On the face of it 'Assembly' is a last attempt to bring together the "odds and sods" of The Wake's output on to one CD. However, this is a strong set of a BBC Session, a live recording from Ayr Pavillion and some of the latter-period Sarah singles. Granted, the 1984 Session songs don't differ much from the original recordings although it is always nice to hear the likes of 'Talk About The Past' and 'Rise And Shine' again. After a slow start the live Scottish recording resonates with the kind of chilly atmospheres in keeping with Scotland weather in the middle of April; 'Uniform' sounds beautiful, 'The Old Men' is given a hypnotic experimental treatment and 'Something Outside' sounds positively triumphant. Meanwhile 'Country Of The Blind' and 'The Drill' bring to mind New Order and Josef K respectively. The final singles bear witness to the lighter, fluffier material but even these rank well above the usual insubstantial whimsy of the C86 brigade. With new material set to be released within the next year this is the kind of Wake people can rejoice in.