Hear Here: The Triangle

For the first 25 seconds or so of the opening song, I thought I had the wrong CD. The robotic noises and eerie synthesizers made me think the compilation album in my possession was not of Triangle-area bands, but rather aliens from outer space.

But then the guitar kicks in, and Lonnie Walker’s frontman Brian Corum’s first line informs us, “This ain’t phony.” And—true to the song’s title—it “Feels Like Right.”

The song kicks off Hear Here, a collection of 17 tracks, each from a different local artist or band. The compilation is a tribute to the vibrant music scene of the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill area, which has given rise to Ben Folds, Merge Records, a Sonic Youth song and more. As part of the truly local effort, Flying Tiger Sound studio in downtown Raleigh recorded all but track 16 (Sunfold’s “Weeping Wall”) on the album.

“Feels Like Right” is an ideal first song. An ebb-and-flow of percussion and laid-back twangs, it is, in a word, a build-up, both in the momentum Corum’s voice creates within the song itself and for the entire album as a whole.

The record is a refreshing blend of artists who, though they have extremely varying sounds, share a common standard of excellence. From hip-hop, like Kooley High’s brassy and bass-y “Can’t Go Wrong,” to indie rock, like the Never’s piano-heavy “Littlest Things,” each artist’s contribution is crisp, catchy and smooth. The Love Language’s “Horophones” and Inflowential’s “Sheriff” also stand out as album highlights—though, thanks to the wide range of genres, each individual will probably have a different favorite.