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Maintaining the kitsch, whimsical visual aesthetic of the first Dreamy compilation, 'Head In The Clouds', this second instalment in a series as irregular as its contributors, seems to boast an open-house policy, such is its diversity. Usual Dreamy suspects Graham, (The Real) Tuesday Weld, Jamie Owen and arco all appear and all are in fine form each contributing exclusive new material, as do oddball ex-pats Santa Sprees who feature twice. Other homegrown talents include Broken Dog, Silver Springs and Stars on the Water who, between them, set up some kind of template for the collection â?? lilting pop, prone to bouts of lo-fi weirdness and moments of beauty. CwaS favourite M. Ward donates the previously unreleased I'll Be Yr Bird, three minutes of lo-fi blues bliss; Magnetic Fields alumni Dudley Klute and Flare bring some melodrama (the former deconstructing The Pixies' Caribou); whilst Summer Hymns and Cole Marquis donate highlights from their respective current platters â?? Marquis' Criminal particularly worthy of another hearing. As with most compilations, 'A Wish On A Star' reflects the tastes of its compiler, and will likely be dipped into and skipped through by those in search of answers to their own wishes.

Chris Wick
CWAS #9 - Winter 2002

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