Quinta-feira 25 Dez 2008, 21h:14
It’s just impossible to get to know what an entire year has to offer in music. There will always be that artist you just got into that happens to have a wide discography, other albums you may become interested in but don’t get them because you feel swamped by all that you are listening at the moment; many factors can contribute to an album getting 'late into the game'.
Last year I made a list of 15 albums and ranked them based on average play count, which it’s a convenient and easy way to get pass the torture of comparison but it’s also unfair to any album released after October. Unless there’s a complete take over of my ears, it’s highly unlikely that any of them could ever make it into a list of that sort.
Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to recognize all the 2007 albums that either got added to my library in the final stretch of said year or were acquired during this year. And also reflect on the list I posted last year, am I still listening to those albums?
I’m ranking them based on average play count once again.
Average plays = Total Plays / Total tracks in the album
Before I begin, I must also confess that this stats are a bit tainted in a couple of albums as a month of plays were wiped off by a certain computer switch off and subsequent ipod reformatting.
Film School – Hideout
Played 197 times – averaged 15 plays per track
We all must know by now that we’ve been in some sort of shoegaze outroar in the last couple of years. This is another one from that pack, and it suffers from one major flaw: they don’t sound refreshing at all. It’s like a well-organized tribute band. The song Lectric sounds a whole lot like My Bloody Valentine in my opinion.
This is something that plagues a lot of new bands. They make good songs, but they sound like tribute bands when all is said and done.
Most played songs: Lectric (45 plays) and Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl (21 plays)
Least played song: Must Try Easier (4 plays)
There are a bunch of unnecessary 1 minute transitional songs in this album. Heck, there’s even one track that lasts 16 seconds! That’s just ridiculous.
Battles – Mirrored
Played 191 times – averaged 17 plays per track
Didn’t this album mark the before and after for math rock? If you can make such assertion on the merits of a single album, isn’t that the best praise one could possibly bestow on it? Well, I just said it then!
One thing about math rock is that it seems to follow the same pattern to the point that a lot of songs sound just like math rock. This album leaves that aside and pushes it a bit further. It’s got enough rhythm with a kick to sound like math rock without resorting to the same boring notes.
Most played songs: Atlas (24 plays) and Race:In (18 plays)
If Atlas is not one of the most fun inducing songs ever recorded I don’t know what could be! Well, Ddiamondd is pretty close on that. To be honest, they are both tagged with “these songs are fun”.
Least played song: Rainbow (13 plays)
Doesn’t strike me to hit the repeat button.
Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Vols I & II/Fire & Water
Played 241 times – averaged 20 plays per track
Apparently, when Thrice broke it off with their record label, Island, they went really major label mean and did not let them take their mailing list. I found out about this album like 2 months after it was released. Mean, evil record label!
Anyhoo, this 4 part project shielded pretty good results and was a deserving follow-up to the excellent(!) Vheissu. You gotta give it up to a band that’s not afraid to step out of their comfort zone and go in a different direction.
Most played songs: Night Diving (47 plays) and Digital Sea (34 plays)
The Water disc is very electronic and post-rock in its nature, which serves rather well to that element. It doesn’t really hurt that I’ve been pretty much into that genre in the last couple of years or that Night Diving may be one of my favorite almost-instrumental rock songs!
Least played song: The Arsonist (12 plays)
Don’t know why, perhaps it sounds a bit much like “traditional” Thrice to me. Like I said, I just listened to the Water volume a bit more.
Caribou – Andorra
Played 198 times – averaged 22 plays per track
Mixes some eastern sounding arrangements and elements – there are flutes and what appears to me like a sitar at times - along with his falsetto to create a somewhat exotic and atmospheric synth pop.
I’d say the best tracks are the up-tempo ones, like Sundialing; the album seems to loose momentum during the slower tracks like She’s the One or Desiree. I just don’t get carried away as much as the other stuff.
Oh yeah, he also got a thing with names. There are 4 songs named after people!
Most played songs: Melody Day (56 plays) and Niobe (35 plays)
Melody Day is perhaps the track that carries the most tuneful melody of them all, hence the name – I guess. Niobe is a bit more atmospheric and makes for one hell of a closer.
Least played songs: She’s the One (6 plays)
The Field - From here we go sublime
Played 222 times – averaged 22 plays per track
This album topped Metacritic’s best of 2007 compilation with a 90 points average score, then I noticed it was an electronic album and went “nah”. I’ve got nothing against electronic music; it’s just that it’s become so dull in recent years.
Very few electronic albums can create such a beautiful contrast of rhythm and repetition, shifting between ambient and techno. It’s atmospheric but also danceable at times. What a strange combination of elements! So, I’m just saying it was a deserving winner.
Most played songs: Over the Ice (38 plays) and Sun & Ice (35 plays)
What’s up with this man and ice? Well, he’s from Sweden that’s all I got for you. I don’t think it’d be advisable to dance as much as these two tracks will make you wanna do on top of the ice. A fair warning.
Least played song: Mobilia (5 plays)
Nothing against this song, it was added fairly recently. It’s pretty good; love the tension in the melody and the build-up to nothingness. This album is pretty solid stuff!
Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Played 255 times – averaged 23 plays per track
Everyone wants to be folky and global conscious nowadays. Doesn’t it seem like it? Some do it better than others; I’d say these guys go down the good road. There’s more of that Far East feeling to their music, even some Gospel, ritual-like chanting and the good old harmonizing. By the end, they do achieve that mythical atmosphere.
Most played songs: Sunrise (53 plays) and Wait for the Summer (40 plays)
I’d say that Sunrise is the track that best captures the essence of the album and puts it to the best use possible.
Least played song: Red Cave (14 plays)
A bit too preachy-like for me.
A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
Played 292 times – averaged 29 plays per track
When I first heard about this band I thought they were some hardcore emo band. No kidding. Instead what you get is some lo-fi, noisy, retro 80s, post-punk coming your way. That’s about it! I’d say the strongest suit of these guys it’s that they manufacture their own effects pedals.
I know their intention is to sound that retro, but they could use more refreshing arrangements. Whenever you see everyone mentioning the same band (Jesus and the Mary Chain), you just know you’ve gotta spice it up a bit.
Most played songs: My Weakness (45 plays) and Don’t think Lover (34 plays)
When they put the fast pedal on it, it’s on my friends!
Least played song: Another Step Away (20 plays)
Meh. The one song that should probably take the award it’s Breathe, that thing sounds like 80s U2.
Frightened Rabbit - Sing the Greys
Played 323 times – averaged 29 plays per track
Is this a cheat? This album was actually self-released in 2006 but I doubt it got a listen outside of Scotland until Fat Cat released it, November of last year. Anyhoo, I’m including it!
Here’s some good old harmless folky pop rock. We all need that you know. It all can’t be scratch your head to figure out what this is music. Sometimes you need to lay back and enjoy some straight down popness. Well, it’s not all straight down pop, they put some twin guitars (acoustic/electric) to pretty good use here and there.
Most played songs: Be Less Rude (63 plays) and Square 9 (59 plays)
They can pull off rocky pop and mellow pop with ease. Although, these two are of the rocky pop variety.
Least played song: Snake (7 plays)
Is this thing a joke? It’s a pretty bad one.
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Played 304 times – averaged 30 plays per track
If you are on the lookout for some quality folk pop rock, search no further! You’ve hit the sky with these guys, especially this album; it’s basically a masterpiece! I’m not even a fan of this alt-country genre!
What an amazing piece of music, it works rather well in single songs but they truly take another life when you listen to this entire album alone, in consecutive repeats. You get my drift.
Pretty much every detail in this album comes together in such a brilliant way. Like I said, it’s almost a masterpiece. You will also find great comfort in the superb songwriting of Mr. Will Sheff, who has to be on the very short list of great songwriters in the music business today, if not at the top.
I’d elaborate but then I’d have to write a 10-page journal to explain all that’s amazing and breath taking in this album.
If in doubt with any of the above statements, please listen to Love to a monster, what a heart-wrencher of a song!
Most played songs: Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe (59 plays) and John Allyn Smith Sails (40 plays)
Like I said, pretty much it’s a great song after the next. Take Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe as a small demonstration… scratch that small! These two songs pretty much capture the greatness and sense of fulfillment you’ll get after listening to this album.
Least played song: Savannah Smiles (13 plays)
This is the song that made me add the “almost” before the masterpiece statement. The glockenspiel/night box notes do not satisfy me. Yeah, yeah, yeah… if you listen to the song you understand why it was used, but my point is they could have approached it in a less obvious way.
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Scribble Mural Comic Journal
Played 420 times – averaged 32 plays per track
For the life of me, why is no one championing these guys? They make great dream pop that manages to sound refreshing and not a copycat at all. I think they need more friends with blogs or something.
Their songs manages to be intriguing and evocative with vocals you might as well give up on trying to decipher, it’s near impossible! Their voices are treated more like instruments, another layer in the sound. They kind of flirt with the heavy distorted melodies, adding a great deal to the odd-beauty within it.
It’s a very good album. I recommend repeated listening; it helps enhance the magic in it, like any truly good album should.
Most played songs: Our Change Into Rain Is No Change At All (Talkin' 'bout Us) (73 plays) and The Best Summer Ever (50 plays)
Did I mention beautiful skewed melodies with airy, dream-like, vocals? That’s Our Change into Rain! Well, the entire album is a beautiful exercise in this practice. There’s also some of that in The Best Summer Ever, but it’s slightly less distorted.
Least played song: The Horn Song (10 plays)
Nothing specific about this song. It’s a short track that doesn’t come together with me in the way that Wake Up Pretty does.
Efterklang – Parades
Played 369 times – averaged 34 plays per track
No idea why these guys are barely known this side of the Atlantic, with their wonderful cinematic music and love for dramatics - it is to my understanding that they perform with synchronized wardrobes.
These are some mysterious and enchanting pieces of music. The sort of music that comes alive in your head, lets your imagination have some fun and paint pictures that are hard to describe. Well, they sort of have a description… it’s in their Giorgio De Chirico-like album cover and their wonderful video of Mirador. Surreal and beautiful.
Most played songs: Cutting Ice To Snow (66 plays) and Maison De Réflexion (53 plays)
I’d like to add that the song Frida Found A Friend is just amazing, it came out at number 3 but deserves to be mentioned!
Least played song: Polygyne (20 plays)
Feels like some sort of prelude, an opening act to the epic greatness that follows this track. I’m not saying that in a bad way!
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Played 250 times – averaged 36 plays per track
At first, I didn’t really get where all the fuzz came about this album, that’s because I had only downloaded Comfy in Nautica and Ponytail. Although I liked them, they didn’t send me running for the Download album button. Oh, the success and failures of our single mp3 culture.
It happens you know, sometimes you listen to a single song and it doesn’t really translate that well what the entire album it’s about. It’s a pretty good album, especially when it comes down to the meaty, middle part. Those songs are just too strong. Anyways, I wrote a journal about it at the beginning of the year.
Most played songs: Im Not (52 plays) and Bros (44 plays)
Im Not and Search for Delicious are dreaminess incarnated! Bros is one epic track that gets even better as the end of the song approaches.
Least played song: Ponytail (27 plays)
Slaraffenland - Private Cinema
Played 552 times – averaged 55 plays per track
I’m so in love with these guys! They are indeed just wonderful. And
there’s a journal professing all the love!
Quick reading suggests it’s like being overtaken by multiple personalities that range from manic-depressive to positive daydreamer. Confusing, interesting and amazing!
I headed over to Efterklang site and apparently they did some sort of special collaboration with Slaraffenland during a concert and they’ve released it as a free EP under the name Slaraffenklang. You can get it over at Efterklang’s site. Merry Christmas indeed!
Most played songs: Polaroids (106 plays) and This One Will Kill Us (93 plays)
Least played song: Grøn (6 plays)
Revised 2007 albums
I looked back to my 2007 list and I have to say that the albums at 5 and the top 3 were spot on! Those 4 albums kept getting consistent plays throughout this year as well. What better way to proof the quality of an album? The other albums went from terrible to decent follow-up. To be honest, I was rather busy between catching up and keeping pace with the new year.
New list
15. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
played 304 times – averaged 30 plays per track
14. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
played 385 times – averaged 30 plays per track
13. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Scribble Mural Comic Journal
played 420 times – averaged 32 plays per track
12. Efterklang – Parades
played 369 times – averaged 34 plays per track
11. Handsome Furs - Plague Park
played 323 times – averaged 36 plays per track
10. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
played 250 times – averaged 37 plays per track
09. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
played 424 times – averaged 39 plays per track
08. The National – Boxer
played 475 times – averaged 40 plays per track
07. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
played 482 times – averaged 40 plays per track
06. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
played 450 times – averaged 50 plays per track
05. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
played 605 times – averaged 50 plays per track
04. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
played 484 times – averaged 54 plays per track
03. Slaraffenland - Private Cinema
played 552 times – averaged 55 plays per track
02. Menomena - Friend And Foe
played 1354 times – averaged 113 plays per track
01. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
played 1199 times – averaged 133 plays per track
Now that's one hell of a list! :)