The Top 20 Albums of 2010 #9 Johnny Cash: Ain't No Grave

The Top 20 Albums of 2010

#9 Johnny Cash: Ain't No Grave

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: Each day (mostly... unless it's Easter... sorry about the last two days) I'm writing a review about one of my favourite albums of 2010. This is one of them.

The Man In Black, elderly and stoic, recorded this in the final few months of his life. It was produced by Rick Rubin, just as all of Cash's albums since the mid-90s were. For me, this is a blessing and a curse. The 'American Recording Series' - as these records have come to be known - have maintained a consistent style and weight over two decades now. If another is released, mark my words, I'll feel like they were a sausage factory and will sour on their legacy. If they're true to their word and this really is the last of the bunch, then I'm glad to report this is a fitting send-off for one of The Greats.

It kicks off with Ain't No Grave and it's the sort of deep-rooted grit-ballad that Cash and Rubin perfected. A strong beat is laid out with the dragging of chains over gravel, accompanied by a solemn banjo; ripe material for a latter-day Cash to stand tall on. It's a slow build that, in the hands of someone younger, would've exploded into a fireball. As guided by Cash though, it simmers, eating away at you. I think the arrangement is perfect, and goes to show that the youth of today can still learn a thing or two from the elderly. Check it out here:

The track listing from that point forwards sums the album up: "Redemption Day," "For The Good Times," "1 Corinthians 15:55," "Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound," "Satisfied Mind," "I Don't Hurt Anymore," etc. These are tunes that have unshakable lyrics, delivered by a determined man, battling heartache and old age. It's a perfect run from Track #1 through to Track #7, with the below song being the highlight of the bunch (though it's not an official video / single, it's just a dude's compilation of photos):

Unfortunately the last three songs seem like B-sides to the A-sides that precede them. They're classic material, several decades in age now, but as covers go they're totally lackluster. Put it this way, at no point in Aloha 'Oe - perhaps the last song to be released by Cash - did I feel how I did when I first heard Cash covering Trent Reznor.

But, that gripe aside, I'm willing to say that the first seven cuts more than make up for the last three. They're a great collection of tracks that would serve your CD player (if you still have one) well. Check it out.

Tomorrow we're reviewing the fifth album of a rock band that is much better than their fourth one, but much worse than their third one.

The Top 20 Albums of 2010

#10 Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: You're reading the half-way point of a daily series I'm running through April: the Top 20 Albums of 2010. Today's entry is #10. Previously we've covered New Young Pony Club, Spoon, The Brunettes, Eminem, Michael Jackson, Plan B, Goldfrapp, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, Crystal Castles and So So Modern.

With this record, Janelle put to shame recent releases by supposed peers Rhianna, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, and Amerie. She earned a Grammy nomination while she was at it and released a debut album like no other I've ever heard. This proves that it's possible to release pop for "the thinking man." She incorporates every era of the 20th Century into her work, but is unflinching in her ability to strive forwards, bringing the listener far into an imagined retro-future where music is seemlessly transforming and shape-shifting. Enough accolades have already been written about this gem of a record that I plain won't bother. It got Universal Acclaim, as determined here by metacritic: http://www.metacritic.com/music/the-archandroid. Read the write-ups there for an idea about this record's genius, or just watch this video:

The reason this isn't album of the year? Well, it's maybe a little too scattershot for my liking. It's definitely too cerebral to make it a "must play" with friends around. And when I think of pop music, it's something I want to enjoy shared with others. In this case, this is a headphones-only album, unless your mates happen to be as abstract and smart as you are! So, with those small tiny miniscule complaints in mind, you're now prepped enough to experience this near perfect release. It's easily one of the best albums of 2010.


Tune in tomorrow for another release by a dead dude!

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 #11 - So So Modern: Crude Futures

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010
#11 - So So Modern: Crude Futures
Words by Dirk Calloway





Preface: each day I'm reviewing one of 2010's Top 20 albums. You've joined us at #11. Cheers.






Starting off with a lone guitar, riding one note like a latter-day Eye of the Tiger, So So Modern announces they're going to take their sweet time on this record. Crude Futures has as much energy as its predecessor, Friendly Fires, but the enthusiasm is channeled in a more meaningful way. This record is a sniper rifle, while the earlier one was a sawed-off shotgun. I like both equally, but for very different reasons. To use an over-used expression, Crude Futures "is a marathon, not a sprint." The opening track simmers away, adding more instruments and loops at 15 second intervals until - "aaahh" - the band of vocalists finally start singing their arrival. In this case, they're not just arriving in the album, but they're returning to the forefront of New Zealand music. A minute later they eventually get around to making the noise dance-able via a familiar keytar bass and then the record blasts off into the stratosphere.



Lord knows what the band think, but in my opinion this is the closest they've yet got to recreating their live sound. In the case of the track just mentioned, it pulls back exactly as they do on-stage, allowing a seething sweaty mass of bodies a moment to comprehend the madness they've just heard. It's a live show like no other and it's a damn shame they didn't do more gigs in support of this CD. From what I understand that has to do with being in your late 20s and, frankly, having life to get on with. Let's just say the worst happens and they never come back from hiatus, I'll still be able to play this to my kids one day and say, "that crap you're listening to has nothing on the stuff this kiwi band was performing in my day." In this way Crude Futures finally allows So So to join the Split Enz club proper-like; they've made an album that sounds electrically 'live.'

So, the songs. The track that follows aforementioned 'moment' of silence is a hyperactive beast like the So So Modern of olde. Nothing wrong with that, but I feel it failed to gel with the record as a whole. The next four tracks, by comparison, are much more superior: a complete work unto themselves. They are cut from the same cloth, and become the backbone of the album as a whole. They set up tics, themes and ideas that are paid off within each song but also in the last few tracks that take the record home. What I'm saying is that SSM are now thinking in broader strokes than the three or so minutes they used to contain their ideas to. The mid four songs are absolutely key to this idea and the band has set up a legacy for themselves by including them in the order they did. The tracks say to me, "none if this is accidental jamming. We've thought this through and we're better than a Pub Band now."

I heard 81 records from 2010 and very few had So So Modern's confidence, skill or good judgement. You'd be silly to not give them a shot. Check it out now, while record stores still exist to do so! Tune in for more tomorrow, where we're going to review a bizarre orchestral / R&B / steampunk hybrid. Exciting.

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 #12 - Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010

#12 - Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: we're slowly chipping away at my favourite albums of 2010. Each day I review another one, until we get to the all-important #1 spot. What we do then, I've no idea. There seems to be enough interest so far though, and I've got some great feedback from people so hopefully you've enjoyed it to date.

This is an out-there album. Recorded in shacks and churches, this is one of the most bi-polar records I've heard in a while. Some tracks lull you into a false sense of 'generic electro,' and then others hit you in the face with a glitchy 8-bit themed sledgehammer. Its frenetic nature reminds me of another highlight from Canadia last year: Scott Pilgrim.

Critics loved it, maybe best explained by Billboard here, if only because they use double-negatives to do so: "Very little of Crystal Castles doesn't work, resulting in one of the most accomplished electronic albums in recent memory." It's a furious album that can switch moods with little warning. It's an aggressive beast that has a gentle side. It's made by a woman and a man, who seem to be as comfortable raging as they are swooning in the moonlight. This collision of styles reaches its peak on Track #4: Baptism. I work in IT and this is the perfect song to get me typing in the morning. Oldschool blips and boops hit against Gatecrasher-styled trance riffs and they collide against a wonderously screamy Alice Glass. It's got a great video, so you should watch it:

I sort of want to stop writing here, because I'm not going to do this messed up masterpiece justice. I can see now it's going to get more and more fun to review these each day, and listening to Crystal Castles tonight has got me pumped for tomorrow. You should definitely do a few Youtube checks if you like what you hear above. These guys are consumate professionals, doing great work.

Tune in tomorrow for more. It's a local Kiwi act this time, unleashing fury upon their keyboards like they've never done before!

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 #13 - Mark Ronson: Record Collection

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010

#13 - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl: Record Collection

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: you're reading one part of a 20 part summary. Each day I am reviewing one of my favourite records from 2010. Today is #13, tomorrow is #12 and yesterday was #14. Enjoy.

Mark Ronson has had a helluva career to date. He practically invented a genre; that of the whiny early-20s Brit female who's obsessed with soul riffs and talky lyrics delivered in her regional accent. Whatever the hell that type of music is, you surely know Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. This guy is the braniac behind their superstardom, and he's made two fun solo records to date: Version and Here Comes The Fuzz. Both are good records in their own right, but they've always felt to me like "Mark Ronson doing his thing while a guest vocalist fills in the gaps." Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, but they've never felt like complete works.

This record is different from those two. Its cover says it all: stitched together like some day-glo monster of Frankenstein's. Despite its many and varied influences, this is a considered album that makes sense when judged as a whole. It's not the sort of solo album that you flick from track to track checking if the guest does anything of note. Instead, it's to be listened to from end to end. I reckon I've played it through about 30 times now since I bought it in September as a result of some birthday loot. One song in particular is played a lot more often than that, but it's the exception to all others. Everything else on the album is listened to in sequence for me, one meticulously chosen track after another.

The stunner of the record though is Lose It (In The End). It confounds your expectations three times over. It starts off a slow enough groove, with something akin to a Western's bell toll over the top of it. Then the track is kicked up to the next level with a full-on Baroque keyboard riff and Ronson's vocals... before.... BOOM! The track graduates to the big leagues with Ennio Morricone-styled whistling, and an arena-filling rap from Ghostface Killa. Ronson's vocal work on the track is superb and it is truly one of the best songs of 2010. It still blows me away every time I listen to it. 2:26 of pure bliss.

But there's many epic cuts on the album as a whole. Opener Bang Bang Bang is a great combination of skill-sets, blending Q-Tip's delicate flow with a MNDR's pop-chants coming in like a cheerleader over the top of Ronson's cranking bass line and wall-of-sound synths. Check it out live, because holy hell this is a great performance on Letterman. It proves that this isn't just a 'solo DJ record' and instead it's real music that is even more rocking when performed by real people on a real stage. Fantastic stuff:

Considering the diversity of talent involved in the making of this record, it'd be a damn shame if you missed out on a listen. You owe it to yourself to at least check out the bat-shit crazy rap-laden pop on display here. This is music for all colours, all classes and all ages. Enjoy.

Tune in tomorrow for more! It's gonna be a group from Canadia, eh.

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 #14 - Goldfrapp: Head First

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010

#14 - Goldfrapp: Head First

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: Each day I write another review of one of my top albums of 2010. I've been working my way up from #20 to #1 and you join us at position #14. Head to the April archives for more!

This album is a 'comfort album' for me. Its cover looks brilliant on my iPhone; there's a definite flow between tracks; each harmony or vocal track hits the exact right note at the exact right time; and its synth-pop theme is consistent throughout. At no point does this descend into some sort of spoof. Just as its predecessor - ethereal Seventh Tree - was faultlessly "ambient," this is faultlessly "80s radiant."

The highlight of the album is the excellent Alive. Its got a throbbing bass line that locks in perfectly with a thwopping drum beat and one of those classic piano riffs that you feel you've heard a thousand times before. Its music video features vampire teeth, aerobics enthusiasts, pentagrams and a bunch of KISS wannabes. The material lends itself to such extremes. Every verse has a flourish of some kind thrown in, and there's a hundred Alison Goldfrapp's in your ears during each chorus. This is the sort of music that lends itself to a kitchen-sink approach, where the band can throw any tricks they've been wanting to try at the production. The video sums that up rather nicely (even if it's thumbnail image is hilariously bad):

Indeed, the band recruited Pascal Gabriel (whom you may recall helped launch Ladyhawke into the A-list of synthpop acts a few years ago) to assist with the production and his input shows. They also brought in Richard X, who has a wicked ear for a tune and another storied career (involving M.I.A. and Roisin Murphy). Between the four of them, they were able to make a remarkable sounding record, that sounds both loud and soft at the same time. I remember thinking at the time I first listened to it, "wow, my ears feel so relaxed, despite this being a really rocking track." I researched who the mixer was and, lo and behold, it was one of the best in the business: Mark Stent. If you've not heard of him, you should check out his wiki page. He's worked with everyone. Genius. With him seemingly adding the last pinch of magic, this album was destined to be in my Top 20.

Most of interest to me now though, several months on, is what makes this a 'comfort album.' I don't have many, so it's always surprising when one gets added to the list. I think it's to do with the way I feel about ABBA. It's overtly theatrical music, self-aware but self-respecting. Perhaps it's just that I consciously try to inject those sentiments into my own songwriting. If it's not that, then it's got to be the way the major chords feel purposefully happy and the minor chords feel purposefully sad. This is broad, obvious, sounding music (even if it's creators are incredibly astute as musicians and producers) that hits my brain the same way as a Big Mac hits my gut on a Saturday.

Tune in tomorrow for more! #13 is a solo album by a super-producer who's really changed up his style this time around...

TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 #15 - Plan B: The Defamation of Strickland Banks

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010

#15 - Plan B: The Defamation of Strickland Banks

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: Welcome to a daily series, critiquing my favourite albums of 2010. Take a look here for more, or just tune in tomorrow for another record and some sweet videos.

"Plan B" indeed. Instead of being an infamous rapper, why not go for a complete career change and become a soul singer? That's exactly what B (can we call him this?) has done on this concept album. It's about a man who is a successful singer, who rejects a fan's advances, only to wind up in prison because she alleged he raped her. The guts of the story is told in the single, She Said. You can get the gist of where it's headed by watching its music video here:

He's an English lad, who's found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately for him, things go from bad to worse while he's in jail, but the accompanying music is all the better for it. Continuing on from where Amy Winehouse left off, Ben Drew (his real-life name when he's not Plan B) mixes the sweet sound of oldschool soul with the harsh realities of modern-day life in Britain. As if to continue on with the same theme, he's also recently starred in the film Harry Brown, along with Michael Caine. It's a similar tale: an 'us against the world' mentality that is set in a grimy existence of council flats and grey skies.

Fortunately for us as listeners, there's nothing grey about the music. It's clear-cut soul, through and through. The only divergence from this is a good old-fashioned foot stomper called Stay Too Long. It's about a wild night out on the town that caused poor old Strickland Banks' mess of a situation. It gets rowdy as all hell, just as the night itself apparently did, and it's one of the most sublime fusions of rock & rap I've ever heard. Every now and then the rapper in Plan B unleashes itself, breathing fresh air into a track and allowing him to fast-forward the narrative in the same way as operas use the Recitative technique. You heard it in She Said, but now you're gonna hear him tear the roof off in Stay Too Long here:

Rest assured that's the loudest track on the CD. The rest are warm, resonant and lushly arranged. In most cases, you'd listen to the album without realising there's a plot at all. In fact, you might find it better if you do. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy a true artist experimenting with genre. Cracker of an album from beginning to end.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow folks, it's by a duo who were nominated for a Grammy as a result of their work on a nicely pitched synth-pop record.

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 - #16 - Michael Jackson - Michael

 THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010

#16 - Michael Jackson: Michael

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: This is a daily series I'm writing, wrapping up my favourite 20 albums from 2010. I realise it's April 2011, but I don't apologise for the delay in publishing this. It took me a while to get through the 80+ records I've checked out from the year. So far we've featured New Young Pony Club's 'The Optimist'; Spoon's 'Transference';Eminem's 'Recovery' and The Brunettes' 'Paper Dolls.' If you like what you see, come back tomorrow for more! If you don't, feel free to harass me in the comments section.

The deification  of Michael Jackson began days after his death, when the realisation set in: he hadn't returned to greatness like we all wanted him to. When I heard he'd died, one of the first things I mourned was that his last album was the forgettable Invincible. He hadn't got a chance to cement his legacy, not in the way that latter-day Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley or Brian Wilson had since falling out of favour in the awkward mid-points of their careers.

 Christmas 2010 came around though, and Sony began the inevitable and Herculean effort to create that legacy for him. A whopping contract has been signed that guarantees ten albums' worth of material, courtesy of his debt laden estate. No doubt we'll see a Jackson record released every Christmas until 2020. Whether or not they'll be any good is a moot point. Are they withholding gems? Or is Michael the best there is, so they can strike while the iron's hot? If so, is it fair to slate them for giving us what we all want to hear? I have a real problem with reviewing this album because I've read dozens of reviews by other publications, and they all focused on the same angles. Here's a bullet-pointed and paraphrased list of things they mention:

• Akon, 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz all suck, why do we have to hear them on an MJ record?
• Michael was a perfectionist, he'd hate to release something that wasn't perfect
• This is a shameless cash grab
• We should let his previous albums speak for themselves
• There's rumours that other people filled in some of the harmonies after he died
• Michael's dead, and I hated him when he was alive, and as a reaction to people liking him now I'm going to rant about how you're all wrong
• Some of the vocals sound over-produced
• Michael's dead, and sometimes he mentions words like "dead" or "cemetery" or "The King has risen." COINCEDENCE?!
• The best songs are castaways that he recorded ages ago
• Michael Jackson's dead, but when he was alive he was pretty naff

I mean, really, can we not just let the material speak for itself? Yes, he's dead, and this is a pop record that sounds very much alive. It's as if we expect albums by dead people to have acoustic guitars and echoed vocals from the grave, like Nirvana's Unplugged in New York, or Johnny Cash's American V. Well, that's not the case here, and damned if I'm going to review the album from that perspective. Humour me as I pretend Jacko's still alive and kicking? I just think you'll get a more honest perspective. Cool? Here goes.

The first single from Michael Jackson's new album Michael is a perfectly suited way to kick off the next stage in his career. This is not a man who can sing songs like Bad, Dangerous or Thriller any more: he'll be pushing 60 soon and those legs surely can't swing the way they used to. Considering he's got three kids and he's anathema to women these days, it's not like he's gonna be able to sing about falling in love any time soon either. So, with this in mind, it makes sense he's gonna go for the big "bring the world together" anthems. Why not? John  Lennon did it after he lost the shimmer of The Beatles with Imagine and Give Peace A Chance. In fact, Lennon is the artist who comes to mind whenever I listen to Michael. For a long period, Lennon was a recluse, but he returned from a recording hiatus in 1980 to unleash Double Fantasy. I've always felt that was his way of proving he could rock out in the 60s or he could rock out in the 80s, and age was no barrier for him. Don't believe me? Check out his Clean Up Time in the below 'video':

Michael's done the same thing as Lennon with this album. In the case of lead single Hold My Hand, he's produced the same anthemic pop he's always done, but he's made it sound like 2010 instead of 1988. For one thing, that means making shorter songs. Compare previous ballad lengths of Michael's:

• History - 6:38
• Heal The World - 6:23
• You Are Not Alone - 5:45
• Man In The Mirror - 5:19
• Hold My Hand - 3:34!!

Welcome to 2010 Michael, we've all got ADD and are pretty trigger happy on our iPhones to move on to the next feel-good single. It's good of you to join us. Hell, he's just released the shortest album he's ever done. Thriller - "all thriller, no filler" - was a minute or so longer than Michael is. Dangerous, bloated masterpiece that it was, had an extra 40 minutes on it! This newly discovered brevity of Jackson's seems to indicate to me that he's finally aware of his position in the pop world's pecking order. He's probably got less pulling power than the Black Eyed Peas these days. God forbid, but them's the breaks. The world has no more time for his shtick, so he's pared it all back.

After kicking things off with Hold My Hand, MJ moves on to Hollywood Tonight. Lyrically, it's a nice twist for him. He's always enjoyed the storytelling aspect of songs, but most of the time his narratives revolve around a female protagonist who collides with him in some way. In this case, it's a fairly sad tale of a girl who has to compromise everything to become famous. These are grim lyrics and they're told from the perspective of a sad, wisened, elder who's seen too many lives ruined by The Machine. Pity that the music video they've just released misses the point entirely - I'd say that the video director had no idea it's a tragedy of a tale:

She's giving hot tricks to men just to get in
When she was taught that that's not clean
She's headed for the big time, that means
She's going Hollywood

The great news is, that's one of the worst songs on the record! Sure, it's coasting along on a 'good enough' hook, but it beats the pants off most of the other major pop releases this year. Lord knows why they chose that to be their second single, but it's great that they followed it up with the excellent Behind The Mask. From what I hear, Jackson recorded it many years ago, but it sounds fresher than anything I've heard on mainstream radio in 2010. It starts with a saxophone solo and thunderous applause, then starts cracking along with a mean snare sound, before building up to a batshit crazy chorus the likes of which I never thought I'd hear from Jackson. It sounds like something latter-day Madonna would record or an on-form Jamiroquai. All robo voices, trance-blips and disco groove, it's far and away the best cut of the album. I can't wait to see it performed live!

But, then, when that's done, the other best song comes on, and it's a doozy of a ballad. Called Much Too Soon, it's a softly-spoken Jackson trying to take the hand of a lady who won't have a bar of it. The second verse sees him lamenting his bad luck and the third verse is him trying to make the best of a bad situation, stoking hope where there's none to be found. It's devastating in its simplicity and no doubt it represents a sensation of loneliness he's felt time and time again. Check out some of the lyrics:

Take away this neverending sorrow
Take this lonely feeling from my soul
If only I knew one thing to bring tomorrow
She'd be sitting here beside me
And my heart wouldn't be cold

With those two masterpieces, there's no doubt in my mind that The King Of Pop has a promising next decade to look forward to. We're privileged to see one of the greats return from Recluse Land to show us what they can do in the modern era. Just like Lennon before him, Jackson's proven that he's the best in the business, so don't you dare pre-judge what he's capable of.

Well, that wraps up today's post folks. Sorry it's been a marathon, but I think Michael deserved a decent hearing. Tomorrow's will probably be shorter, out of necessity! It's a concept album, that successively subverts its chosen genre, by one of its unlikeliest advocates. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. See you soon!

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 #17 - The Brunettes: Paper Dolls

 

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010
#17 - The Brunettes: Paper Dolls

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: You're reading part 4 of a daily series I'm doing, which lists my Top 20 Albums of 2010. I listened to 81 albums last year, so feel like I'm entitled to act like I know what I'm doing. If you disagree, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Come back tomorrow for more! Previous entries were New Young Pony Club's 'The Optimist'; Spoon's 'Transference' and Eminem's 'Recovery'.

Many New Zealanders' first memories of The Brunettes stem from the lightning-in-a-bottle classic Boyracer. Using a faux-Spanish vibe mixed with their standard bubble-gum pop twee, the group lampooned the "cars screeching... gears grinding... gravel and glass..." and in the process mocked Fast and Furious culture perfectly. But that was 2003 and now it's 2011, so have they moved on sonically? Are they still the group that sung titles like Cotton Candy and Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks?

Safe to say that The Brunettes have matured a whole lot in recent times. They signed with Sub Pop (indie rock record label who previously signed groups like Nirvana, Fleet Foxes, Soundgarden, etc) and this album's been released by choice-as Lil' Chief Records, while they've proceeded to tour or open for world-class groups like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Beirut. They've seen the world in the last decade and it must've smelled like stale beer a lot of the time. Indeed, the group seems to consciously recognise this with their first music video of the record, what with Jonathan Bree walking across the globe for most of it:

If you watch the above video, you'll realise that it's laden with a looping 808-sounding drum beat. It's nothing fancy, but it keeps the song popping along nicely. The album is filled with programmed rhythms and it's all the better for it. Each new beat makes sure you think the album sounds merely 'nostalgic' instead of '50s twee'. As an added bonus too, the driving snares also dial down the intensity from the band. I don't know about you, but when I play a pop record in the presence of others, I want to make sure it's always pushing forward to the next beat. Previous records of The Brunettes have consciously played with the dynamic shift between 'clap clap' and 'earnest singing,' which can make for a disjointed listen when you've put on at a dinner party! Sonically, Paper Dolls is more like The Ting Ting's We Started Nothing than a faux-Doris Day record, and thus The Brunettes earned back my attention.

The reason they're in The Top 20 though is the beautiful song called If I. Each time I hear it, I'm floored by its arrangement. The song is based around the standard "call and response" technique the two singers have based their career on, but they're asking each other some hard-hitting questions like, "If I should accidentally die - leaving much too soon - would you play and sing our songs the same, with somebody new?" The orchestration perfectly compliments the over-earnest delivery of the lyrics, building up to a trumpet-laden climax with real drums and a bunch of well chosen organ sounds. In its darkness, its the nearest The Brunettes have ever gotten to (another New Zealand favourite) Goldenhorse. In 2010, a year of cold financial chills, they've delivered a song with the warmth of Radiohead's No Surprises. You can check out a - surely unsanctioned, but usefully available... - 'video' of it here on the Youtubes:

Well, that's the highlight of the album. What's the 'lowlight'? That would be the opening track, In Colours. Its hook is too damn catchy, which is precisely why I won't find a version of it to link to. If I do, it'll be in your head for days on end. The song itself has this 'break down' section that sounds like The Brunettes' version of a Kiss-styled foot stomping bridge. It's got a guitar part that reminds me of U2, which is not a good way to endear me to an album from the get go either. Until I wrote this blog I had completely forgotten about this song, because I'd banished it from my iPhone many moons ago. I listened to the complete CD from end-to-end though and instantly cringed when I heard In Colours again. It called into question my judgement for including the album at all. But, I assured myself, that at least it's the first song. If you've got it on CD, you just start from Track 2, and if you're of the Apple products (TM) generation you can just delete it from whatever MP3 player you use. It's the one blemish of an otherwise perfect record.

That wraps up today's post folks, make sure you read on for tomorrow's addition to the list. #16's by someone who's now dead! Not often that happens on a Best Of The Year list!

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 #18 - Eminem: Recovery

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010
#18 - Eminem: Recovery

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: I listened to 81 albums from 2010 and have decided to write a review per day on the top 20 from that bunch. You are reading #18 today. Come back tomorrow for more! A special hello to you all from the US, Spain, UK, France, Germany and Brazil, it's choice to have you here! You're reading a blog written in New Zealand, and it's likely because of the band New Young Pony Club's shout-outs on Facebook and Twitter that you're reading this. They were #20 in this series and you can read that here.

After shifting 6 million copies worldwide, Recovery became the top-selling album of 2010. In the process it took the record for best selling digital album of all time. A little while later, Eminem won the Grammy for the year's Best Rap Album. Rolling Stone ranked it much higher than I have in their own Best of the Year list. Wikipedia tells me that, "during 2010, Eminem's music generated 94 million streams, more than any other music artist." His single Love The Way You Lie was the UK's top single of the year, even though it never reached the peak position of #1 on the charts. Recovery dominated the globe last year... so why is it that many people I know are likely 'tisk-tisking' me right now? Allow me two paragraphs to give you some context and a brief history lesson? It's important, I promise. 

Many friends of mine can't stand Slim Shady. I would put money on the majority having never listened to a hip hop album from start to finish. If you're cringing because you're in a similar boat, that's cool. I understand. Eminem's always been alienating. Historically, he seems to have thrived off of the reactions he can provoke. Much like South Park and hundreds of stand-up comedians before him, he's gone out of his way to offend anyone who is easily upset. Back in his hey-day, this was what first captivated his legion of fans. Each barrage aimed at rich white society inspired higher sales, better music and more venomous lyrics than mainstream radio had ever served up before.

Eventually though, the schtick wore thin. Returning from a 5 year hiatus, Eminem blew his comeback in 2009. He released an album called Relapse that was wildly inconsistent and - much worse - predictable. The fans let him know. No-one liked it, and he lost a lot of street cred as a result. And that's where Recovery comes in...

Recovery's first lines feature a reluctant Marshall muttering, "you don't look too happy to see me. Fuck man, don't everybody welcome me back at once." He's on the back-foot, with his defences up, like a caged man hysterical at the idea of feeling trapped. From that point forwards he's competing for our attention. He knows that every song has to convince you - the listener - to continue on to the next one because his reputation is not enough to coast on anymore. There's a ferocity and steadfast refusal to relax that makes Recovery a great record. Check out the best track, Won't Back Down, for some insight into his mindset:

That song's the fourth track, and as soon as its monstrous hooks are laid out, the album transcends from 'so so' to 'so so so awesome.' It's an artful combination of hip hop and rock, reminding us who we're dealing with here: the uncrowned king of rap wordplay. He's prancing around, showing off, having fun, like a court jester who dresses up in hoodies and beanies. In the album version, there's even a moment where the song's producer breaks 'the fourth wall' and tries to fade the song out. Eminem's diatribe is unfazed by this interruption and instead changes his attention to the record producer, screaming for his vocals to be turned back up. This is a man who is intent on being heard, not because he has much to be said, but because he's finally realised he enjoys the spotlight. Hell, he even helped Chrysler do a commercial for this year's superbowl:

When you're as talented a word-smith as he is, I can't say I begrudge him for show boating. I wish I had half the skills he does. He rhymes in couplets whilst also spattering internal rhymes throughout many of his lines. A typical climax to a song on this record will involve him rhyming damn near every third word. Here's an example, and I'll highlight the different rhymes to help it 'read' better

Does a bird chirp, Lil Wayne slurps syrup till he burps And smokes purp, does a word search
gets circles wrapped around him like you do when I come through, I'd like you to remind yourself
Of what the fuck I can do when I'm on the mic

Sure, it's not Shakespeare, but it's a damn sight better than most "A-list" rappers out there. He called out Lil' Wayne while he was at it, as if to help me prove my point. Sometimes he also peppers his rhymes with double-entendres, and sometimes he even takes the time to point them out to us, because if he didn't we'd miss them in the rush. Check out this example of that happening: where the bold text is pronounced as a rhyme, and the underlined text is the double-entendre / pun hybrid

You say that you want your punchlines a little more compact
Well shawty I'm that man
These other cats ain't metaphorically where I'm at man
I gave Bruce Wayne a Valium and said
Settle ya fuckin' ass down, I'm ready for combat man
Get it calm batman?
Nah, ain't nobody whose as bomb and as nuts

Phewf! Now, if I still have to justify why it is that Eminem features in my Top 20, I'd say it's that you probably didn't notice I just quoted the same song twice. If you watched the video above, you probably heard the beats but not the twists in the lyrics. It's a rewarding listen in this way, as you an choose to just enjoy the vibe and the aggression, or you can actively hear each word and enjoy the way he has crafted them to flow. It's not that they're significant in any meaningful way, but it's truly fun to hear lyrics tossed about in the heat of the moment by a professional like this man. Enjoy him while he's still trying.

Alright, that's today's post. Tune in tomorrow for #17 - and I promise it's the polar opposite of Eminem's Recovery. It's a local group who have matured their sound perfectly over the course of the last couple of years.

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 #19 - Spoon: Transference Words by Dirk Calloway

 

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010
#19 - Spoon: Transference

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: I listened to 81 albums from 2010 and have decided to write a review per day on the top 20 from that bunch. You are reading #19 today. Come back tomorrow for more!

Let's start with the facts. Metacritic, one of those sites that the internet would fall apart without, awarded Spoon a prestigious title: "Top Overall Artist of the Decade." The Guardian have said of the band that they "have made it to seven albums without any significant variation in high quality." Rolling Stone say their frontman is the kind of guy "with endless hooks in his pocket and endless tricks up his sleeve." So, yeah, we're dealing with a group of heavy-hitters today folks. If Spoon aren't already considered one of indie rock's heavyweights, they're damn sure to be contenders. After the roaring success of 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the band found themselves on the precipice of greatness.

So what did they go and do with that set-up? They unleashed a bastard on the world. Transference sounds like the out-of-wedlock spawn that would eventuate if Radiohead's Kid A shacked up in a threesome with Dinosaur Jr and The Black Keys. This is perhaps the most over-produced under-produced sound I've ever heard. Every song is a contradiction. Sonically, it's as if they recorded the album five times over and smudged the results together. One minute the song is set deep in a room that's laden with echo and warmth, then - without a moment to adjust - the whole band are millimetres from your ears. Because I can't say it any better, here's Pitchfork's thoughts:

Pitchfork's Matthew Perpetua:

They get very cerebral in arranging their material, but every clever move is entirely in the service of maximizing physical impact and gut-level response. These are not simply recordings of a top-notch rock quartet playing in a room; this is art built to hit precise emotional marks with an impressive balance of off-the-cuff improvisation and rigid discipline.

I'm not sure I can say that about much "indie rock" these days. This is built art. It's not found, it's not accidental, and you can bet your ass that they can play it live, note-for-note. The amazing thing about Transference is its immediacy, despite its construction. Check out this video of the band recording lead single Written In Reverse for a feel of the solid foundations they've built this cut upon:

The version in the video is not the way it sounds on the album, but it's so tight it might as well be. Good luck finding a band capable of that sound in a pub on a Friday night. They're a world-class unit, self-producing immediately inaccessible pop. Ha ha, told you, a contradiction.

So, what about the songs themselves? It's as if the band could care less about choruses, or endings. Far more important to them is the beginning of a track and the thrill of its crescendo. The lack of a "singalong" moment (see, told you, Kid A's spawn) is not immediately obvious on first listen. A couple of plays later though, the feeling of something being missing will be inescapable. And then, magically, upon a further two listens, you will forget about it again. I've talked to a few people about this, and they've all confirmed the same thing. So, consider this fair game warning: you'll love it, then feel lonely or empty, and then you'll feel awash with the same determination the band no doubt felt when they first stepped into the recording studio.

I realise now that I've spoken quite glowingly about the album as a whole, and that stands counter to its position in the "Top 20." Succinctly: this is not an LP I ever feel compelled to play. When I do, I have a great time, but its rank reflects my reluctance to get excited about it before turning it on. Perhaps it's the fairly dull cover, or maybe it's the lack of a good ol' "yeah yeah yeah hey hey hey" chorus? If you've heard it, how about you let me know your thoughts in the comments section? I'd love to hear if you think such a good album should be ranked so low in the Top 20! 

Make sure you tune in tomorrow to read about an album that is a second attempt at a comeback for a beleaguered and freshly rehabilitated artist...

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 #20 - New Young Pony Club: The Optimist

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010
#20 - New Young Pony Club: The Optimist

Words by Dirk Calloway

Let's start the 2010 Top 20 Albums as I intend to end it: a wall of synths, a thumping bass riff, unrelenting snare beats and breathless vocals. Every day from this point forwards I will upload a new review of one of last year's best albums. We're going to start at #20 and work our way up to #1, handily ignoring albums #21 through #81. You read that right, I've listened to 81 records from 2010 and have gone to some amount of effort to rank them in preferential order. Some of them were obviously headed for the bottom of the pile (Santana covers Deep Purple anyone? What about Maroon 5's latest effort at staving off the inevitable C-rate celebrity status?) while others were obvious stand-outs from the moment they were purchased.

But the focus of today is going to be The Optimist by New Young Pony Club. This is their second release, following a good debut effort called Fantastic Playroom from a few years ago. Apparently they self-produced this one, and its immediately clear they went to great lengths to make it sound exactly how they wanted it to. The first track is a slow simmer that reaches a climax with total silence. NYPC achieve this by building up a dense and atmospheric soundscape, then cutting it completely. You'll be amazed at how effective the absence of sound is when you're midway through a tune. After leaving the listener with a moment to breathe... the Club burst back into the track, but they shed it of its previous reverb so you've got a clean pop groove again. It's as if they're telling you, "beware of labelling us, 'cause we've got a few tricks up our sleeve."

The CD cover perfectly sums up the sound the band's gone for. It's dark enough to appeal to indie rockers, but there's enough rays of light on each track to keep mainstream radio interested too. Put it this way - the band has been touring with Katy Perry. They're very much like her more cynical cousin, born to the alternative Aunty that eats organic food and abstains from burgers. If the sound could be summarised in a hairstyle, it would surely be the "side pony," what with its erratic bounciness and temptation to swing over a straight beat. Check out their music video for a feel of who they are:

So what is it about The Optimist that places it above 60 or so others from 2010? The answer to that question is the unwavering consistency the band sticks to. I've listened to the record many times, in different situations, and it always plays the same. I hope you understand what I mean: in a car, on my iPod, in the CD player, blaring out of my PC speakers, embedded in a mix-tape, on GrooveShark or turning up on shuffle... each track is consistently its own entity, regardless of the media I'm using to consume it. That's quite rare these days. There are some albums I can only listen to with headphones on, while there are others I wouldn't dare touch before 12pm. This is not one of those CDs: it's always the same listen, at any point in the day. And I value that.

At 45 minutes in length, it's not a short listen. Each song is around about 4 minutes too, so they're not "onto the next A-side" tracks either. Nope, this is an album delivered at the band's chosen pace, and it's all the better for it. Cracking stuff, especially if you're a synth-pop fan. If you're not, well, this record probably won't change that, but at least you'll respect a sophomore effort that is effortless and disarming.

Tune in tomorrow for a review of an Indie Rock band who are named after an eating utensil.... then tune in every day after that for more reviews of the Top 20 Albums Of The Year!