The first truly comprehensive collection from the Aussie alternative rock legends,
Essential Oils boasts 36 remastered tracks, featuring at least one from every album, including the early EPs
Bird Noises and
Species Deceases. Organized chronologically, the set dutifully charts the band's rise to international fame, from the nervy, punk/new wave attack of their 1978 debut to the soaring, politically charged alt-rock of 2002's Capricornia. Adorned with rare images and liner notes from Rolling Stone Senior Editor David Fricke,
Essential Oils provides the perfect entry point for newbies, a solid collection for casual listeners wondering what else that "Beds Are Burning" act from the '80s was all about, and a smartly paced anthology for longtime fans who have kept the flame alive over the decades. ~ James Christopher Monger