10,000 Maniacs CAMPFIRE SONGS: THE POPULAR, OBSCURE AND UNKNOWN RECORDINGS (Rhino)

Employing a blend of new-wave stylings, ska-like rhythms, and traditional folk music from both sides of the pond, 10,000 Maniacs produced an impressive body of music during their 1983-1993 stint with the enigmatic Natalie Merchant at the helm. This new double-disc set from Rhino underlines the band’s virtuosity, first culling a string of their most popular radio hits (which benefit substantially when heard in this sequence), then juxtaposing them against a selection of demos and B-sides.

The earliest material creates the sharpest contrast, as "Planned Obsolescence," "Poppy Selling Man," and the indie-release version of "My Mother the War" showcase the band’s edgy and tension-filled beginnings with distortion and harmonic dissonance. A seldom heard aspect of the Maniacs’ character, it makes you realize what a sophisticated outfit they evolved into over a decade’s time. Elsewhere, unlikely cover choices prove surprisingly good as Merchant duets with Michael Stipe ("Wildwood Flower") and David Byrne (Iris DeMent’s "Let the Mystery Be") and aces a reggae-spiked reading of Bowie’s "Starman." And though her take on John Prine’s "Hello In There" pales when compared with the Bette Midler classic, she’s evocative on Morrissey’s melancholic "Every Day Is like Sunday" and an exquisite rendering of Jackson Browne’s "These Days."