Yearbook 1

The fittingly titled Yearbook 1 compiles all (which is to say, both) of Studio's releases from 2006 — the six-track album West Coast and both sides of the "No Comply" 12" — which makes it, effectively, an expanded version of the album. Somewhat confusingly, though, three of the album tracks appear not in their original, vinyl-only forms, but rather in the variously extended and shortened versions that were also used for West Coast's 2007 CD reissue ("Out There," "West Side," and "Life's a Beach!" are unaffected). In any case, it's a shame that this collection is so much less readily available than the album, as it means most listeners will miss out on two excellent tracks that are of a piece with the rest of the material, and every bit as strong if not stronger. True, the breezy "No Comply" is a good bit poppier than most of the album — along with the shortened "Self Service," barely a blip at four minutes long, it's one the few Studio tracks with vocals (and some semblance of verse-chorus structure) that aren't completely submerged in the psychedelic haze. But its bright bass, wobbly guitars, and happily clattering keyboards make it a luscious summation of the blissed-out Caribbean vibe that finds its apex later on in the indolent epic "Life's a Beach!" "No Comply"'s B-side, the ironically titled "Radio Edit," is a lengthy, dubbed-out remix that bears little relationship to the original track aside from its laid-back disco groove, reverse-motion bassline, and occasional melodic echoes amid the wash of backwards tape loops and flitting, floating sounds. Since listening to Studio is all about luxuriating blissfully in their expansive, meandering excess, this 70-minute compilation is the ideal way to hear this material, if you can get ahold of it.