VARIOUS ARTISTS
Space Escapade
Elefant
Space age bachelor pad music for the discerning lover of international pop, this 44-track, 2xCD sampler of unreleased (or forthcoming) tracks, rare singles, and key album cuts illustrates why Elefant is one of the world’s premier indie labels. In addition to selections from the Spanish pop scene they helped nurture, there’s a virtual United Nations of pop on tap via artists from the UK, US, Sweden, Argentina, Italy, Japan, and China! While the majority of tracks will appeal to us lovers of sugary, femme-voxed cuddly pop (Anna & The Spectors, My Little Airport, Papa Topo, et.al.), there’s enough bouncy electro-dance (La Casa Azul, Single, Bla), bubblegum punk (Helen Love, Sucrette), powerpop (Speedmarket Avenue, Camera Obscura), Spectoresque Motown (The Carrots, The School), bossa nova (Modular), and swinging ’60s cinematic confections (Giogio Tuma, Ibon Errazkin) to please every taste. Recommended to everyone who shares Helen Love’s sentiment in the set’s most self-referential track, ‘I Love Indie Pop’.
Jeff Penczak