Missing Songs

Less than a year after the release of its well-received 2005 debut, A CERTAIN TRIGGER, the U.K.'s Maximo Park unveiled a B-sides/rarities compilation, the aptly named MISSING SONGS. While such collections (especially by such relatively young acts) are often scattershot, this 12-track set is remarkably good, revealing that even the post-punkish group's second-tier tunes are charming and intriguing. While "A19" bounces along on a bed of shimmering keyboard lines, the restless "Fear of Falling," with its punchy rhythms, angular guitar riffs, and catchy harmony vocals, makes the ensemble's kinship with XTC clear. The disc's most pleasant surprises are a cover of John Lennon's "Isolation," which completely reinvents the song as a short burst of New Wave angst, and "Stray Talk," a lilting acoustic number. Given that most of the singles that produced these B-sides are long out of print, MISSING SONGS is essential for aficionados, and, scarcity aside, the songs are good enough to win the U.K. band some additional fans as well.