Various Artists - 'The Cake Sale' (Oxfam) Released 05/11/07

Now before you see the words ‘charity record’ and instinctively turn a blind eye because the first word that sprang to mind was ‘cheesy’, stop and read on because this one ain’t all bad. Instead look at it simply as a compilation of talented singers and songwriters all working together to make something special and one-off. Having succeeded in its native Ireland, the album is now due for release in both the UK and US. The indie super group features artists from bands including; Bell XI, The Cardigans, The Thrills, The Frames and Snow Patrol.  By using a range of artists and modest songs, the album will appeal to a very wide audience as one would expect from an album created in support of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair Campaign.

The compilation has been clearly well thought out as nine songs were selected from twenty to make something that worked well together. The Cake Sale is amid-tempo album with soft, appealing melodies. Despite the wide range of artists used and difficulties encountered trying to fit time into the artists’ schedules, all of the songs work together to make a cohesive well balanced album. The songs are warm and comforting, if not the most upbeat.

While other albums may lead are imagination astray and into abstraction, there is nothing complicated here. You can imagine someone in a film walking down a leafy autumn road to these songs, the season being very appropriately for its release date. This is a great album to have amongst ones more pretentious music, because one day you will only be in the mood for power ballads- it happens. What a terrific thing to get in return for donating to charity.

Much more thought has gone into this than say, a sticker or cake sale even. The album is written in too good a taste to be bought solely for your foreign grandmother as a Christmas present. Buy it for yourself if no one else!