Various Artists

GEMS

[3/5] GEMS plays the ambassador for Lobster Records with both the unreleased and the rare, and while the label may have gained notoriety on the heels of arena pop-punk (Yellowcard, Over It), the compilation in question aims to nix those notions a bit. Much like any collection of jewels, a couple of GEMS‘ numbers shine brighter, leaving others dull by comparison. Among them: Anchors For Arms’ A Wilhelm Scream-esque "Machines"; Over It’s should’ve-been-an-A-side "Map Of The World"; and A Times Beach Crush Factor’s emotional, sweeping acoustic closer "Back To The Warren." However, nothing runs deeper than Mock Orange’s breathtaking, heartwrenching "In Heaven An Hour"-it’s the best song you won’t find on Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary. The cheesy/cringe-inducing factor might run amok (Rosematter, Days Like These, Sicker Than Others, the Awakend), but when GEMS is on, it’ll please even the most jaded of music fans. (LOBSTER) Brian Shultz