Emily's Albums A to Z

Listened: Thursday January 5

Animal Collective have been indie darlings for a couple of years, but I’ve never been able to get into them; their psychedelica is a little too experimental for me. When I heard Grizzly Bear mentioned in similar context, I wasn’t expecting to like them. However, while psychedelic elements are there, I would describe them as a more funky Fleet Foxes – a little less folky, and a little more psychedelic in sound.

I hear similar threads through this album, vocals that remind me of John Vanderslice (About Face), instrumentation that reminds me of Beach House (All We Ask), harmonies that sound Crosby-Stills-Nash-esque (Fine for Now) and a general feeling that Grizzly Bear are borrowing from everyone and spinning it out in their own unique way. I’m pleased to have found them.

Listened: Thursday December 1

Vauxhall and I is the first Morrissey album I can recall being released, back when I was in high school. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get was in heavy rotation on Live 105 at the time. However, until a friend and I went to his shows back in 2002 (just before his modern comeback), I hadn’t bought any of his solo stuff and was reasonably unfamiliar with it. Those 2002 shows changed all that. This album was my first Morrissey.

Vauxhall highlights Morrissey’s talent for telling tales that could be told by gay or straight people alike. However, when I hear “I am hated for loving” or “Now my heart is full, and I just can’t explain so I won’t even try to” or “Used to be a sweet boy… Something went wrong and I know I can’t be to blame” or Spring-Heeled Jim or Billy Budd I can’t help but hear the gay voice more than the straight one, even though there’s nothing overt about it. I don’t think anyone makes this happen better than Morrissey does.

I also get the idea on this album that Morrissey was getting quite sick of the music industry and journalists (but not his fans). “Some men here have a special interest in your career, they wanna help you to grow and then siphon all your dough” and “All of the rumors keeping me grounded, I never said that they were completely unfounded and all those lies, written lies, twisted lies” sort of give me that idea. But he still loves us: “I’ve always been true to you, in my own strange way, I’ve always been true to you, in my own sick way, I’ll always stay true to you.” Aw, thanks Moz.

Listened: Thursday December 1

When I first heard Vampire Weekend, I assumed Paul Simon was one of their musical influences, due to the African-sounding rhythms flowing through this debut. Then I read in Spin that they claimed to have never heard a Paul Simon record. Bullshit!

At least they couldn’t deny the Peter Gabriel angle, since he’s name-checked in the lyrics (see this link for one of the most perfectly appropriate covers songs ever). Also incredibly ballsy of them to bring back the harpsichord to pop music. It’s been gone quite a while.

I didn’t want to like Vampire Weekend when I heard their unabashedly hipster elitist lyrics about New York, Cape Cod, the Ivy League, Oxford Commas, Mansard Roofs, Dharamsala, passports, and  Buddhas. But then came the occasional nod to things like the inherent truthfulness of Lil Jon. They forced me to like them against my will.

I’ve always wondered about Blake’s Got a New Face. I’ve assumed this was referring to a new girlfriend (the slangy “Face” in question), but I can’t quite tell from the lyrics. I’m curious to hear if you have another interpretation.

Listened: Thursday December 1

Urban Hymns reminds me so much of freshman year of college, since that’s when it came out. Bitter Sweet Symphony was everywhere for a while, and its tone still reminds me of being young and sure of yourself. The video of Richard Ashcroft walking unswervingly down a city street shoulder-checking people left and right continues this theme.

For quite a while I didn’t actually own this album, I bought it recently because I thought I should have it as an artifact from my youth. It’s a great album – 90s tinged, but quite classic rather than dated. I love The Drugs Don’t Work and Another Velvet Morning. They’re not quite as anthemic as Bitter Sweet Symphony but still great songs. I feel like I need to investigate the older Verve albums and see if they’re as good as this.

Listened: Thursday December 1

I fondly remember XTC from my high school days. They weren’t played on Live 105 as often as some bands, but I recall hearing Making Plans for Nigel, Senses Working Overtime, and Dear God on occasion.

I also recall being a MTV-less teenager who watched the couple hours of the California Music Channel that was shown on channel 26 on weekday afternoons in hopes of seeing a decent video. I remember seeing the video for The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead a couple of times. I was totally mesmerized by the catchy song illustrated with JFK-assassination visuals. Seeing it again now, it’s still a decent video.

Since obtaining this album, besides gaining a new appreciation for the songs I knew already, I’ve fallen in love with Life Begins at the Hop. It’s undeniably catchy, and I believe it to be true – life does begin at the Hop.

Oddly, my copy of Upsy Daisy Assortment has the tracks in different order than the CD case listing. Apparently this was a pressing issue with some copies, but until I could Google such things, I figured someone had put a CD for another compilation in this case and sold it (I bought the album used).

Listened: Thursday December 1

By the time Up The Bracket was released stateside, Pete Doherty’s shenanigans were already notorious. I think I acquired the album cheaply because it was the thing to do, but I lack patience with out of control people (see Amy Winehouse, Keane), so my biases wouldn’t let me enjoy it the one or two times I tried to listen to it. Listening to it now, I hear what all the fuss was about.

It’s clear the Libertines are major music fans. I can hear the Clash, the Jam, the Kinks, and Oasis running through their songs, as well as the Strokes, who were busting out at the same point in time.

I love many of the songs, but my favorite is probably Time for Heroes – who would have thought a scuzzer like Pete would make “I cherish you, my love!” a believable lyric?

Listened: Wednesday November 16

Unrest is the only album I can think of that is both chill and dancey at the same time. Depending upon my mood I can dance or relax. The concept of the album is also very obvious – each song was recorded in a different city. The urban nomad flavor fills the sound of the album.

It’s a bummer Erlend hasn’t come out with another  similar album; I’m sure it would be just as brilliant. However, it seems his time has been spent guesting on albums like Royksopp, and on more KOC albums. Not that I’m complaining – they’re amazing too.

Listened: Wednesday November 16

The difference between the War album and The Unforgettable Fire is jarring. This difference is likely due to a new producer – Brian Eno. The artiness factor has been turned way up and the rock turned down, though Pride (In the Name of Love) and Bad could certainly still be considered rock. However, ambient meditations and sonic experimentation in the vein of Brian Eno’s solo work are found here. The seeds of Bono’s later operatic singing can also be heard on Elvis Presley and America.

It was through reviewing this album that I realized I accidentally skipped the Rattle n Hum album in the project. I realized this because the song MLK always catches my attention due to the visuals from the film that are immediately called to mind (Bono’s singing in silhouette, with a powerful spotlight shining behind him directly into the camera). It’s one of the most arresting moments from a beautiful, misunderstood film.

I think it was important for U2 to go this direction to develop skills they put to maximum use on later albums (The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby), but like October, I must admit that in a ranking of my favorite U2 albums, this would be near the bottom. It has some great songs, but it’s not as cohesive as it could be.

Listened: Wednesday November 16

When I first heard Underachievers Please Try Harder I wasn’t sure I liked it as much as My Maudlin Career; at first it seemed much more low-key and mellow, almost boring.

However, I’ve come around. It’s amazing how much the female vocals sound like Isobel Campbell here. If you told me it was her, I’d believe you. The male/female duets with guest John Henderson are also wonderful ( I love a good male/female duet).

The influences are spilling out all over too – naturally, the aforementioned Belle & Sebastian reminders are constant. Let Me Go Home is kind of a Scottish male Supremes song – it reminds me a lot of the song Baby Love. The vocal style of A Sisters Social Agony sounds like a full-on Leonard Cohen homage.

The album cover is also very engaging, though almost too overstuffed with hipsterism – twee looking hot chicks, a vintage camera, well-worn teddy bear with glasses, 60s layout stylings – my hipster detector smoked and exploded the moment I saw it. However, I must admit – I love it.

Listened: Wednesday November 16

I was perhaps a bit too harsh when I reviewed Hopes and Fears. Hearing Under the Iron Sea reminds me that Keane does have a talent for lovely singing and piano work, even if the words don’t really mean anything.

Maybe they didn’t have the dreaded sophomore slump, but actually a sophomore surge – I enjoy this album more than Hopes and Fears. As I mentioned before, however, I just couldn’t deal with the drama – the singer of a such a relatively low-key band already going to rehab?

In writing this review, I decided to check out samples of their third album, Perfect Symmetry, and well, it’s just not as good. It sounds almost… disco-y? Maybe I gave up on them at just the right time.