Greatest Hits

Alongside Justine Frischmann, Louise Wener was Brit-pop's most prominent frontwoman, her uncompromising attitude, relentlessly honest interviews, and striking feminine charms unsurprisingly making her the darling of the indie music press, a development that often overshadowed the actual output of her underrated four-piece, Sleeper. Indeed, such was her media dominance that the three male members, guitarist Jon Stewart, bassist Diid Osman, and drummer Andy Maclure, were often anonymously referred to as "Sleeperblokes," while the band's three studio albums never really received the same attention or critical acclaim as Elastica, despite producing some of the era's most powerfully infectious tunes. This 2007 greatest-hits collection, featuring material and artwork chosen by the bandmembers themselves, goes some way to rectify this situation, proving that a full ten years after their split, the majority of their back catalog has stood the test of time. Debut album Smart dominates the proceedings, with six of the 15 tracks plucked from their 1995 set of wittily observed lyrics and Pretenders-esque polished indie rock, including their anthemic breakthrough single "Inbetweener," a glorious fusion of fuzzy guitars and punchy melodic pop that is arguably their finest moment, the innuendo-filled punk "Swallow," and the spiky Morrissey-esque tale of escape on "Vegas." Their second album, the Stephen Street-produced The It Girl, was responsible for their commercial peak, producing four Top 20 singles, all of which are included here alongside album track "Lie Detector," with the melancholic "What Do I Do Now," later covered by Elvis Costello, and the bouncy Blondie-influenced "Sale of the Century" the standouts. By album number three, Pleased to Meet You, the whole Brit-pop scene was on the verge of imploding, and although the slightly more mature jangly guitar pop of lead single "She's a Good Girl" suggested they might be able to survive, the disappointing mediocrity of its other 12 tracks indicated a band on its last legs, an opinion that seems to be shared by the bandmembers themselves, with only three cuts from their swan song included. While Sleeper never reached the heights of Blur, Oasis, or Pulp, the consistently impressive Greatest Hits proves that their mid-table placement alongside Brit-pop also-rans Cast, Dodgy, and Echobelly was perhaps slightly unjust. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi