Tingling Cheeks Are Love has been put out to celebrate fifty releases by Sensory Projects, a tender, if slightly sentimental look back at some of the artists that have shaped the label, along with a selection of previously unreleased tracks from some of their newer signings to satiate complete-ists and faithful listeners. Though Sensory Projects’ release figure is now tipping closer toward sixty (with the actual fiftieth release being Beautiful Forest by Perth-based The Tigers) this compilation is definitely embracing as much of the back-catalogue as possible.
There’s a home-spun nicety about this release, which is difficult to dislike. However, over thirty three tracks, at times the mood is let down because of some difficult progressions. Take for instance the crunching and frenetic ‘Happy Activist’ from Minus Story; as quickly as it drops, it’s whisked away with the melancholy guitar work of The Tigers. Both selections are good, but perhaps don’t work best placed alongside each other as they are here.
Some of the newer releases on the label, ironically, fit the wistful premise more so than the older ones do. The Sand Pebbles contribute three songs, and for good reason; the gentle hum of ‘Drop City’, complete with its gentle trio of piano, drum and guitar hints at the more psychedelic-tinged cuts to follow. It’s a quiet sophistication that sits neatly next to the folk-tinged harmonies of The Sun Blindness, who contribute ‘It’s Only 3am’. Panoptique Electrical’s ‘Tingling Cheeks Are Love’ lends its title to the compilation, an expanse of undulating strings and delicate reverb that is matched effortlessly by the remainder of the second disc. As an introduction to the output of this diverse label, Tingling Cheeks Are Love is a faithful representation of the Sensory Projects mission. Put the album on shuffle to see just how many different sounds the label encompasses.
Alexandra Savvides
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