Good odds-and-sods overview of Mass. indie vets
John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 09/09/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"My three stars is meant for comparison with NRSK's regular CDs rather than rating Leftover Blues' quality in isolation. The product description here's a bit gushing, but accurate enough: this is an assortment of odds-and-ends that sounds a bit less cohesive but as readily identifiable as NRSK's regular albums. The best song by far, Quicksand, starts the CD in roaring fashion; an "instant classic" as the oxymoron goes--one of the strongest tunes I have ever heard from the guitar-driven indie rock rooted in its genesis in the sonic boom of the late 80s and (for NRSK) early 90s. The band sounds as much Midwestern in their steady, well-written and arranged, but modestly presented songs as a band from their Massachutsetts home, where other bands have shared a raw-edged, but melodic, intensity of play whether the song was loud or soft, fast or slow. Despite their Pernice Bros-relationship, NRSK is more rocking, not countrified, by the way.
The rest of the songs stand out less so, but this is the case on many NRSK albums; I think of their best track that they've issued, "The Kind Ghost" leaping out from the CD Hurricane Necklace. The band tends to roam consistent if assorted moods-- jittery, ornery, wistful, and/or earnest. Other songs exist in demo, altered, or singles formats, and for a band that's endured as many indies have a series of indie labels over the past fifteen years plus, it's handy to have these various efforts compiled. Like many such gatherings up of remainders, the sound quality and sequencing are more uneven than on "proper" albums. Thus, like many such compilations, it's both a sampler for the curious and a souvenir for the committed. It's an energetic, reflective or rousing collection, and may tempt new listeners to seek out the band's back catalogue."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1