VA - A Tasty Sound Collection: Wine & Vocals (2009)

As a label, Inakustic issues some of the most strangely themed compilations out there. Not necessarily in terms of their titles or what’s on them, but in how their content relates to said title, and in how these tunes remotely relate to one another. The Tasty Sound Collection: Wine & Vocals is a case in point. A simple example is the placing of Gary Barden's and Michael Schenker's nuevo-styled metallic flamenco number “Dance Gipsy Lady” between the bossa-flavored “One More Day,” by Tuck & Patti wannabes Friend N Fellow, and Lucy Kaplansky's excellent urban folk snapshot “Manhattan Moon.” Huh? These three selections are the most glaring of the bizarre entries found here, but they’re made more so because they open the set! America makes an appearance with a re-recorded “I Need You,” and songwriter Rebecca Pidgeon has two decent cuts here in "Grandmother," and her strange but beguiling medley of "Auld Lang Syne" with "Bring It on Home to Me." The Vivino Brothers and their nocturnal blend of sheeny blues-pop are here with “Fool’s Gold,” as are Blues Company with the non-blues “Member’s Only,” Chris Farlowe's “Tough on Me, Tough on You,” Sara K.'s “Vincent,” and Serah & Friedmamn's “New Moon.” Maybe the compilers meant that this set is only desirable if you've had too much wine and want to listen to music with vocals? There isn’t one compelling reason to even consider this compilation. The “shuffle” feature on your mp3 player would do a far better job. -- Thom Jurek