I'd like to write a proper entry, but I just haven't felt a shred of eloquence in my entire body the past few days, so I'm sparing the world jagged, boring entries until my brain kicks back in. In the meantime, it's time for me to play pretentious music journalist and present my Top 10 albums of 2003. Forgive my indulgence...1. Matthew Good - "Avalanche"
Freed from the hard rock arrangements his former eponymous band placed on his songs, Matt Good broke away to let his true colors shine through on "Avalanche". While some songs such as Near Fantastica retain a familiar crunch (albeit mixed with dizzying psychedelia), the majority of the album is a mixture of straight ahead pop/rock, progressive rock, and the folk the Good began his career with. The songs are alternately straight-ahead or twisting, adventurous 8 minute epics, the vocals are heartbreaking, and the lyrics are pinpoint accurate sketches of personal discovery, political and societal protest, and a welcome helping of Mr. Good's usual sardonic wit. This record's payoffs match its ambitions (catch the irony?), which is a fairly rare thing. And for that, "Avalanche" is my album of the year.
2. Kenna - "New Sacred Cow"
Kenna is an Ethiopian-American raised on anthemic rock such as U2. For some reason, the music he makes resonates not with that, but with new wave snyths, snapping raps, swooning New Romantic vocals, and huge hip-hop beats and breaks. Production and co-writing credits from Neptunes guru Chad Hugo seals the deal. "New Sacred Cow" is a rhythm and melody packed, tightly recorded set of songs that manages to put a fresh, modern spin on old influences. [NB: this album was due out in 2001 but was delayed until summer '03. I'd been listening to a bootleg from-mp3 copy since '01 and until I bought a legit copy upon release this summer, but haven't included it in a year end Top 10 till now since it hadn't been officially released]
3. The Shins - "Chutes Too Narrow"
Simply put, there wasn't a better indie album released this year. The Shins' music is at once full of straightforward guitar pop gems and weird, totally roundabout melodies and structures. The two approaches somehow complement each other perfectly, and in the process the band managed to make an album that might just be even better than their already accomplished debut.
4. Radiohead - "Hail to the Thief"
Neither the return to the guitar pop of "The Bends" that many fans were clamoring for, nor a further abstraction on the themes of "Kid A" and "Amnesiac", "Hail to the Thief" is if anything, a wholly satisfying fusion of the two approaches. Experimental touches abound, but the band are also no strangers with guitars. Everything is right here and nothing out of place, from the creepy haze of The Gloaming, to the perfect guitar numbers 2+2=5 and There, There, to the menacing Where I End And You Begin and the spitting Myxomatosis and Wolf At The Door. It's as if "Hail to the Thief" is sort of a "final project for Radiohead studies", as it finds the band applying all they've learned over the years to a great set of songs. It makes me feel very good about the future.
5. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - "Hearts of Oak"
Mixing the spirint of arty indie & punk such as Elvis Costello and Paul Weller with the sounds of The Specials and Thin Lizzy (Leo's strange pair of favorite bands), "Hearts of Oak" never ceases to stop being inventive. Whether it's Leo's versatile, snaky yelp of a voice, the literacy of his lyrics, the sharpness of his guitars, or the sheer pop appeal of his melodies, there is so much going on here that it's impossible not to take notice. An amazingly overlooked record from a strangely unknown act.
6. Ryan Adams - "Love Is Hell"
Timeline: Adams records "Love Is Hell" as the proper followup to 2001's "Gold". Record company rejects it on the grounds that it's "too dark" and "unmarketable". Adams goes back to the studio and dashes off a cock-rock record called "Rock N Roll". It's silly and pointless, yet it sells despite the fact that the album seems to be a joke that the audience just isn't getting. Meanwhile, "Love Is Hell" finally sees release as a set of two EPs. It's a toned down affair, half Adams' trademark alt-country twang and half a homage to British bedsit indie pop. It's music that's both fragile and assertive, yet always thoughtful. "Love Is Hell" is easily Adam's least smug & self-satisfied and most honest work -- sadly, it's mostly been ignored.
7. Belle & Sebastian - "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
In which B&S realize you can only go so far with fey chamber pop and embrace their inner Motown, not to mention forge an unlikely alliance with producer Trevor Horn. While the trademark Stuart Murdoch wit, charm and miserablism is still present, there is more joy and bounce in the band than ever before. The blossoming of guitarist/second songwriter Stevie Jackson is the icing on the cake, as his songs, guitar work and vocals are a sorely needed shot in the arm. All in all, this is the album B&S needed to make to stay fresh and relevant, and they did it, turning in their best album since "If You're Feeling Sinister" in the process.
8. Elbow - "Cast of Thousands"
A very good followup to the spectacular "Asleep in the Back", "Cast of Thousands" finds Elbow continuing to explore texture, slow, deep melodies, and passion. Easily one of the most evocative releases of 2003, and other than that, I think the songs speak better for themselves than I ever could.
9. Blur - "Think Tank"
It sounds so cliche -- Damon Albarn and Co. split with guitarist Graham Coxon and retreat to Morocco to make a new Blur album. The real surprises are that (a) the guys are doing just fine without Coxon, and (b) they sound genuinely interested in and fascinated by Morocco. The entire album is permeated with the dusty, ramshackle atmosphere of the country and its environment. Thankfully not being content with rehashing warmed-over Britpop, Albarn turns in a great set of songs, half weird, ambling tunes like Ambulance and Jets, and half execllent, non-affected pop songs like Out Of Time and Sweet Song. It's an approach that's refreshing and spot on.
10. Howie Day - "Stop All the World Now"
Howie Day is a talented songwriter and arranger, great at writing simple acoustic guitar & voice singer/songwriter pop and more forceful, bombastic material. "Stop All The World Now" is less naive than his debut and more the sort of record made after an exhausting, confusing tour. That said, it doesn't suffer, in fact Day finds strength in this weariness, and it's beautiful. Working with a full band seems to have energized him, as well. Knocked down several points on the list for the fairly antiseptic production and the appearance of a seemingly tacked-on string section on a few songs.
Bubbling under:
# Jay Farrar - "Terroir Blues"
Not as good as his previous "Sebastopol", but yet filled with memorable melody and honesty. Quietly and unassumingly, Farrar continues to define, explore and celebrate his life, his Midwest and his St. Louis.
# Pretty Girls Make Graves - "The New Romance"
Precision punk-inflected rock with great female vocals. I really like it when indie rock bands realize it's OK to be proficient at your instruments.
# New Pornographers - "The Electric Version"
The melodies are almost *too* sunny, but the songs are so enthusiastic and well-written that you just don't care.
# Postal Service - "Give Up"
Modern synth-pop featuring electro dude Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab for Cutie mastermid Ben Gibbard. Not quite as coherent an album as I'd like, but the highlights are masterful.
# Ben Folds - "Speed Graphic" and "Sunny 16" EPs
Mr. Folds is getting fed up with the music industry and is beginning to issue his music as he records it in the form of EPs every three or so months. Many of the new songs are up there with his best, and the covers are well chosen and well done. Cheers, Ben.
And of course there were other things I never got around to checking out but will in '04 -- the new Dream Theater, Church Fish & Waterboys albums, to name a few. Hopefully I'll catch up on the backlog soon!
