(2020) VA – Home Is Where the Art Is: 15 Years of Reveal Records 2006-2021


Review:
… is a mouth-watering journey through the first fifteen years of a label that has really struck artistic gold with many of its acts. The amazing thing when soaking up this marathon three-disc collection is how a real musical thread, a common Reveal grain, emerges among the extremes. There’s just so much good stuff to pick out here, where to begin? Well, among the variety on display we have Richard J.Birkin’s strings and effects, forming a satisfying brew of cinematic atmospherics, whereas an artist like Jon Redfern is more in the text book singer-songwriter realm, albeit with a jazzy saxophone interlude. Dan Whitehouse, in this context, sounds like a gothic counterpoint to the kind of enriched, piano balladry enjoyed from The Little Unsaid on ‘Human’. However, the many strings to that band’s bow are demonstrated later on the fantastically edgy ‘Atomise’. Eamon O’Leary delivers deep, ethereal folk; indisputably hardcore acoustic wonderment but then A Camp, the solo side project for the Cardigans Nina Persson, prove that Rose has a well-tuned pop ear. Gramercy Arms deliver this too, their ‘Tricky Love Stuff’ crash lands like a lost nugget from the 90s Britpop era. Likewise, a long-established artist like Boo Hewerdine seems positively glowing with the freedom to develop his melodic instincts amidst lo-fi production wizardry on ‘Silhouette’, little wonder he describes Reveal Records as “a mindset, a creative place where I feel free to experiment and take risks”. Eddi Reader too refers to the label as her “musical sanctuary” and you can witness her relaxing as we hear how far she’s travelled musically on a tune like ‘My Favourite Dress’, the sound of an artist assuredly singing from the heart. The selection of Kris Drever tunes demonstrates just why Tom was so effusive in his championing back in those early days. ‘More Than You Know’ illustrates how he occupies some psychedelic-folk cloud that is entirely, uniquely his own. ‘Hard Year’ is a pulsating, disarmingly bittersweet arm around the shoulder (“don’t do something that you might later regret, why open yourself to ridicule”) embellished with a touch of delicate fuzz guitar soloing. It is a brilliant song, one that any credible record label would be proud to release. His co-conspirators in Lau are equally tough to pin down, the cherries from their catalogue plucked here are the work of sonic adventurers; hypnotic and meditative on ‘Ghosts’ then deconstructing traditional elements to uncover thrilling un-tapped textures on a work like ‘The Bell That Never Rang’, swirling into a heavenly crescendo by the end. The bands Aidan O’Rourke may have called some of their decisions “commercially questionable” but the importance of a supportive label encouraging these explorations is definitively proven in these results. Put simply, the music showcased on this whole set is always captivating, never predictable and frequently sit-up-and-take-notice enlightening. If a star turn rises to the top it is arguably the incredible Joan As Police Woman, the performing identity of the multi-talented Joan Wasser. In his Folk Radio interview, label founder and owner Tom Rose speaks of Reveal Records early years, recalling how he approached Joan on Myspace to initially sell her EP in his record store and how this lead to her debut album becoming one of the first Reveal releases. She was so obviously a performer to pay attention to, that rare kind of artist who inspires instant loyalty and fascination. Totally focused on her art, Joan would reprimand those irritants chatting at the bar in a heartbeat. Then there was that voice, possessed by the punk-ass conviction of Patti Smith and yet as gorgeous and pure of tone as Karen Carpenter on a ballad like the early classic ‘Real Life’, included on this set. I honestly can’t account for the hair-raising effect the line “I never included a name in a song, but I’m changing my ways for you Jonathan” has on me, I guess it just sounds real. Either way, Joan As Policewoman’s progression these past fifteen years has remained thrillingly eclectic and Tom Rose’s Reveal project has played a huge part in this, no wonder they have maintained an ongoing mutually appreciative connection. Even if you have some familiarity with some of Reveal Records output there are bound to be exciting new discoveries waiting for you on this set. The third disc even includes some previously unreleased and new to CD material from acts like Boo Hewerdine and The Little Unsaid, all of which keeps the hit rate high and the overall impression of high-level musical art intact. Tom Rose could not have maintained a label like this, in these modern times, if he did not have a great ear and a well-tuned instinct for an artist. For that reason alone, it is a real treat to just sit back and soak up this personal curation of his label’s output. It really is amazing how, in the finest tradition of those in-house compiled classic label compilation put out by everyone from Topic to Dandelion to Motown, this stands together as a work of art in its own right. If you want to get to the heart and soul of Reveal Records, then bring this compilation into your home and let some inspired music light up your life. Let us celebrate one of our finest modern-day record label collectives and remember, there is still some fun going forward!





Tracklist:

Disc One
01.Valid Jagger (live) – Joan As Police Woman *
02.She Put On Her Headphones (radio edit) Lau *
03.Tricky Love Stuff – Gramercy Arms *
04.If You Want It – Benjamin Lazar Davis *
05.In Luck (radio edit) GRIP TIGHT *
06.Human – The Little Unsaid
07.Dreamland – Dan Whitehouse
08.I Defy – Joan As Police Woman feat. Antony
09.Silhouette – Boo Hewerdine
10.Hard Year – Kris Drever
11.I Love The Sun – Jon Redfern
12.Love Has Left The Room – A Camp
13.For About a Month – Aidan O’Rourke
14.Red Flowers – Mascott
15.Beautiful Disguise – Gramercy Arms feat. Lloyd Cole & Joan As Police Woman *
16.Whitechapel – Blue Rose Code
17.Vagabond – Eddi Reader
18.Marina Blue – Eamon O’Leary
19.More Than You Know – Kris Drever
20.Real Life – Joan As Police Woman

Disc Two
01.Take Me to Your Leader – Ian Carr & The Various Artists
02.Strike the Colours – Kris Drever
03.Blooming – Richard J. Birkin *
04.The State of the English – Dan Whitehouse
05.Atomise – The Little Unsaid
06.Tin Drum – Dead Air
07.The Bell That Never Rang (radio edit) *
08.My Favourite Dress – Eddi Reader
09.Hinba – Lau
10.Awake Isn’t Good – Aidan O’Rourke
11.The Poorest Company – Drever,McCusker,Woomble
12.Sister in Song – Eamon O’Leary *
13.Broke Me in Two – Joan As Police Woman & Benjamin Lazar Davis
14.Strange Sky – Martin Green feat. Adam Holmes & Becky Unthank
15.Latenite – Parker Kindred *
16.Sunset – Boo Hewerdine
17.Ghosts – Lau
18.To America – Joan As Police Woman feat. Rufus Wainwright

Disc Three
01.Vigil I – Richard J. Birkin
02.The Portal – Martin Green with James Holden
03.Dolly – The Little Unsaid
04.Give Away Your Heart pt.1 – Jon Redfern
05.Love Is The Answer – Dan Whitehouse feat. Gustaf Ljunggren
06.Scapa Flow 1919 – Kris Drever
07.Half Alive – The Little Unsaid
08.Wild Mountainside – Eddi Reader
09.Shining Bright – Gramercy Arms
10.Poor Mans Son – Kris Drever
11.The Flow Country – Ian Carr & The Various Artists
12.Tomorrow (Gustaf Remix) – Dan Whitehouse
13.Shoot Out The Stars – Nels Andrews
14.Far From Portland (Album Version) – Lau
15.I Saw The Dead – Martin Green feat. Becky Unthank
16.Mark The Hard Earth – Kris Drever
17.Gallowhill (Live at the Bongo Club, 2007) – Lau
18.Weightlifting (Instrumental) – Dan Whitehouse
19.The Language of Love – Boo Hewerdine (brand new song) *

*Denotes previously unreleased or first time on CD


Media Report:
Genre: folk, indie, rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits