Dark and Delightful
Created to raise money for The Red Hot Organization, a creative thinking AIDS charity, ‘Dark Was The Night’ is that rare gem; an entirely enjoyable compilation. The album was produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National and has already been called a snapshot of a particular scene as it focuses mainly on North American musicians producing quirky and offbeat indie. It’s certainly full of memorable tracks, which won’t be forgotten in a hurry, whether they have a sense of zeitgeist or not.
Dirty Projectors and David Byrne get the album off to a good start with a bright, jangly tune featuring shrill vocals and a catchy, almost infectious but understated melody. Feist and Ben Gibbard’s collaboration, ‘Train Song’ is a gorgeous, slightly anguished and highly heartfelt tune about belonging, with Feist’s soulful voice really showing up against the stark, roaming guitar backing. Bon Iver’s soft vocal harmonies capture the wistful, dreamy tone of the album perfectly, blistering into a glorious epiphany of echoing guitars. The National offer a wistful new tune that also hankers after a loved location (New York in this case), but their warm indie reminiscing is possibly upstaged by Yeasayer’s striking and unique vocals on the bubbly, pretty number, ‘Tightrope’. Both the Dessner brothers also get their own turn, with Bryce collaborating with Antony on a touching, countrified number about returning home and Aaron aiding Justin Vernon with a beautiful string-backed tune with soaring, weightless vocal harmonies that seem to float up into the ether.
The second CD has a slightly more varied feel featuring the grimy rap of Buck 65 Remix (albeit featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti) alongside a euphoric, perky pop offering from Arcade Fire and accordion-based, twinkly indie shenanigans from Beirut. The New Pornographers offer a rapturous, glossy tune half way through that will remind you what’s so great about this compilation with bells ringing and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Stuart Murdoch’s sweet folk number, ‘Another Saturday’ is a lovely lilting song that sounds more suitable for a lazy Sunday morning, than a Saturday, but is charming in any case. There’s a blissful instrumental interlude merging strings and electronic sounds from Riceboy Sleeps before Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues team up for a smooth, rich, soulful take on ‘Amazing Grace’.
Dark Was The Night combines some of the best raconteurs and indie dreamers out there at the moment and fills two memorable CDs with exclusive, original tracks that are worth every penny, and in the name of a great cause. More than an album filled with tracks from random artists, so many of the artists feature on each other’s tracks or share a style that it feels like a real collaborative effort. Here’s hoping for future Red Hot compilations that are just as impressive.