Having returned after a four-year absence with a new studio album, Echobelly also have the dubious honour of having the highlights of their career so far compiled in this handy package.
Led by the elfin Sonya Aurora Madan, the 'Belly have always fused deeper lyrical concerns on subjects such as racism ('Call Me Names') and the role of women in contemporary Asian society ('Father Ruler King Computer') with a music that was resolutely indie-pop - big guitars, instantly memorable choruses.
This collection leans heavily on their first two albums - 1994's debut album 'Everybody's Got One' and 1995's 'On' - which is fine as 1997's 'Lustra' was a mostly dull affair. It also means we get bouncy singles 'I Can't Imagine The World Without Me', 'Insomniac' and the infuriatingly catchy 'Great Things' and 'King Of The Kerb'.
The decision to place all the ballads in the middle means the rest of the album has a sameyness that doesn't do the weaker material any favours. Still, the gentle 'Atom', featuring some superb steel guitar from session whiz BJ Cole, still sounds great.
The problem with Echobelly was that they couldn't maintain the highs of their singles over the course of an album. Madan's voice is also an acquired taste, as she sometimes sings like a bad actress overenunciating her lines.
It seems unlikely Echobelly will ever escape their current "big in Japan" status. Still, minus a few fillers, this is a good account of a band who made some of the better singles of the Britpop era.
