Recorded at the Automat – the Best of Rough Trade Records | Album Review

The rise and fall and rise of Rough Trade. Certainly, this London- based indie label has been through more hoops, swings and roundabouts than most of its ilk, but it’s still here.

From Cabaret Voltaire to Pantha du Prince, from Young Marble Giants to Alabama Shakes, from The Stars of Heaven to Pulp, RT set a standard for signing acts that bucked trends.

Gathered across three CDs, from 1978-2015, you’ll discover the nonsense (File Under Pop, Chris & Cosey, The Libertines) sidling up to the sublime (Young Marble Giants, Scritti Politti, Robert Wyatt, The Stars of Heaven, The Smiths, Sufjan Stevens).

The connective tissue is of a mindset that seems to care little for commercial success, more for the thrill of potential greatness. Hits. Misses. Couldabeens. Shouldabeens. Mostly must-haves.

[ roughtrade.com ]