Various Artists - Waiting for the Weekend (Album)
I've always been a fan of compilation albums, especially Triple J (and no matter what you say, The OC mix’s had some good stuff!). This one is now officially my favourite. I even put it on my iPod. I don’t usually like the CD's I review enough to put on my iPod. That’s saying something.
This, first off, is a beautiful album. Some of the songs I hadn’t heard in a while like ‘Oxygen’ by Willy Mason and Weezer’s ‘Island in the Sun’ so it was nice to listen to some old favs alongside some very complimentary new ones. I know Bright Eyes receives a fair bit of flack, but Conor is one brilliant man and’ if the brakeman…’ is a great broody, melodic song that is getting a fair bit of play on my stereo.
Also a great band which I am SO glad I discovered here is Nouvelle Vague with their cover of 'Heart of Glass'. I hadn’t heard these guys before, only Camille, but this is a great cover, and so different to the original. I strongly advise you check them out. Same goes with Bat for Lashes.
The Waiting for the Weekend compilation was a huge success in NZ and this is the first attempt of it in Australia, which I presume will be of equal success. It’s just a fantastic mix of songs; although they all have that lazy, melodic feel, they are all so different.
The inclusion of some notable Aussie artists shows the calibre of talent we have alongside some international greats. Josh Pyke (a personal fav), Sleepy Jackson and Ben Lee (though a better song could have been chosen than ‘We’re all in This Together”. That song now musters up thoughts of High School Musical) all make an appearance, even some Dappled Cities Fly with their most recent track ‘Fire Fire Fire’.
Separated in to two discs, both are evenly divided with the recognisable favourites and the unfamiliar but fantastic. Keep this one in your car and go for a weekend drive with your mates, the windows down, the wind in your hair and the sun beating down... clichéd goodness.
Waiting for the Weekend is one of the best compilation albums all year and one of the best genre compilations I’ve come across in a long while.
