Various: Now Hear This! Issue 56

For the first two thirds of its length, this Word magazine covermount CD is pretty much business-as-usual, reprieved only by the inclusion of Robert Wyatt and Edwyn Collins, two men who are now beyond criticism (does anyone else wonder whether there might be something does-he-take-sugar about that?). I won't go on about what I mean by business-as-usual, as I've flogged it to death on previous Now Hear This CDs.

Then comes the last third of the CD, and four out five of the tracks are ones I actually wanted to hear: King Creosote, Beirut, Iron & Wine, and Susanna.

I know I'm supposed to be having my horizons broadened by these CDs, but it just doesn't work that way — much more useful to give me a sampler of the new releases I already know I'm interested in.

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