Rating: 7.0
In 2005, Hrishikesh Hirway relocated from Los Angeles to Mumbai, India, where he shaped much of what would become the fourth full-length from The One AM Radio. The thought-provoking lyrics and seamless blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation make for an exceedingly pleasant listen. Though not rife with intensely memorable moments, This Too Will Pass is an album that will seep into your brain, unbeknownst to you, and make itself at home. It’s too pretty not to.
Rating: 7.75
A scant eight months after releasing Fishscale to near-unanimous acclaim and widespread internet fervor, Ghostface Killah made another addition to an already impressive discography with the aptly titled follow-up, More Fish. Ghostface has carved out a compelling niche for himself, exuding charismatic eccentricity over histrionic soul loops, and this latest release holds up alongside his best work by catering to his known strengths.
Rating: 7.0
After listening to Friend and Foe several times, you may still find yourself pondering exactly what to think of it. Perhaps you’ll consider your admiration for the experimental streak that the gentlemen of Menomena exhibit. Perhaps you’ll express some reservations about their kitchen sink approach to instrumentation and arrangement. Perhaps, after some time, you’ll come to accept the disorienting songwriting technique and the quirky, scattershot charm that it aspires to. It wouldn’t be an unreasonable sequence of reactions.
William Cremin really loves Raisinets. Maybe he’ll marry them in 2007.
1. Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther
My year-end top ten is not based on what I think is the best as much
as it is a list of my personal favorite records. This one was the most
important to me by far. I really love the quaintness of the lyrics,
and the songwriting blows me away on every listen.
2. The Pipettes – We Are The Pipettes
This is one of those albums where it’s physically impossible to be
surly while in its presence. I found myself reaching for it in a
similar way that I go after Raisinets: frequently and with reckless
abandon.
3. My Brightest Diamond – Bring Me The Workhorse
I saw her play with Sufjan Stevens, and I was instantly smitten. Her
moodiness and staggering proficiency sort of remind me of Jeff
Buckley.
With a couple of high-profile collaborations and an inspiringly ambitious approach to composition, Joanna Newsom has delivered 2006’s record most likely to make you imagine you’re listening to it live…in the woods…sitting on a tree stump…with various musicians clinging to branches and strewn about the shrubs around you.
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Regarding the Spoon contributions to the ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ soundtrack, producer Brian Reitzell had this to say: “It created a kind of sonic thread that had just the right amount of nervy melody and rich, simplistic tone.” After seeing the film, his comment rings true.
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Earlier this year, Lady Sovereign found herself on the threshold of extensive stateside notoriety. Her Def Jam signing gave her the opportunity to coast atop tossed-off Timbaland beats and pander to the Courvoisier-and-rims crowd. With Jay-Z’s glowing endorsement, the subsequent wave of hype would all but guarantee commercial success. Instead of taking the easy way out, however, she delivered a record as diverse and idiosyncratic as it is convincingly brash.