Musical Class of 2007.

At this moment I'm reading the Rolling Stone 100 Top Songs of the Year, and around half of the eight entries I've so far read have had some snide fucking political comment in them.

Okay, so I'm now twelve songs in and the ratio is the same. They even stooped to putting John Fogerty in there. All due respect to him and all, when the fuck was the last time anyone mentioned him?
Seriously, the Wolowitz doctrine ,that they all hate so much, is more innocuous and subtle than Rolling Stone and it's damn agenda. Okay, we get it, you hate Bush.

Anyway, it's worth noting that I haven't listened to all the CD's that I've wanted to this year, Iron and Wine and Springsteen are the first that spring to mind, although there's probably dozen more kicking about.



Elliott Smith- New Moon
Elliott Smith and a guitar, much like Ashley Tisdale and a short pair of shorts, was/is the perfect merging of person and object. (Although whilst Mr Smith’s life was cut short, Ms Tisdale’s choice of garment cannot be cut short enough! ZING!).
At times it feels that everything that Mr Smith touched at that time turned into gold. Alcohol tainted gold perhaps, but gold nonetheless.

Before the Ocsars, the multi-layered pop records and eventual death, Elliott Smith was just an incredibly talented musician with a guitar, and that is what New Moon demonstrates. Whilst his influence in every mopey songwriter since is clearly evident, his influences are as not as easy to pin down. Whilst the Beatles are an obvious candidate, they never did acoustic quite this well. Same case lyrically, as no one had ever quite captured the poigant honestly and betrayal of Smith, before Smith.

Okay, so maybe it's easy to see why a few of the tracks where left unreleased for a decade, but others like Placeholder, See You Later and Angel in the Snow deserve a release, as they are among his (already crowded) highlights reel.
In nothing else, this CD is a reminder that we're probably not going to see such a gifted musican again during our lifetime.

Grade: High Distinction





Rilo Kiley- Under The Blacklight
Someone, I'm not sure who, remarked somewhere (I'm not sure where either) that Under the Blacklight was Rilo Kiley's attempt at selling out. Although I generally hate that term, I actually kind of agree with it in this case (and judging by the fact 'Dreamworld' was playing during one of my rare trips to Burger King, so do other people).
Many of the tracks are a departure from their 'traditional' sound, although to be fair all their CD's have been kind of eclectic, so I'm certainly not going to accuse them of anything nefarious, only of ungoing yet another crazy revamp.

Although their previous albums where great (in fact better then UTBL)the reason I love this is because, as every music publication screams every two seconds, this CD sounds like Fleetwood Mac. Or more specifically: Fleetwood Mac when Fleetwood Mac wasn't a bunch of backstabbing and ugly geriatrics.
Yep, Fleetwood Mac=Rilo Kiley was this years version of Zeppelin=Wolfmother, only this time the imitator had the chops to back it up, as the best tracks on every UTBL exude Witchnaddness*.

That being said, I'd hate for this to came off as me loving a CD just because it kind of resembles another band, as UTBL is kind of a musical Charmelon, and snuggled in amongst Rilo Kiley stables are songs that range from Rap (Dejalo) to Bluesly (and Creepy) sounding numbers (15).

*Inexplicably, the word to describe the musical effects of wearing a Witches hat does not exist, so I had to make do.

Grade: High Distinction




Bright Eyes- Cassadaga
If 2007 was the year that Jenny Lewis summoned Steve Nicks, then it was also the year that Conor Orberst grew up. Well kind of anyway. Whilst he still may enjoy cascading hecklers with water, Cassadaga showed a growth in maturity. No more 7 minute angst-fests, this time it felt like the work of somebody whose come to terms that the world blows, and how he was trying to deal with said blowiness. Of course, it was still a Bright Eyes record, and as such included the staple nihilism, resignation and other happy emotions, but now it felt like things might get better. Think of it as like leaving rehab (pure speculation on my part)

In addition to sounding more 'grown up', songs like Four Winds, Clense Song and I must Belong Somewhere improved and solidified on the Alt-Country sound from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, thus making thousands of teenage girls gradual slide into loving The Jayhawks inevitable.

Oh, and of course, no matter how much he's grown, it's not a Bright Eyes record without a song about a slutty girl.

Grade: Distinction




Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger
After listening to Easy Tiger, it's easy to see why this wasn't labeled as a 'Cardianals' inclusive CD. This is a personal CD, perfectly exemplified by the lonely acoustic guitar prevalent through a good portion of the songs, the best of which could have been off of a Whiskeytown release
As if the solo sentiment wasn't already obvious, it's rammed down our proverbial throats by Easy Tigers swan song (and highlight) I Taught Myself How to Grow. Still, there are still some tracks that show a heavier side, the obvious choice being Halloween Head, extra points given for the braggadocio inspired 'Guitar Solo' announcement.

A fitting announcement, considering that the jangly guitar tracks are the most enjoyable, and in addition demonstrate Adam's aptitude at writing a fine guitar track, a talent that hadn't been ultilised enough in his previous solo work.

If I was to say that Easy Tiger was solid, then it would be a simple statement of fact rather then an indictment or expression of apathy. It's a bad word to sum up a great CD, but it's the best that springs to mind. Rather then a CD of songs that are loosely related, like 29, this is a record that shows Adam's versatility, with each song being a departure from the other, yet still having a cohesive place within the album. The songs themselves feel well put together, a compliment considering that a number of record in Adam's catalogue don't have the best ratio of good to bad songs.

Grade: Distinction





Band Of Horses:Cease To Begin
I'll admit, I'm asking for the late pass on this one, as I only heard it a couple of weeks ago. As such, my opinion may be tinged by that giddy feeling (otherwise known as happiness at something, a feeling that I don't think the poor old fellows of Band of Horses get too often. They ought to happy though, as they've made one of the finest releases of the year, blending Indie, Slowcore and Alt-Country together in a perfect union (under god). Although the 34 minutes of Cease to Begin are predictable, the disappointment at this face...ceases to begin becasue it is only their second record, and if it ain't broke...

. I'll leave the My Morning Jacket comparisons at the door (mainly because I don't listen to them) and simply that Ben Bridwells vocal work makes the CD. A rather obvious statement considering that he's in charge of lead vocals, but his at-times bordering on Psychedelic vocal work is simply brilliant. However, the best moments are reserved for the slower songs (on an already admittedly) slow CD such as No One's Gonna Love You and Marry Song.

Grade: Credit/Distinction, ask me in two weeks time.





Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
If I may so bold as to have a go at music websites, it's that early releases aren't getting a fair shake in the best of lists. Maybe it's too much irreverent Velvet Underground trivia occupying their brain, but the first six months of the year seem irrelevant. Case In Point: The Latest offering from Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

It's proably going to be kind of controversial to begin by saying that it's probably the best overall release by Modest Mouse. Not to discredit their earlier work, but We Were Dead has walks that perfect instrumental line between 'Heavy' and 'Modest Mouse Heavy'. Maybe the inclusion of Johnny Marr and his oh-so-nice guitar lines has negated the need to throw the Kitchen Sink into every song, but Modest Mouse just sound right, quite a compliment considering the bands hefty catalogue.


Grade: Credit




Ashley Tisdale: Headstrong
As you probably realized from the opening Elliott Smith salvo, I have quite the obsession with Ashley Tisdale (whether said obsession is unhealthy is up to the courts to decide). Well, not so much her as her rather large, yet cute nose (Love does enter through the nostrils after all*).
So, as the roll out with starlets these days, after appearing in some bad form of viewable media, a CD of Ghost-written tracks was inevitable (Kristen Bell self titled out next year. Believe me, I've seen the future), and as is the case with the industry these days, said CD probably wouldn't be very good.

Anyway, Imagine my surprise when it didn't actually totally suck. In fact, much like the sound of my own voice, it's kind of enjoyable to listen when drunk. Just don't expect anything deep (in both examples), becasue most of what is actually being said is pretty bad. However, barring the guest rap, it's the most enjoyable kind of bad, which is all that really matters right?

Side note: What the fuck happened to Hayden Panetwhatever's CD? I read (don't ask where) that it was supposed to be out at the start of 2007, yet here we are, still waiting.

*Holy Shit, If you get that reference then I love you.
*Satisfying my 'Holy shit, I'm drunk, depressed and need to listen to a large nosed girl sing tween-dirty pop over bad disco music' emotion, which comes around kind of often.

Grade: Credit. Yes, you heard me.





Low Stars: Low Stars
Hey Eagles, especially that wanker Don Henley, how does it feel to crawl out from hiatus after 20-something years only to be beaten at your own inoffensive-country tinged game? Because that's how it felt to this individual after hearing both The Long Road out of Eden and Low Stars, especailly since this is their debut record.

Although sometime being blatantly derivative of the Eagles and CSNY, Low Stars manage to somehow make a good CD when everything is saying that it should fail. Take the first track, Tell the Teacher:
Lyrics that sometimes verge on out right corniness, and other times feel like an afterthought? Check? Bad cheesy 80's guitar solo? Yep, yet somehow it still manages to be enjoyable, and even exemplary in the case of L.A Forever, yet another song that (literally) sings about the evils of Los Angeles. As you'd expect, acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies abound, and they generally live up to their ambitions of sounding like Best Of Your Love era Eagles, barring a downright horrendous attempt at pseudo-rapping.


Grade: Pass/Credit





Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
Commentary on music seems to be built on the comparison of new band to old band.
You've already seem it with Rilo Kiley, but I want to throw another one out there: Wilco and Big Star. Granted, it's stupid, but nothing reminded me of Third/ Sister Lovers than Sky Blue Sky. Sure, there's no stand up out track like Blue Moon*, but they are both eclectic mixes of pop music done well. Although Jeff Tweedy has still not realized that country is where he ought to be, Impossible Germany and others prove a fine distraction until I reunite Uncle Tupelo at gunpoint.


*Okay, so almost all the tracks were standouts on that CD.

Grade: Pass