Buffalo Tom - Asides from Buffalo Tom 1988 - 1999 (Beggars Banquet)

"Asides..." charts the development of Boston based indie band Buffalo Tom from the days of being junior to Dinosaur Jnr, to masters in their own right. The album contains material from their first release in 1989, the eponymously-titled "Buffalo Tom" to 1999 - unfortunately it's not in chronological order! With a career spanning six albums the band has been hailed "the best band in the world" by Melody Maker, while Select said that the band has, "a song writing genius on a par with Neil Young".

The collection revisits the band's first single, 'Sunflower Suit' leading all the way to their 1999 cover of the Jam's 'Going Underground'. It also includes classic Buffalo Tom songs such as the beautiful 'Taillights Fade', 'Birdbrain' and possibly their best-known song this side of the water, 'Sodajerk'. Despite not being in chronological order, "Asides" is a superb introduction to the band's career. If you're into throttling rock and beautiful ballads and are a fan of the US indie scene of the late 1990s then "Asides" should find a home on your CD rack.

Joanne Ahern