Putting a compilation CD together to represent Brisbane music to the world must be a daunting task. There are so many terrific local bands loudly stomping it out on stages or serenading silent carpet-sitting audiences that distilling it down to 22 acts and tracks must have involved a hefty amount of compromise on behalf of the producers.

Seemingly as a result, what they released a few months ago is somewhat genre-specific – a neat medley of largely guitar-based rock (all inclusive of indie, blues, alt country) tracks that any punter who has immersed themselves in the Fortitude-Valley-centric scene over the last handful of years would have experienced live at one time or another.

Thus, being one of those punters, the emotional response to this release has to be separated from the critical. As one who was about to leave Brisbane just after receiving a copy for myself to review, by three songs in, An Horse – œs Camp Out , I Heart Hiroshima – œs Pink Frost and We All Want To – œs Back to the Car , Brisbane Sounds had eyes welling and vision blurring as the Valley’s lights faded into an early morning trip to the airport. The release functions as a tribute to late nights at The Zoo, Ric’s and sometimes the Troubadour. On this personal level it is an enjoyable success and hence worthy of addition to any Brisbane music fan’s collection.

Critically however, while it is a valiant effort to raise the profile of Brisbane music internationally, there were many of the same bands on this year’s release as on the 2008 and 2007 versions – eg. I Heart Hiroshima , Mary Trembles , Black Mustang , Little Vegas and The Fuzz Parade , Mexico City , Texas Tea , Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side , Andrew Morris and Vegas Kings – and mid way through the CD the songs are so much alike that it would appear to any foreign (ie non-BrisVegasian) listener that the city is lacking musical diversity; which it certainly is not. Lost to Brisbane Sounds is the increasing influence of electronic instrumentalism, math, alt-folk, roots and the subdued nuances of Brisbane’s brilliant singer-songwriters (other than Morris) on the sound of this great city over the last 3-5 years and certainly within the last two. Thus, as an insight into the progression of Brisbane music and the talent it has to offer, it is somewhat blinkered and one-dimensional. Whether by circumstance or design, this focus poses silent limits on the promotion of Brisbane artists’ creativity and difference.

As this goes to upload, meetings to pull together the upcoming Brisbane Sounds 2010 have commenced with a range of Brisbane’s industry folk. My hope is that next year’s offering meshes and shimmers like a kaleidoscope, dropping in all the oddly-shaped, colourful pieces of the Brisbane scene to demonstrate how beautiful and diverse it really is.