THE NATIONAL
Pearly Kings and Queens; Disco Divas; Balearic Tourists; Electronic Masterpieces: Catholic chants and lots of Eighties retro? This must be the second quarter in our top 100 albums’ countdown.
50-THE FIELD-From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
Another DJ using multiple aliases, Axel Willner, released this year’s electronic masterpiece by distilling minimal techno blended with shoegaze in multilayered, loop-based compositions, repeated slowly in crescendo towards the infinite. With a use of samples as discrete as brave (Did anyone noticed Lionel Richie’s “Hello”?) The Field masterminded a work of hypnotic beauty, light years ahead from electronica’s current contingent.
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49-ROISIN MURPHY-Overpowered (Parlophone)
The divine Miss Murphy left her former partnership with cutting-edge electronic wizard Herbert aside and throwed her most accessible album since the days of Moloko. A shiny collection of electro pop nuggets with an eye in the disco and the other in the catwalk, taylor-made for the fashionistas of the world, who tired from the avalanche of Goldfrapp copycats, greeted Murphy’s effort with no shortage of enthusiasm.
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48-THE WHITE STRIPES-Icky Thumb (Warner Bros)
Half of it was a vigorous return to their rawer garage blues origins, displaying a healthy level of rage in the title track’s protest; the other half was a sort of White Stripes’ world album, in which the siblings played with Scottish folk instruments; wore the cockney pearly king and queen outfits and even tried the bullfighting costume for the typically Spanish, pasodoble (literally double-step) infused “Conquest”. It was good to see the duo going from strength to strength rather than falling victims of their own success.
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47- EL-P-I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (Def Jux)
More post-millennium Gotham paranoia from the ex Company Flow MC, refining his style without any major departures from the grim depictions of urban life, backed by dark sci-fi electronic beats, as defined by his former classic “Future Damage”. El producto showed an open ear in his guests’ lists, bringing along Trenz Reznor, Cat Power and members of The Mars Volta in search for some aural diversity.
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46-STUDIO-Yearbook 1 (Information)
Two guys from Gothenburg fueled Sweden’s growing reputation as the place to go for arty pop and cutting-edge electronica with this rare CD collection of all their vinyl-only previous work. The pair began by mixing krautrock, Durruti Column, lazy summery guitars and cosmic disco in lengthy, mostly instrumental tracks, and went afterwards to rediscover the 80’s Balearic vibe. Both indie and dance worlds, and even Kylie, surrounded to their charms.
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45-MATTHEW DEAR-Asa Breed (Ghostly International)
Having a rest from his main techno project Audion, former micro-house lord Matthew Dear explored his pop side in this record, named after a Kurt Vonnegut’s character, shaping subtle electronic beats into perfect songs. His heartbreaking single “Deserter” ranks among the best songs of the year in an album so accomplished that could have put an end to Dear’s dancing days by making him going full time into songwriting.
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44-BENJAMIN BIOLAY-Trash Yéyé (Source)
Considered in France as the true musical heir of Serge Gainsbourgh, one of the main players in the “nouvelle chanson” mis-en-point displayed his heavy artillery for the follow-up of the not so well received album “A L’Origine”. Recurring to a clever revisiting of the best French pop from the sixties, including his already mentioned biggest influence, Biolay’s distinctive, grave voice, sometimes reminiscent of Leonard Cohen (Regardez La Lumiere) shone through another impeccably chic collection.
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43-THE FIERY FURNACES-Window City (Thrill Jockey)
The Furnaces returned to normal levels of lunacy, after a period of far-out adventures, including an infamous collaboration with their granny that makes “Window City” sound like bubblegum pop in comparison. The sibling’s new album barely fit into more conventional concepts of popular music, lyrically resembling a soap opera and musically, a baroque and whimsical puzzle of weird arrangements and abstract song structures. It could probably be described as the band’s first attempt into the musical.
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42-FEIST-The Reminder (Polydor)
With radio stations now also in crisis, advertising has grown into a powerful alternative to break new music and Leslie Feist was one of this trends’s biggest beneficiaries when Apple chose her already classic “1234” to soundtrack an ipod commercial. Another artist around the Broken Social Scene orbit, she moved from the trip-hop, coffee-table echoes of her debut towards embracing the type of middle of the road Carole King became a star with. Stripped down and delicate melodies, performed with her archetypically indie voice, prepared the Canadian chanteuse’s assault to the mainstream.
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41-ANDREW BIRD-Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Cat)
Although it couldn’t reach the heights obtained with former works, the one-man band from Chicago put together once more a tastefully arranged album, nearly as solid as the rest of his opus. With well crafted lyrics full of intellectual observations, perfect to showcase the warmth on his vocals. “Armchain Apocrypha” may not have opened any new doors; but it has established Bird into the first league of new songwriters.
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40-BLONDE REDHEAD-23 (4AD)
The veteran, NY based italo-japanese trio culminated its metamorphosis from Sonic Youth noise rockers into exquisite 4AD mongers with this, their best album in 14 years of career. “23” offered some of the band’s most refined atmospheric pop compositions ever, enhancing both their new label’s influential background and their own arty evolution.
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39-NINA NASTASIA & JIM WHITE-You Follow Me (Fat Cat)
Plant and Krauss was neither the only, nor the best, male/female collaboration of the year. Recorded in Steve Albini’s studio, Nina Nastasia’s musical hook-up with The Dirty Three’s drummer Jim White had been going on for years as a live act, but materialized in record for the first time. It became her finest hour with its intense, yet bare voice/drums/guitar production. White, was one of the most in demand musicians of the year, taking also part in Nick Cave’s new project Grinderman and being the curator of his brilliant ATP festival.
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38-BODIES OF WATER-Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Thousand Tongues)
Their two male/two female formation may recall harmonies from Mamas and The Papas and their chants resemble a Christian Go!-Team or a more spiritual version of The Polyphonic Spree without the robes; but this LA Lord-praising quartet are carving their unique niche out of choral grandiosity in holy communion with the most spellbinding walls of sounds California has seen in decades. Hallellujah!!
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37-KANYE WEST-Graduation (Roc-A Fella)
Beating 50 Cent in hip hop’s sales battle of the year didn’t prevent criticism from the most radical fans of the genre, nor mellowed Kanye’s ego. But if the quality of “Graduation” may have been debatable as a rap record, it was unquestionable as a pop one. With every track created to the highest standard, it could have past for any other artist’s greatest hits collection. A-Treks suggested beats range cover popular favorites from Daft Punk to Michael Jackson, and the A-list of featured artists included US favorite British singer, Chris Martin, which cause a bit of a row with mentor Jay-Z.
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36-BJORK-Volta (One Little Indian)
Heralded with Timbaland’s masterly-produced “Earth Invaders”, Bjork’s latest opus was expected to be her comeback to pop, leaving behind a series of more challenging electronic records that turned out to be a sonic trap in the Icelandic star’s own quest for innovation. The wait was slightly disappointed as Timbo was involved in just two tracks, counting with a mix of old (LFO) and new (duets with Antony, Konono N. 1) collaborators in the rest. “Volta” was no short of the kind of vocal range exhibitionism that burdened former efforts, but as a whole it also was a welcomed breath of fresh air.
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35-CHROMEO-Fancy Footwork (Vice)
Masters of tongue in cheek Eighties revisionism, the Montreal duo released their second album, another shameless catalogue of nicked gimmicks from the dance artist of the era: D-Train-like synth riffs next to the typical Zapp’s vocoder thrown in a cocktail of electric drums and electropop. Saved from mere pastiche by their sense of humour and ear for a wicked tune; in a year plagued by difficult math rock and punk funk this was one of its most genuinely enjoyable propositions.
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34-THE BESNARD LAKES-The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)
The project of one of Montreal’s most prominent scene shakers, producer Jace Lasek, and his wife; The Besnard Lakes’ second work came with the “next Arcade Fire” tag attached due to geographical and conceptual similarities: the band expanded into a collective, including members of Godspeed You Black Emperor and The Dears. The Brian Wilson-esque opening track, “Disaster”, with its lazy psychedelic sounds gave way to several orchestral feasts of epic proportions.
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33-A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW-Scribble Mural Comic Journal (Notenuf)
Three brothers and sisters and a friend from Philadelphia, two of them crossed the Atlantic to study art in Glasgow and London, hence their name. Altogether they undusted their Creation and 4AD records to begin spreading the arrival of a new shoegazing era. Echoing sonic distortions, atmospheric passages, haunting vocals and everything you could expect from the quintessentially 80’s genre, corrected and augmented for a new generation of listeners.
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32-BILL CALLAHAN-Woke On A Whaleheart (Drag City)
It must have been love, as he is currently going out with folk chanteuse Joanna Newson. Bill Callahan appeared in cheerful mood for his new album, the first released under his real name. Smog’s mastermind colored his baritone voice and his sad, dry, emotional storytelling for the occasion. Unexpectedly uplifting, mostly immerse in the traditions of country and gospel, it was also conclusive evidence to prove that Mr. Callahan can smile.
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31-DAN DEACON-Spiderman Of The Rings (Carpark)
Taking Krautrock into Children’s TV universe, the Baltimore entertainer, member of the Wham City crew collective to whom he dedicates one of his songs, shaped this original album by sampling cartoons into cacophonous loops, as amazing as irritating, with toy-like synth riffs to go with. After seven lo-fi albums and a peculiar idea of what a live shows should be, Deacon’s singularity didn’t go unnoticed, hyped to exhaustion instead as one of the toast of the blogosphere.
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30-DEERHUNTER-Cryptograms (Kranky)
The new kings of shoegaze, this noise rock combo from Atlanta merged psychedelic drone a la Spacemen 3, with references to The Fall, Sonic Youth and British C86 bands. His prolific front man, Brandon Cox, reached iconic cult status thanks to his peculiar and magnetic stage presence. “Cryptograms” was divided by an antagonistic duality, in which ethereal atmospheres clashed back to back with crude guitar landscapes, sometimes uneven, often breathtaking.
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29-MARISSA NADLER-Songs III: Bird On The Water (My Kung-Fu)
Fortunately away from the fading fashionable aura of Devendra’s anti-folk, the singer and guitar player from Massachusetts was timidly, but assuredly leaving behind her homemade recording days to confirm herself as one of the most notable voices in contemporary US folk. Her third record was a peerless array of arresting compositions –with a Leonard Cohen cover among them-, as close to melancholic, dreamy British pop as it was to more traditional music scenes (Celtic; psychedelic folk, etc).
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28-CARIBOU-Andorra (Merge)
Dan Snaith completed successfully his transition from Manitoba’s experimental laptop maverick into a more organic, song-based act, ready to be joined by a full band. “Andorra” was an impressively luminous work of shiny psychedelia, updated to fit in our electronic days. “Melody Day” proudly stands as Snaith’s best song ever, and even if the album was unexpectedly overshadow by Panda Bear’s hailed masterpiece covering the same territory, Caribou can be credited as the one who arrived there first.
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27-!!!-Myth Takes (Warp)
A giant step from their former work, !!! finally produced the album to match a much hyped-up reputation, compacting their punk-funk ways with a solid live band sound, reminiscent of Gang Of Four or even Simple Minds circa “Sons and Fascination”. “Myth takes” was a calculated 21st century dance monster that revealed the Chks’ wealth of infectious grooves and intellectual ideas, putting them into practice.
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26-JENS LEKMAN-Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian)
The young Swedish crooner delivered his first would-be classic, owing as much to indie twee bands as to Jonathan Richman, but with a kaleidoscopic sense of arrangement, borrowing from a wide range of styles, from disco to samba, to embellish his well-observed slices of everyday life. In a world surrounded again by chamber pop, few have achieved the nearly unanimous acclaim Lekman enjoys.
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