Review

Bauhaus 2.0
As a second incarnation of Bauhaus minus its iconic singer Peter Murphy, Love & Rockets is one of the very few groups to carry on without its frontman and nevertheless better its previous commercial and critical success. Whereas Bauhaus couldn't even get signed to an American label until the quality of its records started slipping, singer-guitarist Daniel Ash, singer-bassist David J and drummer Kevin Haskins as Love & Rockets scored a Top 10 single in 1989 with the slinky and not at all pandering "So Alive."

From the stately cinematic atmospherics of "Saudade" from the trio's 1985 debut, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven, to a mix of folky psychedelia and heavy guitar blasts on "Shelf Life" and "Sweet Lover Hangover" from its elsewhere grunge-conscious '96 offering Sweet F.A., this 2003 retrospective encompasses most of the band's history and stylistic range. Although Love & Rockets' strengths favored mood and groove over vocal prowess and elaborate tunes, this well-selected collection proves the band could knock out concise, hooky singles ("No New Tale to Tell") as well as hypnotic, sprawling album tracks ("Haunted When the Minutes Drag"). Bypassing filler and segueing tracks to sustain trippy vibes, Sorted! is the rare best-of that both flows better than its source albums and lives up to its title.