Dark Was the Night

Various Artists
Dark Was the Night
(4AD, 2009)

Dark Was the Night is the mother of all indie-rock compilations. The reasons for which I bestow on it this superlative praise are numerous. This two-disc compilation was created for the Red Hot organization, “the leading international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture,” which has, since 1989, released 15 albums to raise money and awareness against the global pandemic. Hundreds of artists as diverse and groundbreaking as Nirvana, David Bowie, My Bloody Valentine, Doc Watson, John Fogerty, the Pogues, and Iggy Pop have taken part in past projects dedicated to this mission. Dark Was the Night is Red Hot’s latest installment, curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National, and culls tracks from the best in contemporary music, with exclusive songs, special collaborations, and unexpected covers… all in all, some of the most striking compositions to emerge from today’s melting pot of music.

The brothers Dessner know people in musical circles far and wide, from their backyard in Brooklyn with Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, and Sharon Jones, to Sweden’s Jose Gonzalez, Stuart Murdoch from Glasgow, and Riceboy Sleeps of Iceland. Most names on this collection will be familiar to even a moderate fan of independent rock. And I will say this: More than a few of the songs on this two-disc set are among the best I’ve heard all year.

It’s a showcase of talent that is surfacing on a global scale, and lavish praise should be reaped on the selections that contribute to this incredibly robust collection. The first disc opens with “Knotty Pine”, an arty, catchy collaboration between Dirty Projectors and the ubiquitous David Byrne and rolls into the lovely electro-folk of Nick Drake’s “Cello Song” by the Books, featuring Jose Gonzalez. Instantly compelling, the quality standard is set high from the start. And from here, highlights abound, each selection its own integral representation of this vast pool in which we wade to find our music: Feist and Ben Gibbard’s easy harmonies on Vashti Bunyan’s “Train Song”, a stirring Bon Iver track titled “Brackett, WI”, Grizzly Bear’s gorgeous acoustical “Deep Blue Sea.” The National’s clarinet-inflected “So Far Around the Bend”, arranged by Nico Muhly, is among their best work to date; Yeasayer’s “Tightrope” rivals anything from their popular debut album from ’07, All Hour Cymbals; and My Brightest Diamond gracefully does justice to the Nina Simone-popularized “Feeling Good.”

The Blind Willie Johnson song, “Dark Was the Night”, after which this compilation was named, is aptly recreated here by the Kronos Quartet, whose instrumental version weeps with considerable depth, enough to make Johnson proud. Next up is Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons) and Bryce Dessner’s stunning cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Was Young When I Left Home”, followed by Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) and Aaron Dessner’s dazzling “Big Red Machine.” The Decemberists’ “Sleepless”, Iron and Wine’s “Stolen Houses (Die)”, Grizzly Bear and Feist’s collaboration on “Service Bell”, and Sufjan Stevens’ heady, ambitious cover of Castanets’ “You Are the Blood”—each wonderful—wrap up disc one.

At this juncture, the compilation is steeped in an evocative, resilient beauty, somber and thoughtful, introspective but far-reaching—these are strong tracks, selections made based on their artistic integrity, but each rooted in a well of accessibility that is appealing on a widespread scale. The point is to buy the record; the more commercially viable the music, the more people who will buy it and contribute to the cause.

The second disc kicks off with Spoon, whose thumping “Well-Alright” initiates a sense of hopeful resolution, followed up by Arcade Fire’s “Lenin.” Beirut chimes in with a signature Balkan-sounding “Mimizan”, and My Morning Jacket’s contribution is a ’50s-sounding, horn-accented track called “El Caporal.” Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings bring on the soul with a righteous cover of Shuggie Otis’ “Inspiration Information.” David Sitek of TV on the Radio fame follows with an electronic buzzing take on the Troggs’ song “With a Girl Like You”, and Buck 65 deftly remixes “Blood Pt 2” (based on Castanets’ “You Are the Blood”) with Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti lending a hand. The New Pornographers borrow from one of their own, recreating Destroyer’s “Hey, Snow White”, followed by the lovely Snapper tune “Gentle Hour”, beautifully performed by Yo La Tengo.

Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch delivers a sweetly wistful track, “Another Saturday”, and Riceboy Sleeps (comprised of Jón Þór Birgisson of Sigur Rós and his partner Alex Somers) contribute the ethereal “Happiness”, before Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues do a soulful, swinging cover of “Amazing Grace.” Andrew Bird follows with the plucky splendor of “The Giant of Illinois”, a Handsome Family composition, and then comes a collaboration between Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch, who trade vocal duties to drive the warm folk of “Lua.” Blonde Redhead and Devastations turn out the whispery “When the Road Runs Out”, and finally, Kevin Drew caps off the album with the contemplative “Love vs. Porn”… and the second disc ends, a breezier, well-rounded complement to the first disc’s somber beauty.

Dark Was the Night should be viewed and digested as a treasured testament to the musical talent and community that exists today. From veterans on the rock scene to the best in exciting, explosive new talent, Dark Was the Night is a stunning collection of songs, cultivated and captured on two standout discs to support the pervasively present AIDS campaign. A tour de force such as this one finds the light of day far too infrequently. Waste no time. If you are going to buy just one album this spring, be sure you make Dark Was the Night a part of your music collection.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Tags: Dark Was the Night, Red Hot, 4AD, The National