Under the Bridge, Vol. 2 in Bloomington, MN

When the
Skep Wax
label (aka
Amelia
and
Rob
) put together the first volume of
Under the Bridge
, it served as a reminder that some of the great bands of the
Sarah Records
era didn't just fade away, many of them were still going strong in new bands, or in a few cases, like the
Hit Parade
,
St. Christopher
, and
the Orchids
, the same bands. It wasn't pure nostalgia, and it didn't pander to the past -- each and every band involved sounded as good as they did back in the day, playing and singing with all the tenderness, melodic grace, and sonic invention as ever. It should come as no surprise that both the label and the bands involved wanted to give it another go, and
Under the Bridge, Vol. 2
is just as much fun as the first go-round. Many of the same groups are here to testify to their continued relevance.
The Orchids
sound suitably epic on the melancholy jangle of "The Final Love Song,"
Catenary Wires
display their usual sweetness and light on the show tune-like ballad "Alone Tonight," and
Secret Shine
operate their pedals with elan as they show the new breed how it's done on "Captivate This Broken Love." Quite a few of the groups made up of former members of
Sarah
bands are back as well.
Tufthunter
shine on the stately indie pop number "Chemistry," which features the always brilliant
Jessica Griffin
on vocals;
Sepiasound
twinkle and shimmer ("June in Her Eyes");
Jetstream Pony
raise a joyful noise pop ruckus ("Look Alive!'), and
Useless Users
once again prove weird and wonderful on the synthy art rocker "In This, The House of the Solitary Bees." A couple more original
acts contribute this time out to let people know they're still making some glorious noise.
Action Painting!
impress with "Just Who Are the Cockleshell Heroes?," a sparky mod pop song that sounds like it was made by whippersnappers, not old-timers.
Boyracer
, too, sound about 18 or so on their thundering, wandering entry "Unknown Frequencies." Not to be outdone, members of
the Sea Urchins
Field Mice
Fourteen Iced Bears
all contribute songs, each of them a delight.
Mystic Village
is a psychedelic folk collective featuring
Robert Cooksey
of
Sea Urchins
and their "Open Your eyes" is lovely;
the Gentle Spring
is
Michael Hiscock
the Field Mice
and "Dodge the Rain" is exactly as sad and blue as one would hope;
Robert Sekula
delivers the achingly wistful noise-pop weeper "Pamela," and while it might be the most backward-looking track on the collection, it's impossible to resist its winsome charms. The same can be said for every track here, and while one might understandably feel a small tug of nostalgia while surveying the artists involved and digging in for the first time, just like on the first volume those feelings are swept away in a tide of brilliant songs performed with just the right mix of happiness and melancholy. In other words, it's exactly what
used to do, and the passing of time can't dim the talents of the people involved. Thanks to
for making it happen again, and thanks to all the bands for helping keep the indie pop flame alight in a small, perfect way. ~ Tim Sendra