| Some say mimicking is the most sincerest form of flattery. Well I'm sure the 17+ people and bands
that
were involved in making this tribute to the 90's band Seaweed were well aware of that saying.
Recently Seaweed reunited and this CD seems like it is just in time to recharge all those fans of
the Washington state band.
I'm going to be honest, I'm not young but I had only heard Seaweed through their cover of Fleetwood
Mac's "Go Your Own Way", which was in the movie Clerks. So that either meant that I was just wasn't
into them while they were out and they got lost in the sea of punk and grunge, or they just weren't
good. After I started listening I felt like I had fell into a televised commercial for Buzzcuts
(those CDs that capture the "soul" of hit 90's music." So most every song was catchy and despite the
different takes by each artist, it still came out sounding like a whole.
Speaking of the artists, this compilation brings together a unique group of bands. From Nora to
Killwhitneydead to (the synth crafted) The Company We Keep, they all were able to bring old classics
into modern day music. Some went for recreation value and some altered their track to fit their
style, both of which were nice to hear because an album lopsided with either is annoying.
So in the end, I enjoyed the interpretations of most of the bands, but truthfully (I went back and
listened to old Seaweed) and most of the songs aren't a very good foundation as the basis for a
tribute album. Either way, the bands make this record what it is (which is alright). I would have
personally choosen another band from the era, but I'm biased for other punk bands from the 90's.
~ Derek
June 25 2008 |
