A single-disc distillation of the gargantuan
The Strange Ones: 1994-2008
, this tells the
Supergrass
story in reverse, opening with the fuzzy stomp of 2008's "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" and ending with the exuberant "Caught by the Fuzz," which was their first single back in 1994. The sequencing forces listeners to reckon with the band's chops as songwriters and musicians, instead of focusing on the youthful giddiness that characterized their earliest hits. It's an effective strategy and it helps differentiate this comp from
Supergrass Is 10
, the 2004 hits set released in the wake of 2002's
Life on Other Planets
(its fan-bait new track "Kiss of Life" is here in its original single, making it the one track featured on this slimmer set and not the bigger box).
overlooked
, along with the two subsequent albums, so the single-disc
The Strange Ones
feels quite different from its cousin. Adding the neon-colored
Life
, the moody
Road to Rouen
, and
Diamond Hoo Ha
draws a richer portrait of
, which means it's ultimately the better compilation of the two collections. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine