Various Artists - Brit Awards 2011 Album Review

With three albums worth of music, there is certainly a lot to get your teeth into with this years Brit award collection album. Its obvious from looking at the track listing (as well as the nominees and winners) that the Brits have tried to get a little more credible this year, mixing in a few supposed edgy indie acts with the usual arrays of Pixie Lott's and Take That's. This year sees the surprising inclusion of the XX, whether anyone that watched the ceremony or owns this album actually enjoyed their acclaimed album Islands is debatable, but somebody on the board of the Brits clearly watched the Mercury awards and thought the bands inclusion would prevent a slide into Smash Hits Poll winners party territory. The XX are joined in pop hell by Paul Weller, Vampire Weekend and Biffy Clyro, although you can't help but feel Biffy are only included thanks to the Matt Cardle factor. Wont Brits fans be a bit confused as to who's singling their beloved Mr Cardles song?

Kings of Leon now look at home next to the likes of Olly Murs, Scouting for Girls and Owl City and you get the impression they will be quite pleased to be included alongside them. They certainly have the pop video to compete with the likes of JLS.

CD 3 is an odd affair indeed, titled BRIT SCHOOL, listeners should really know what they're in for, however nobody could possibly be prepared for the inclusion of 90s boy band Another Level. How Dane Bowers gets himself onto a release in this centaury really deserves a national enquiry. I describe it as odd because Another Level are surrounded by artists currently taking the charts by storm such as Katy B and Adele. Then you have Athlete with Wires alongside another boy band that deserve forgetting, Damage. Quite what the thinking is behind CD 3 is anyone's guess.

At times this album actually highlights the worst of Britain and America at the same time. It becomes a competition of who has the least worst artists, with Bruno Mars and JLS dragging both sides down. It means that searching for highlights on this compilation becomes similar a bit like hunting for nutrition in a fast food restaurant, however some salvation can be found in the form of Plan B Cee Lo Green Ellie Goulding and Gorrillaz. However over sixty tracks, that's pretty dismal.

Sam Marland