CDs 2004 (4)

Hi folks !

 

So late again, this is the last edition for 2004, not much else to say, it's snowing here, winter's really upon us, we'll draw conclusions on the musical year in the 'Best of 2004' list on thursday (bit late for christmas this year), have a few quick quizzes to give you the chance to win CDs (no I'm still not sponsored, it's just the circumstances).

The usual mixed bag then, with some CDs I couldn't get on time for the reviews, and maybe one or two that you'll have heard all about elsewhere (everyone hails the new U2 album, it's probably very good, but I just can't be arsed....).

 

And before I unleash my own Top 20 on you, what were YOUR favourite albums of the year ? Your favourite tracks ? Send in your lists, and if it's nice I'll burn your favourite album that you didn't get from this year, or your favourite tracks that you don't own, or the top tracks from my own Top 20 selection. You choose ! (since loads of you are probably on holidays, and I'm off meself for 10 days on friday, there's no Dec.2004 closing date for this !!)

 

Oh, and one last thing, bold characters apparently don't appear as such when most of you get my e-mails. Blame it on Alcatel's mailing system, and I'm sorry if it makes titles/marks less legible : it's all nice on my screen.

 

Anyway, enough nonsense for now.

 

Thirteen Senses : The Invitation. Like Keane with guitars. Sometimes beautiful. Although the songs sound all a bit too much like a variation on the same tune, but it’s a good one. 7.5/10.

 

Interpol : Antics. If you liked the first one, you’ll love this one. No it’s not a repeat, but a brighter expansion on the theme. The sounds stay the same, but they polish it, they spark it up, and with first single ‘Slow Hands’ get a dancefloor smash hit. Yeah, if you wanted to keep gazing at your shoes, then you’ve got the wrong address. Interpol will now make you dance. Simply majestic 9/10.

 

Ed Harcourt : Strangers. The dreaded singer-songwriter, not always my favourite music person. But third album in, Ed Harcourt still produces the goods. His most accomplished LP so far, complete with lush instrumentation, a thoroughly satisfying job. It’s only when he actually falls into the singer-songwriter cliché (sad bloke with just an acoustic guitar) that he fails us, but this fortunately happens only once there, on the aptly titled ‘trapdoor’. But with ‘loneliness’, he scores with a tune beamed right down from heaven. 8/10

 

Goldie Lookin Chain : Greatest Hits. Now that’s a larf ! Hip-hop from Wales. No ‘real’ songs about Gangstas and Ho’s, no. Just a monumental piss-take. And funnily enough, the joke does not wear thin after a couple of songs. Now hip-hop is not my favourite musical genre, but the funny accents, the stupid noises (the fantastic woo-woos on ‘Guns don’t kill people, rappers do’), and the lyrics just spell F-U-N. Now, good taste forbids me to put that in my ‘best of’ list at the end of the year, but only just. A weedy 8/10

 

My Chemical Romance : Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. Seems like we haven’t been submerged with too much ‘emo-rock’ this year (you know, loud guitars, no melodies, and some bloke screaming pointlessly all over it), or maybe it’s just me who managed to dodge the raindrops. Perhaps that’s the reason why I can actually enjoy this furious rock’n’roll record. You might not need two such records, but this one’s a must. Urgency is the driving force here, and if you’ve been short on heavy rock thrills this year, just put this CD on. 8.5/10

 

 

Nick Cave&The Bad Seeds : The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues. Yes that’s two CDs, and both equally good. I can’t remember how long Mr Cave’s been going on now, but even with the departure of long-term associate (and Einstuerzende Neubauten lynchpin, lest we forget) Blixa Bargeld, his muse hasn’t deserted him. At all. Nick Cave’s albums do not always bear many memorable tunes as such, but as a whole they are real works of art ! And these two must rank among his best. Can’t really tell the difference between them (Abattoir Blues is possibly more rocking and uplifting though), but they’re both a good 8.5/10.

 

Tanya Donelly : Whiskey Tango Ghosts. The ex-Belly/Breeders/Throwing Muses rock chick has definitely settled down and gone quiet. No electricity there, just a piano, an acoustic guitar and sometimes just carefully applied swathes of drums. And the unmistakable beautiful voice. So no longer rocking then, but in a world where shit heavy rock CDs still abound, she’s just too lovely a presence to ignore. Sweet and beautiful. 7.5/10.

 

Client:City. Just like their first, this mixes the rather good with the utterly forgettable.Actually, aside from the promising opening number, it just goes boring until the guests perk it up a bit. Oh yeah, forgot to mention : the only reason for reviewing that is that Pete and Carl turn up for a little cameo here. No, not on the same track of course, don’t be silly! Carl gets the trademark ‘lalalas’ on Pornography, while the more disturbing Peter track (Down to the underground), given a few more weird noises could become an underground technoid anthem. So yeah, I guess the idea is to sell a few more records to Libs completists, but apart from that, it’s not much cop. 6/10

 

The Delgados : Universal  Audio. Gone are (most of) the strings, but not the tunes. So back to basics for Emma Pollock and co, for more trademark guitar pop. Nobody does Scottish pop quite like the Delgados. No new ground is being broken there, but hey, when winter’s shaping up to be cold, you just need to get cosy with the Delgados and have your heart warmed. 8/10.

 

The Dears : No Cities Left. Morrissey meets The Divine Comedy. Now that’s gonna be smug! But from Canada. Oh in that case….This is a bit of a grower. Not sure how much it can grow though. No doubt the singer’s in awe of the Mozzer (not sure many black people could claim that before!), and some of the sounds do bear a Smithsian inspiration, but they’re not quite yet on the same plane as their heroes. So while in no way bad, this album just shows there’s work to be done to turn the good into great. Right now, I’ll keep it at an encouraging 7.5/10

 

The Go! Team : Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Don’t you miss the Avalanches ? Well, while not just as totally sample-orientated as the legendary Aussies, these Londoners certainly share a common taste or two with them. No messing around with things as useless as lyrics or epic melodies is indeed required when you can start a party on just a few tricks and the right attitude. It’s festive, and trust me it’s good. 8.5/10

 

Brian Wilson : Smile. So have you really been waiting for this album for 30-odd years? Shall we applaud Mr Wilson for finding the courage to put an end to a myth? Or shall we blame him for killing one of music’s enduring fantasies of the 20th century?....Or does he need the money ? Well I guess it’s rather irrelevant here, because we are trying to assess an album released in 2004 and not an age-old story. And so, irrespective of the wait, what you’ve got here is basically the best Beach Boys album ever. No more, no less. It’s filled with harmonies, whistle sounds, surf guitars and uplifting rhythms. So easy then: if you like the Beach Boys, you’ll dig this album. If, however, sunny Californian music is not your cup of tea, especially in the middle of winter, then don’t bother. Personally ? If I want California and Psychedelia, I’ll put the more prosaic Love’s Forever Changes. A Masterpiece? Quite possibly. An all-time classic? Maybe not. This still doesn’t stop Brian from getting an 8/10.

 

The Soundtrack of Our Lives : Origin 1. Let’s get it straight : overall, this sounds like competent, enjoyable but not particularly memorable rock’n’roll. It’ still smile-inducing in parts (especially the opening track), but not quite good enough. However, the point of this review is just to encourage you to go and see Ebbott and his troupe, live. Proper show, value for money, they really make sense onstage. 7/10 for the album, 10/10 for the gig.

 

Eminem : Encore. There are rumours it may be Marshall Mathers last album, at last in his Em’ guise. Apparently there are hints, and it’s also his most political work. But since I don’t listen to his lyrics much, what I hear here is an album that is more or less equivalent to his previous. Which is good. But not very necessary. So you get the usual swearwords, the cartoon vocals, some good beats, a couple of decent melodies, and loads of useless nonsense. And just like The Eminem Show, it’s a trifle too long. So yeah rather good indeed, but what’s the point ? 7.5/10

 

CocoRosie : La maison de mon rêve. Two American girls locked in a bathroom in Montmartre created this record, apparently. Not as dreadful as it sounds, this is like a cool, delicate folk record. Not much else to mention, apparently it’s hip. 7.5/10.

 

Gwen Stefani : Love.Angel.Music.Baby. What’s this doing here ? Well, you know, there’s some good pop around, it sounds a bit like vintage…..mid-80s Madonna. Some worthy tunes, slick production, and any record featuring Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook at some stage is worth mentioning in my book. 8/10

 

Le Tigre : This Island. Shouty riot grrrls, a relentless assault on the senses. If you can go past the shouty squeaky voice on a few of the tracks there, you have got yourself in a fantastic energetic trip, with cracking dancefloor stompers and a right kick in the Bush (sample lyrics from New Kicks : ‘the president’s been selected, he’s not even been elected’). Riot on : 8/10.

 

22-20s. Once more I fail to get excited. Decent rock yes, but nothing to tingle my spine. The British answer to the White Stripes ? I think not. Classic Rock/Blues hybrid, not bad at all, a couple of more than decent songs, but frankly I can’t find much pleasure in it. It’s not bad, so the lazy 7.5/10.

 

Kings Of Leon : Aha Shake Heartbreak. No disrespect to the Kings, but however much I want to love them and I enjoy their gigs, I still can’t get any shivers from their records. I’m not going to slag them off, because there’s not much to be faulted there and it’s actually growing on me with every listen, but I guess I’m just not their bigger fan, possibly something missing from my Rock gene. Or maybe it’s just the voice that I find very unpleasant. 7.5/10