You might have realised it was Cassette Store Day last weekend (you certainly will if you were subject to our constant harping on about a certain charity compilation). RELAY is a compilation by London-based record label Sports Day Records, released for Cassette Store Day, which brings together a bunch of their friends and influences.
Whomous and Westway bring a slinky little pop number in ‘So Vain’, all auto-tuned vocals and laid back vibes, while Lion Bark’s ‘Poolside’ is a chilled out love song. The feel is continued with Static Animal’s warm-weather instrumental track, ‘Easy, and ‘Carrie’ by London-based songwriter Nicko Franklin, a gentle and kindly pop song. Seattle’s LUWUM bring a little more lo-fi rumble to things, although as garage rock goes its still honey-smooth, before a brand new track from Harley Alexander (a familiar face here at WTD), which closes side A with their trademark suave and summery psychedelics.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1939753783 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
Side B see a stylistic shift, with things getting hushed and acoustic and to me even better. First up is ‘No Mistake’ by Fake Laugh (which retains some of the A-side’s saunter), before Arthur Shea gets much more hushed and intimate), Clare Cottrill (which I like a lot – bedroom pop in the vein of Kissing Fractures or the solo Florist stuff) and Girlpool‘s Cleo Tucker (another quiet acoustic track with a metronomic beat).
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1939753783 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=1648414833]
The final track is ‘Kaleidoscope’ by Arbes, which utilises clattering percussion to enhance a song that falls somewhere between the laid back pop and quiet bedroom acoustics that appear on the compilation as a whole. A fitting end then, to a great showcase. If you’re anything like me then this taster will make you want to dive into the back catalogues of both the featured acts and the label itself. I’m sure there are tonnes of great things to discover.
So as the nights draw in and the air gets a chill, do yourself a favour and keep summer alive in your soul with RELAY. You can get it on cassette or digital download via the Sports Day Records Bandcamp page.
