KCRW: Sounds Eclectic 3
Live-in-studio performances are a radio staple in big cities coast-to-coast, but no one does it with the clout of Los Angeles station KCRW’sMorning Becomes Eclecticprogram and its influential host Nic Harcourt. The most recent compilation of diverse recordings--without dubs or production tricks--will appeal to fans of any of the 13 artists and to those looking to inflate their music perspectives. The curtain opens with the Polyphonic Spree’s crescendo-building pop symphony spiritual "It’s the Sun," which quiets, then meshes into the Flaming Lips’ bare-bones reading of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1." Damien Rice, Paul Weller and Radiohead all pull the plug on restrained, yet uniquely commanding performances before "eclectic" earns its title on My Morning Jacket’s blistering full-band rocker "One Big Holiday." After Interpol and Franz Ferdinand make stalwart contributions, Sarah McLachlan, accompanied only by a piano, recites in hushed tones why she is the "Answer," before a solo Steve Earle takes the listener on a journey to "Jerusalem." The poignant presentation by the rabble-rousing troubadour serves as an optimistic closer to another successful anthology.--Scott Holter