2007 was a year full of uncertainty for Copeland. They signed with Columbia Records in late ‘06 after their widely successful release of Eat Sleep Repeat. Then in mid ‘07 the band left Columbia due to instability at the label. Founding bassist James Likeness left the band (on amicable terms – he did the artwork for this album). Now, on our way toward the end of the year comes the release of Dressed Up & In Line, a collection of b-sides and rarities.

I’ll admit that my Copeland obsession started out years ago, pretty close to the first time I heard their song “Coffee” on the Internet, a carefree song about small-town love. In the years since then I have changed and Copeland has as well with darker, more serious tunes such as those found on 2006’s Eat Sleep Repeat. Needless to say, however, when I heard they were putting out a new album of rare material, I was excited. Sure, b-side collections are becoming clich�, but this stigma was something the band took great pains to avoid. “Nearly all of the songs have been spruced up and brought up to date in an effort to make a cohesive record,” says Aaron Marsh, the band’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist.

The album starts with a slow, swooning version of “You Love to Sing” off of In Motion, followed by “Thanks To You” a haunting acoustic song that predates the band’s existence. The premix of “Sleep” may be the worth the price of the album, as the original was one of my favorite tracks off of In Motion, but this version may be even better. “Chin Up” is a brand new track recorded right after the band finished up with ESR, and may be the best vocal Marsh has done in his 7-year career with the band. Acoustic tracks like “Careful Now” are spruced up with copious strings and the stripped down feel of “No One Really Wins” is quite lovely.

My only real complaint with the album is a matter of taste, in regards to a cover of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” which, I think, would’ve better remained a rarity. The other cover on the album, The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” has an enchanting hymn-like quality. Not what I would expect, but hey, it works. Three of the first songs ever recorded by the band follow, including “May I Have This Dance,” which the band still plays occasionally on tour. “Second Star to the Left, Go Till Dawn” rocks as hard as any Copeland song ever recorded. Closing out the album is an alternate version of “Brightest” with acoustic guitar replacing the original piano to good effect, and then a rather inconsequential parallel of “When Paula Sparks”.

This is a must-have for long time listeners and would actually be a nice introduction to new fans, as the album spans the band’s entire musical history, from the youth of Beneath Medicine Tree to the dark melancholia of ESR.