Katrina & the Waves

Merging Katrina & the Waves' acclaimed but long-deleted Attic Records output, The Original Recordings 1983-1984 collects all of the superb material from the Kimberly Rew-steered outfit's Walking on Sunshine and Katrina & the Waves 2 discs. Stripping away the major-label production that overshadowed the group's subsequent 1985 breakthrough, Waves, this reissue boasts 24 tracks of delightful nostalgia. Including four previously unreleased nuggets, including a solid take on "River Deep Mountain High," which gets bolstered by vocalist Katrina Leskanich's always solid pipes, this compilation also adds a bonus DVD of live and rare video footage. But the real value is in all of the great music, including primitive, energetic takes on hits like "Going Down to Liverpool," "Do You Want Crying," and "Walking on Sunshine." And largely unheard tracks like the irresistible rocker "Spiderman" and the hummable "Brown Eyed Son" are out of this world. Decades later, these old Waves tracks still sound tremendous. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide