3 out of 5

Label: Good Records

Produced by: Various

A preview of sorts of the then-forthcoming Fragile Army, ‘Wait’ picks and chooses some selections plus covers that can transition listeners into the more rock- / pop-oriented sound producer John Congleton would help the group to embrace, well exampled by opener Mental Cabaret, a fantastic tune of catchy beats and lush jangle and harmonies. The bookend from the same album is I’m Calling, a track perhaps closer to former fare, but given a more blown-out sense of instrumentation by Congleton, which isn’t, I’d say, his forte – Cabaret works to his strengths; the peaks of Calling get a little lost.

The covers inbetween carry this balance as well, with a Psychedelic Furs cover (Love My Way) being quality but a bit too round-edged, and a reworking of a Tripping Daisy track – Sonic Bloom – interestingly very, very similar to the original; a fantastic song that was already fantastic and so maybe, if you’re hearing it again, doesn’t offer much new. So these are enjoyable if unnotable covers. However, then we get Nirvana’s Lithium, and it ranks up there with all-time covers, the kinda stuff that would shoot a band to fame with some airplay. The combo of Cobain’s narcissistic lyrics and the Spree cheer, plus turning Nirvana’s inherently catchy pop into fully orchestrated music is a revelation, bringing new impact to an already great tune.

So ‘Wait’ is a mixed bag: some stuff you’ve heard before and a taste of what was to come, making its title pretty telling.