For the uninitiated, this odds-and-sods collection of B-sides and demos also does well as an introduction to the low-gloss, sleepily atmospheric new wave that Jason Martin has been doing so well since the mid-'90s. Many of the songs appeared in full-band form on the 2008 release
Dial M; having the acoustic demos available for side-by-side comparisons opens the songs up in interesting new ways, driving home Martin's talent for strong melodies and trenchant lyrics. Respectful covers like
the Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" and
the Church's "Under the Milky Way" provide no new entrée into those songs, but sound perfectly at home in this context, and throw a light on Martin's influences. ~ Paula Carino