Various Artists - Falmouth Freakzone 
Compilation Number Two (Krautpop! Records)
Release Date: Out Now
I'm a little bit late to this one as it came out in May but I wanted to bring the latest compilation from the Falmouth Freakzone folks to your attention before summer gets fully underway. The first track on this collection is from Dogspit and the angry punk'n'grunge of 'MR NO NAME' is a great injection energy with a surprising little Latin breakdown in the middle that works even though it shouldn't. 2:19 Special are up next with their woozy, dreamy track 'Come To Fix that reminds me of the Coral in their more laid back moments. Morning, Cat do their math rock thing on 'Wii Sports Resort' with a swathe of guitars and lo-fi vocals adding a certain shoegaze sheen to proceedings.
'Shift' by Flutter has a jazz infused energy as the instrumental track deploys some incredible guitar work and cymbal heavy percussion before descending into a full on Mr Bungle style jam towards the end. Redro have a pleasingly funky rock sound on their offering, 'Her', which harks back to 90s stalwarts like Reef, Rootjoose and Orphic Soop. The brilliantly named Slugggg and their track 'Desiccate' possibly present my favourite moment on this collection with the low slung bass and guitar jangle juxtaposition that reminds me of bands like Fu Manchu and Boy Hits Car but the doomy vocals add another layer that makes them truly unique.
'Jenny' by Shoes Off is a balls to the wall slice of prog punk that positively drips with energy and the sweat from the ceiling of an underground bar. Meanwhile, Wreck Rebirth bring us 'Waiting To Die' which moves from laid back, slightly jazzy vibes into something altogether more scream focused - like a Saturday that starts with a family barbecue and ends with you vomiting Jagermeister over a girl that you've just met but fully fall in love with. The spatial drift of COSM's 'Third Law' is stunning but as the sound builds and grows you feel the intensity mount like storm clouds on the horizon ready to break. The collection comes to climax on 'Towing A Hard Line' by Tinned Fruit, a track which bristles and twitches with excess energy ready to dance, fight or screw. So there we have it, 10 tracks from 10 different bands based in deepest Cornwall, all with different things to say and different ways to get their message across. It's good for the soul, I tell thee.