Album Review: New Arrivals Volume 5 – Artists for Hurricane Sandy Relief
2 min read
A quality album is good. A quality album compiled for a worthy cause is better. The latest in the New Arrivals series sees established and fresh artists come together to share their music while raising money for several Hurricane Sandy Relief charities.
The three NYC based charities supported by the most recent of MPress Records’ New Arrivals series are Brooklyn’s The Red Hook Initiative, Project Hospitality Staten Island Hurricane Relief Fund of Staten Island, and Graybeards of The Rockaways.
Of the latest edition, MPress Records label founder and musician Rachael Sage says,
“As the anniversary of this tragic storm approaches, we are reminded that there are still many who are rebuilding….We and the amazingly talented artists who’ve donated their music are happy to share this album as an additional way for people to contribute to New York area families in need.”
Ms Sage appears on the collection herself on the back end of the record, on a gentle and soothing track called Everything.
Volume 5 is a selection of tracks from over 1,000 submissions of international and indie talent, including a bonus track by Paula Cole. The Grammy Award Winner shows off her beautiful voice on Life Goes On to finish the 20-track long collection.
Beginning with Ari Hest’s The Winter of Yes, the compilation is soothing, exciting and all around impressive. The tracks show musical maturity and promise from some relatively unknown artists who could get their break through the collection.
Turn It Around by Lucius is full of energy as a peppy indie tune which would not be out of place on mainstream airwaves. The energy dips for the next few tracks which are less hyper but no less impressive, particularly in the mellow but oh-so-catchy Slow Motion by Phox.
The mood of the collection is summed up in Stephen Langstaff’s Smile, an upbeat tune encouraging happiness and the power of a good ol’ smile, reinforcing the importance of a positive attitude especially in times of trouble.
Things turn a little bit country with Rise Up by Rebecca Pronsky, an engaging and dark sounding indie-folk song balanced out by the calm flow of The Remedy by Karima Francis. Indie-folk themes are fluent throughout the record, with many artists providing intriguing and refreshing takes on the indie genre.
Overall, the New Arrivals compilation is a solid collection of talented artists sharing their gifts for a great cause. Previous collections have had their profits dedicated to charities including the Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief and the National Eating Disorder Association, bringing money and awareness to significant issues and associations. The Hurricane Sandy Relief compilation is a wonderful sample of established and up and coming talent which would be a great addition to any record collection.
