Shelflife

Reviews

Majestic
Wake Up, Come Out And Play (CD)
The dreamy "On and on" from Majestic's second LP is one of the finest things I have heard in a long while, but unfortunately the rest of the record rarely measures up to this high standard. "Chocolate Milk" and "Wake Up"are pleasant enough ballads, and "Its Alright" is a glorious mix of vocal harmonies and stomping instrumentation, but the upbeat "Come Out And Play" just seems to be retreading ground previously covered by the Boo Radleys. The cover version of the Autocollants' "Tennis Racket" is an interesting interpretation, but does not compare to the excellent Club 8 cover that appeared on the first Majestic album. This is by no means a bad record, but Majestic are capable of much more.

Le Coupe
Le Coupe (CD)
Le Coupe's long awaited debut is a jangling guitar gem that sparkles gently with pop genius throughout. From the opening bass notes and synth hand claps of "It Will Never Work Out" to the strummed guitar, trumpet, and ba-ba-das of "Safe" this is as perfect an example of how to make an indie pop record as you are likely to hear until until the next Arrogants record is released. Unsuprisingly, given that Le Coupe share band members with several other Shelflife bands, there are stylistic similarities to the likes of the Arrogants here, although Le Coupe have their own sound, largely thanks to the vocal limitations of Stacy Michelson, who possesses the unusual ability to miss the notes just enough for it to be charming without ever becoming annoying.

Various Artists
You Make Me Smile 2000 (CD)
Shelflife offer up a retrospective illustrating why they have become one of the finest independent labels of recent years. The consistently excellent track listing is largely taken from the label's past releases, with a few tracks on loan from Elefant and This Happy Feeling. Majestic, the Arrogants, the Brittle Stars, and the Castaway Stones are all represented, and there are a few tasters of future Shelflife releases too, not least the forthcoming debut LP by Le Coupe, which promises to be one of the records of the year.

The Arrogants
Your Simple Beauty (CD)
The most beautiful record ever released. What more is there to say?