How Soon Is Now? A Tribute To The Smiths, Various Artists
If the stage wasn't already set for Morrisey's return to the limelight, the number of bands openly name-checking Mozzer and The Smiths certainly gave the seminal artist a massive publicity boost. If it wasn't Brand New and Taking Back Sunday openly paying homage, you would see many of the bands on this collection referencing them. I've never been a huge fan of The Smiths if I'm being completely honest. At 24 my musical education started after The Smiths were in their heyday, so perhaps had I grown up and lived through their golden years it would all be a different story.
As a result I can probably look at 'How Soon Is Now?' without the rose-tinted glasses of bias of many reviews I've seen. These songs were never going to compare to the classic original versions - when has a sequel or cover ever bettered the original in any type of media? The 12 tracks on offer here do vary greatly in quality. Instruction provide one of the highlights with a storming cover of 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me', while Garrison's 'Panic' stays pretty true to the original. Lomax and Walter Walter don't stray too far from their originals either.
The most 'controversial' track is Hundred Reason's version of the album title-track. Some have proclaimed it as great, others as a shocking take on the track. I'm indifferent - at least it's a decent stab at putting their own take on the song, rather than mimicking Morrisey and ultimately failing. Unlike My Awesome Compilation, who's cover of 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' which is disjointed and too jaunty. They're good friends of mine, but that doesn't excuse the fact this is by no means their best work.
'How Soon Is Now?' was always going to court controversy because it could be seen to be cashing in on a popular trend. I disagree with those sentiments and Smiths fans will probably seek this out to see how other bands have attempted to cover their heroes. Like any compilation, there are hits and there are misses - and this is reasonably evenly balanced.
Released on Sorepoint
Paul
