Various Artists “Dark Was The Night”

4/5

Remember the 90s? We probably were running around a sprinkler, or an inflatable pool, somewhere, dancing to our older sibling’s mixtapes, who were sporting trendy new Doc Martens and Dad’s old flannies, listening to grunge, AS. LOUD. AS. POSSIBLE.

It was those times that we were probably listening to the Red Hot Organisation’s AIDS awareness compilation, No Alternative; featuring grunge gods Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana, it was the compilation that suddenly made charity albums cool again.

Almost sixteen years later, the Red Hot Organisation is back, serving up another AIDS awareness compilation which defines indie loving Gen Y. Compiled by members of The National, Dark Was The Night was carefully assembled with a keen eye: Executive Producer John Carlin felt that this time, the kids of Gen Y are more interested in more Baroque-sounding, orchestra swirling, ethereal melodies rather than fast, loud, dirty grunge.

The result is, well, outstanding. Folk dominates, and as stated, swirls into rhythms of orchestras, cellos, gentle guitar riffs and truly beautiful harmonies into each of the thirty-three tracks.

The double-cd reads like a dream folk festival, which would probably be located in some impossibly hard-to-get-to and overpriced section of the world. Not to mention it would probably generate server melt-down ticket sales; Arcade Fire, Spoon, Beirut, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver…the list goes on.  Capitalising on the ‘buzz’ bands of this year’s South By Southwest festival; Grizzly Bear and The Decemberists both contribute tracks, living up to their much-blogged-about hype.

If you think this album is flawless already, there are some disappointments. The voice of My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden overpowers the album of more softer, layered singers, and her cover of Feeling Good doesn’t really fit in with the compilation really. Yeasayer’s eccentric approach to their track, Tightrope, feels a bit out of place as well, leaving the listeners feeling awkwardly uncomfortable mid-listening, but that happens with every compilation cd, right?

Apart from the flaws, Dark Was the Night is an excellent example of a charity cd with a head as well as a heart. With Carlin’s vision, and a bit of time, Dark Was the Night steers clear from some of the more cornier, rushed, and unthoughtful charity compilations out there, and provides a template for a Generation.

It just makes me wonder- the songs on this album provides an insight into Gen Y, are we all grown-up, intellectual, orchestra-loving, gentle folk lovers?  Perhaps, considering water restrictions, we can no longer run around Sprinklers anymore. 

- Hannah Robertson