Caught Beneath The Landslide

While working as a photographer for NME during the first half of the 90s, Kevin Cummins was charged with documenting the Brit-pop scene, and his images helped popularize a wide range of groups. His work was collected in the 2020 book While We Were Getting High: Brit-pop and the ‘90s, and Demon Records offered him the chance to curate a musical companion of sports with 2021s Caught Beneath the Landslide. While working on the book, a healthy Twitter debate erupted over who was Brit-pop and who wasnt -- with a few of the bands in question chiming in with their own thoughts -- and the results limited the scope of the inclusions. On this set, there are no such barriers and Cummins is free to select the bands who soundtracked his particular version of the era. Most of the big names like Blur, Oasis, and Suede are here, along with worthy contenders like Gene, Supergrass, and Cast, and loads of bands who were in the pages of NME every week (Shed Seven, the Bluetones, the Auteurs). Stretching the boundaries are bands who are decidedly not Brit-pop, like Radiohead, New Order, and the Fall, groups who were a little off the main pitch (Huggy Bear, Cornershop, Out of My Hair), and bands who werent even British like the Cardigans. Cummins isnt interested in crafting a hits-first primer to Brit-pop. If he were trying to do that he wouldnt have picked B-sides, remixes, covers, and oddities instead of the classics to represent the groups. For example, in lieu of their classic Common People, Pulp contribute an acoustic version of Razzmatazz, the Manic Street Preachers offer a faithful rendition of Suedes The Drowners, and Ash romp through ABBAs Does Your Mother Know. It makes for a fun, somewhat off-kilter listen thats constantly surprising. Its also a very focused view of the era that lacks any contributions from the thriving electronic underground that included Warp-style IDM, drumnbass, and trip-hop and also misses out on Stereolab and their fellow avant-pop explorers. That being said, what is included is entertaining and often enlightening. Cummins makes sure to steer clear of the boys-only attitude that often pervaded the scene by making sure to include quite a few female-fronted bands that range from the spiky post-punk of Elastica to the big pop dramatics of Catatonia and the pure pop of Lush (whose Jarvis Cocker-featuring Ciao is a marquee Brit-pop moment). The set ultimately works as an insiders view of a moment in time he was lucky enough to experience first-hand. If the choices he makes are sometimes a little bewildering (like picking both Ride and the Boo Radleys worst singles), overall the songs are highly listenable, and like any box set worth its salt, it provides avenues for further exploration. For example, anyone knocked out by the glam rock swagger of Heavy Stereos Sleep Freak and the charming pop-lite of Salads I Want You has some detective work in store. Caught Beneath the Landslide may not be the definitive Brit-pop set, but until that particular item comes along, this will do nicely. ~ Tim Sendra