Emily's Albums A to Z

Listened: Tuesday June 1

I was shocked when I read a review of Broken Bells in Spin recently. They thought Danger Mouse‘s production rendered it detached and clinical. I don’t know what planet they were on.

When I first heard this album earlier this year I loved it right away, which is rare for me. A lot of times it only takes me a couple listens to get into something, but this was immediate. It sounds modern, funky, relevant, and beautiful.

Danger Mouse is a total workaholic. Whenever I read down his list of projects my head spins. But they are all awesome: The Grey Album, Gnarls Barkley, later Gorillaz albums, Dark Night of the Soul, etc. And James Mercer’s voice is also as lovely here as with the Shins. It all flows together great.

Those of you reading this blog for some new music suggestions – this is one of them you should check out!

Listened: Tuesday June 1

Bob has a crapload of albums starting with B. I hadn’t noticed before.

As I’ve noted before, I love a lot of the Bob songs, but sometimes there are a couple on any given album that I skip because they’re too far down the hole. However, that isn’t the case here; I love Bringing It All Back Home as a whole and I think it’s really cohesive.

There are so many things to see here: the addictive speedhead rapping of Subterranean Homesick Blues and On The Road Again, the beautiful poetry of Love Minus Zero/No Limit, She Belongs to Me,  and Baby Blue, the trippiness of Mr. Tambourine Man, Gates of Eden, and It’s Alright Ma.

I used to think I didn’t like Maggie’s Farm, but upon listening at work, the lyrics really spoke to me. You can be deep in the drudge and feel it when you sing “They sing while you slave and I just get bored, I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more…”

Listened: Tuesday June 1

I remember being home from college for the summer at my parents’ house in 1999, reading the Ben Lee email digest every day and waiting for Breathing Tornados to come out. People who had heard him perform live kept reviewing and analyzing songs he previewed, teasing us all with their inside knowledge. Even then, the amount of data about such things that you could get over the internet was pretty limited and less immediate than it is now.

This is another “career evolution” type album that diehard fans disliked, but I loved (see also Kid A). Actually, at their core level, these songs are very similar to Ben’s earlier albums in storytelling and style, but he really went nuts with the sampling and electronic instruments. I think it still sounds good, if a bit dated by now but hopefully just “of an era” if I’m being generous.

I hadn’t listened to this for quite a few years, so I haven’t grown with it. When I heard it again, it really took me back to an earlier time. And I wish Ben wrote such good songs these days, but again I’m getting ahead of myself.

Listened: Tuesday June 1

The Boy with the Arab Strap is one of those touchstone albums in my past. People who like this album are my people and I am their people. This is the soundtrack for procrastinating in college, falling in love, doubting yourself, shopping for music, pondering the meaning of life… all set to pretty, catchy songs

It took me forever to notice that the guy on the cover is evidently being impaled on some implement. And apparently an arab strap is some kind of cock ring. Ooooookay.