Radio Sessions (Marc Riley BBC 6 Music 2011-2022)

The Monochrome Set are one of the rare bands to not only have a successful second act, they bucked the odds and had a third one. In the early 80s, they set themselves up as one of the most imaginative and plain weird post-punk bands, led by the slightly skewed lyrics of their leader, Bid, and featuring musical output that ranged from wiry punk to jolly spy music. They returned in the 90s to make records that dialed down the eccentricity just a touch, but they were still far from the mainstream. This collection of radio sessions highlights their third run as a band, featuring a clutch of songs from their excellent albums released between 2013 and 2019. This time around, the group played with just as much passion and weirdness as ever, now sounding something like the Kinks if they had never gone hard rock or Roxy Music if they somehow discovered indie rock. Bid had lost none of his lyrical nerve, and the band brought his songs to life like they were conjuring up an obscure, out-of-fashion magic trick. Unlike some radio sessions -- like those done for John Peels famous show -- where the band has a chance to record the songs in advance, the fun of Marc Riley sessions is that they are recorded live, warts and all. That works to the groups advantage here as, despite what one might be tempted to surmise given the pristine nature of their studio recordings, they prove to be a crack live outfit thats full of ramshackle energy. So much so that Bid has to put a little bit of extra oomph into his vocals, which gives the songs a nice sense of urgency. The collection is a lovely gift for fans who will never get a chance to see the band play live to hear for themselves how good they are, and its fun to also hear the group update older songs like "Jet Set Junta." Credit to Tapete for collecting and releasing these sessions; they are yet more proof that the Monochrome Set truly are one of the great bands of the post-punk underground and beyond. ~ Tim Sendra