Bloc Party A Weekend In The City: Mmmmm. This album's really not that good at all. Their debut was so terse, it's a shame to see someone lose it so quickly. There's some moments here and there, but it's gone a bit too concept-album-y/narrative-y for its own good.
Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha: Good stuff. Moody, solid. Also, this dude has some whistling skillz.
More Woody Guthrie than any sane person needs, but I ain't no sane person, now am I?
Kings Of Leon Because of the Times: Good stuff. A little Pixixe-ish, but is that a bad thing?
Gruff Rhys Candylion: Wow. I love this album. Maybe better than the last Super Furry Animals album?
The Essex Green Cannibal Sea: A lot more poppy than I expected. An eMusic reviewer refered to it as the album the New Pornographers wanted to make. Kudos to Jesse for flagging this one up a looong time ago.
Silversun Pickups Carnavas: Dismissed as 90-revivalists, but hey, I think Gish and Siamese Dream are the bee's knees, so I guess I'm their target audience.
Bright Eyes Cassadaga: Probably his best album. That said, I still can't stand the guy. Sorry. I tried, I really did. If ever there was an album to hook me, this'd be it, but it just doesn't do it.
Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies: Not great, but not bad. Bowie-esque power pop from a part-time New Pornographer.
Jesse Malin Glitter In The Gutter: Speaking of had it and lost it, this album's just... not good. If you're constantly referred to as a second-rate Springsteen, don't duet with the Boss. It's like Liev Schriber acting against Dustin Hoffman. It just makes you look anemic. Plus, Mr. Malin, no more piano ballads, please.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen: Kind of boring, actually.
Cursive Happy Hollow: I really can't figure out if I like Cursive. I'm leaning toward "Don't Like 'Em," but I just don't know.
!!! Myth Takes: The singing and lyrics really kill whatever this band has going for it.
The Arcade Fire Neon Bible: It always takes me a while to get to a comfortable point with an Arcade Fire album. It's good, but nothing I didn't expect. It's big, anthemic and beautiful. Typical Arcade Fire fare.
Apples In Stereo New Magnetic Wonder: If you like the Apples, you'll like this album. I do, so... I do, but they're not reinventing the wheel or anything here.
Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards: All hyperbole aside, this is one of the best albums I've heard in years. I [heart] Tom Waits, the gravel-voiced genius.
Sondre Lerche Phantom Punch: Sondre, thank you for making the power pop album I've been waiting to hear from you since I first heard "Two-Way Monologue" on Subterranean. Well done, my Norwegian friend. Well done.
The Killers Sam's Town: Meh.
Robert Pollard Silverfihsh Trivia EP: After the tight little pop album that is Normal Happiness, Bob gets all progish. Not the worst thing he's put out, but a little boring.
Wilco Sky Blue Sky: Here's where I lose all my indie-cool points and say that this is my favorite Wilco album since Summer Teeth. Sure Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born are interesting pieces, but they're so... cold. At least the second half of YHF and half of Ghost, too.Sky Blue Sky is laid back, easy and beautiful. What more do you want?
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Some Loud Thunder: In which everybody's Latest Indie Darling stumbles and trips on its own obtuseness. A little disappointing.
Django Reinhardt The Very Best Of Django Reinhardt: This dude could play a guitar.
Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions: A pretty decent Tom Waits album. Seriously, hold this up next to Orphans and you've got Liev Schriber and Dustin Hoffman again.
Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank: Finally, a Modest mouse album I can say I like without any qualifying statements.
Dolorean You Can't Win: Folky sad sack music; oh, how I love thee.
Albert Hammond Jr. Yours To Keep: In which the guitarist from the Strokes makes an album that sounds like a little more laid-back version of the Strokes with E from Eels (not actually, but Hammond sounds like E) as the singer. Not bad, but it's basically a Strokes album with a suntan, let's be honest.
Anyway, so there it is... 25 albums reviewed in the space of one blog post. That's gotta be some kind of record.
1 comment:
Dylan, you are my hero. Seriously, my hero. If I were rich, I would buy every album you said you liked.
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