AMG Review of Oh, Merge: Merge Records 10 Year Anniversary Compilation

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

The respected indie label Merge Records celebrated its ten-year anniversary with Oh, Merge, a collection of mostly rare and unreleased tracks from some of its finest artists. The album displays Merge's diversity, showcasing old-school indie rock from Guv'ner, Spent, and label founders Superchunk along with the post-rock of Ganger and lo-fi electronica of Third Eye Foundation, while still finding room for the pop classicism of East River Pipe, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Ladybug Transistor, who turn in a rendition of the Bee Gees' "Massachusetts." The Mad Scene, the Magnetic Fields, Lambchop, Pipe, and Portastatic also contribute worthy tracks to Oh, Merge, making it a fine retrospective of a distinctive and accomplished label.