Rachael Sage, an award-winning songwriter and musician, founded MPress Records roughly ten years ago as a way to cull together other singer-songwriters who are “passionate, hard-working, love to tour and will do whatever it takes to connect with an audience.”

Last year, Sage and MPress Records decided to release a compilation featuring some of music’s most talented independent songwriters. What began as simply a desire to open ears to new voices, soon developed into a benefit compilation where 100% of the proceeds went to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

This year, they’ve done it again. Released on May 8, 2007 was New Arrivals, Volume 2, the latest in what I hope will be a continuing series of quality songwriting from emerging and established talents with an important cause, as Volume 2 proceeds benefit World Hunger Year. The album’s roster is impressive, boasting music from Sage, Melissa Ferrick, Todd Carey, Anne Heaton, Gregory Douglass, Chris Barron (of the Spin Doctors) the DivineMAGgees and many more.

This ain’t no angry love song
Blamin’ you for what went wrong
It is what it is and was and now it’s over, out and done
So save those crocodile tears
And baby, let’s get honest here
We heed what not forever, but we sure had some fun
~ Rebekah Jordan

While most of the music could be filed loosely into the folk category, there is the occasional oddity; NLX’s ‘Code Red’ is an electronically laced dark chant whose contrast from the rest of the album is almost too distracting.

There are, however, many highlights including Trina Hamlin’s ‘Living On Love’, which is a delight with its gospel/blues tinge. Kristy Kruger’s ‘Dark Stranger’ is a beautiful concoction of equal parts Neko Case and Rilo Kiley, while Rachael Sage contributes another winner with ‘Lonely Streets,’ a mid-tempo piano number previously released on her last album, The Blistering Sun.

Rare is it to find a compilation that not only provides quality music song after song, but also devotes itself to a charitable cause. New Arrivals, Volume 2 wins in both categories.

WWW:

New Arrivals – The official site featuring tour information, song samples, lyrics and more.

New Arrivals @ MySpace – The MySpace page for the album which features more song samples, tour information for the artists and more.

Official sites: Rachael Sage | Mieka Pauley | Kristy Kruger | Anne Heaton | Trina Hamlin | Chris Barron | Todd Carey | Jonah Smith | Kyler England | Jennifer Daniels | Melissa Ferrick | Ralston Bowles | The Rideaways | Rebekah Jordan | Pancho’s Lament | NLX | Gregory Douglass