LUSH gathers a kaleidoscope of the 90s with an impressive musical cast.
Release Date: 24th January 2025
Label: LUSH
Format: digital / 3LP
SOUND FAMILIAR?
In The Bath is an innovative but above all interesting triple vinyl album that serves as a musical time capsule of the 90s. The heavily folk leaning compilation features folk singers like Teddy Thompson, Jackie Oates, Martha Tilston, Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp, Eliza Carthy, and more, who each reinterpret a different song from the decade. Putting their unique spin on songs from the likes of The Dandy Warhols, R.E.M and The Spice Girls to Bjork, David Gray and Supergrass.
Thirty five tracks kick off with a declaration of intent. Marry Waterson, possibly the original Spice Girl, doing Say You’ll Be There by the fab five. The Chairman Of the Board himself Jon Boden has form with his take on Whitney’s I Want To Dance With Somebody so Give Me A Little More Time presents no problem for him to transform into a cool vibed lounge piece.
SOMETIMES IT’S WHO YOU KNOW (OR DON’T)
Sometimes a case of know the band but don’t know the song – or vice versa. Take The Dandy Warhols Bohemian Like You. One which soon hits the recognition channels given it’s rough and ready Stones vibe, yet Alice Faye might be a new name to some. On the other hand, Lady Maisery’s signature close harmonies are instantly recognisable, and add a new sheen to have You Ever.
Talking of the Stones, Eliza Carthy gives a ragged, Punky polish to Kirsty MacColls My Affair and so it goes on for another thirty songs of discovery and enlightenment. Some lovely subtlety along the way from Martha Tilston and Rosie Doonan as Treay Lam cuts a cool groove via Tracey Chapman.
Experimental, ethnic and rustic from Sheema Mukherjee, the Near Jazz Experience do something as jazzy as you’d anticipate and Palm Skin Productions just head off into a weirder electronic direction than Depeche Mode ever seemed to do. And that’s pretty much the point. Music from an era that you might recall, re-imagined for a new millenium by some of the best re-imaginers possible. Rioghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet are in reflective mood while Lisa Knapp & Gerry Diver are as avant garde as ever tackling the might of Manchester with James’ Sometimes.
STAR BAKERS
Coming up on the rails as favourites from the comprehensive collection are Jackie Oates breathy Music Sounds Better With You and a busy percussion and sparkle given to some French house. The Lovely Eggs give a break from the Folksters to come up with a typically weird and winding Cannonball the U2 Elevation treatment.
Radiohead and R.E.M the more recognisable artistes whose songs are given new interpretations. The first stop had to be straight to Nightswimming to see how Ben Murray dealt with a personal fave from the R.E.M canon. He can’t but no-one could be expected to (unless Eliza possibly did something bizarre with it).
The compilation might bear the title, In The Bath, but where else (aside from a road trip) to settle and indulge in some nostalgia from (shock, horror) thirty odd years back.
Here’s Craig Fortnam’s Teardrop (featuring Chantelle Pike):
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