Various Artists

Little Darla Has a Treat for You, V.27: Eternal Spring Edition

Label: Darla
US Release Date: 2009-05-26
UK Release Date: 2009-05-26
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The eclectic, bliss-dealing Darla Records has been putting out various artists compilations entitled Little Darla Has a Treat for You on a yearly/bi-yearly basis for several years now. Presumably they’ve kept the title because it fits: With a track list comprised entirely of exclusive songs and a great many artists not on Darla’s roster (but who share the label’s indie pop and mellow electronic leanings) coming to the party, these records may as well be big ol’ sacks of treats. It’s like a classmate tossing you a cherry Starburst from across the room without precedent. Hey, thanks!

Thing is, not all treats are created equal in the mouth of the beholder. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Good & Plenty are both candies, and I'm bound to see each on Halloween, but I’ll do anything for a Reese’s (likeability rating: 10!) and think of Good & Plenty basically as punishment (likeability rating: 2). Your ratings will vary from mine. It’s a point worth considering, since just about all of the tracks on V.27 aim for some kind of sweet spot as they cover everything from dub techno meditations (Yagya’s “A Small Offering”) to retro indie rock (New Radiant Storm King’s “Refused”) to the gothic proto-shoegaze most often associated with the Cocteau Twins (Rumskib’s “Secrets”) -- and that doesn’t even scratch the surface. There’s a whopping 32 tracks here, spanning two discs, so happy hunting. Not everything’s going to do it for you, but spend some time rifling through this bag, and you’re bound to discover the tastiest thing you’ll have all week.