellently. The first disc contains those songs that appeared on the label's 7" singles during its first three years of existence; it's a handy way for those either not inclined or unable to find those efforts to get them all in one place. Kicking off with the two sides of the Silver Apples/Windy & Carl split single -- enjoyable as the remake of "I Have Known Love" is, Windy & Carl steal the show with "Crazy in the Sun" -- the disc covers everything from Roy Montgomery and Kirk Lake's elegant melancholia on "London Is Swinging By His Neck" to the intentionally silly exuberance of PS I Love You's "Where on Earth Is Kevin Shields?" Hands-down highlight: "Sleep at the Bottom," a three-way collaboration among Low, Transient Waves, and Piano Magic that's just wonderful, the hushed emotion of the first band matched by the others' ears for drone and delicate restraint. The second disc is a lovely bonus for those who already had all the singles -- previously unreleased tracks from nearly all the bands on the first disc, plus some other labelmates and kindred souls. Among the highlights from groups not on the first disc: a remix of the Workhouse's "Deacon," a majestic neo-shoegaze instrumental stormer, "Tracy Draco" by Gnac, with soft synth tones, guitar, and piano suggesting a lost early Four A.D. classic, and Experimental Audio Research's reverb-swathed bell/phone/alarm-sampling cascade, "Ring."