Long-tenured British folk-rock outfit
Oysterband celebrate their latter-day highlights with the extensive two-disc collection
This House Will Stand: The Best of Oysterband 1998-2015. Formed in the late '70s as
the Oyster Ceilidh Band, the group morphed from more straightforward dance band music to an often punkish hybrid of rock and folk over the next decade, becoming first
the Oyster Band, then finally
Oysterband in 1992. Over its decades of work, the band has remained both intensely creative and highly prolific. Culled from six of their studio albums, from 1999's Here I Stand through 2014's
Diamonds on the Water, there are plenty of prime cuts here that show
Oysterband's knack for both traditional interpretation and strong original material with a melodic pop streak. Standouts like "Spirit of Dust" and their
June Tabor collaboration on
Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" are augmented by an entire disc of rarities, live tracks, demos, and unreleased fare. While their studio albums alone are worth digging into, this band-curated set is a great place to begin and will entice collectors with its solid bonus disc. ~ Timothy Monger