Following last year's compelling 'Future Vintage' collection, comes another dip into the archives of Warner Music over the past decade and a half. Word Of Mouth' is a fascinating brew that mixes familiar names with others that have, often as not, been shamefully overlooked. It's never too late to discover the likes Ben Kweller or Dusty Trails or Mark Ribot. Let's face it, until a few short years ago, Flaming Lips or Fountains of Wayne would have been considered to have missed the proverbial boat after years of cult rather than commercial success.

Stylistically, the link throughout this album is music that is variously exuberant, mellow, good natured, spirited, challenging but fun whether

it's Marc Ribot's Cuban jazz, Dusty Trails' cinematic pop or Jason Falkner's breathtaking Zombies-like powerpop.

There's quite simply an audaciously welcome mix of music here. You'll know The Lemonheads or Flaming Lips or Paul Westerberg or Wilco or Faith No More, here with a bizarre take on the 'Midnight Cowboy' theme from their 'Angel Dust' album.

Once heard, you'll want to know the hip-hop-and-fractured-pop of Japanese girl duo, Cibo Matto or the experimental, abstract pop of Mr Bungle or the jazz-tinged theatrical camp of Lea DeLaria.

Like any good overview, 'Word Of Mouth' offers the opportunity to try out something a little different. It makes for some strange bedfellows (on paper, at least) but listening to these featured tracks by a less country influenced Emmylou Harris and Pat Metheny's jazz guitar trio alongside Ween's 'Freedom Of '76', a brilliantly funny yet sexy tribute to 70's Philly Soul really does make surprising sense. And it's all surprisingly good on the ear, too.

So dig in and, as the notes attest, "The treasure is out there. When you find it - pass it on."

TRACKLISTING:
1. Ween – Freedom Of ’76
2. Marc Ribot – Dame Un Cachito Pa’Huele
3. Ben Kweller – Family Tree
4. Dusty Trails – They May Call Me A Dreamer
5. Paul Westerberg – First Glimmer
6. Wilco – When You Wake Up Feeling Old
7. The Lemonheads – The Outdoor Type
8. Fountains Of Wayne – Troubled Times
9. Jason Falkner – Eloquence
10. Kevin Tihista – Beautiful
11. The Flaming Lips – Bad Days
12. Cibo Matto – Sugar Water
13. Mr. Bungle – Retrovertigo
14. Faith No More – Midnight Cowboy
15. Emmylou Harris – Time In Babylon
16. Lea DeLaria – Black Hole Sun
17. Pat Metheny – Travels

Compiled by Ben Lister and Carlos Anaia / Original concept and photography by Miles James
Artwork & Design by David Lupton & Ben Gaby with contributions from Mike Smith and Becky Lyle

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