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1. Last year when I was compiling my year end list I made the grieveous error of selecting Wolf Parade's album over The Hold Steady's Separation Sunday. Over the past year I have listened to The Hold Steady way more than Wolf Parade and realize now that it should have been at #1, hindsight really is 20/20. Anyway, I almost made the mistake again this year, for all of this week I have been listening to my top 3 and shuffling them with each listen of another album and have come to the conclusion that The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America is the best album of the year.On this album The Hold Steady have attempted to broaden their appeal, Craig sings rather than just talks his way through the album, there are bigger hooks, more layers of sound, actual defined choruses, etc., etc., and instead of making it more dull it made the whole sound of the band more interesting and more listenable. Simply put anyone who was a fan will still be a fan, but there will be a whole lot more fans thanks to this album.
The idea of the album is pretty similar to the previous releases. You have a bunch of young characters who spend their time drinking, doing drugs, and generally having a blast with their young lives. Once in a while it gets complicated or dangerous, but overall the party goes swimmingly. The only difference is this time around the characters are not defined, they are you or them or the guy next to you, they are us in the various stages of being us. Any 20-something in America can relate to the tales on this album. Its a brilliant switch in their song writing that makes them even more accessable then ever before.
The music is more accessable too, with much more vibrant sounds, and layers, and melodic singing. Craig doesn't completely abandon his trademark voice, and he certainly won't ever be mistaken for Freddie Mercury, but this time out the songs come out with a more fluid, harmonic sound. The band have also gotten more comfortable with their instruments thanks to extensive touring and the results are all so obviously clear.
This album belongs in the annals of other great albums. It is as good as anything Springsteen ever released, it compares to Dylan and the Stones, heck this could give some Beatles albums a run for the money. Maybe I've gone crazy (and I'm sure some of you will say that when you read this) but I believe that in 20 years I'll still be listening to this album ALL the time! If that's not the mark of a truly great album I don't know what is!!!
The Hold Steady - "First Night"
The Hold Steady - "Chips Ahoy!"
The Hold Steady - "Southtown Girls"
2. It took me a long time to truly appreciate TV on the Radio. My first exposure to them I completely dismissed them as "noise". Following a few more listens there were some songs I could get into and some I just couldn't even will myself to like. It wasn't until this year when I first heard Return to Cookie Mountain that I began to fall in love with the band and their music. I now see that everything prior to this was just building to this moment.Return to Cookie Mountain is so much fuller than everything that came before it. Tunde Adebimpe's voice is more powerful than ever before, and he accents it with harmonies from the raspier Kyp Malone as well as guest spots from David Bowie and more. The music itself has this amazing life to it that infuses the album with an unbelievable energy. Each instrument seems like it is thrown on top of all the other one, synth loops bleed into one another, the vocal harmonies are layered on top, the drums, chimes, everything one right on top of the other to feel every second of space on the album with this amazingly thick cohesive sound.
Everything on this album is the way music should be. I don't know why it took me so long to gain my appreciation for this band but I am so glad I did. This album is phenomenal and has merited every inch of praise that has been written about it.
TV on the Radio - "I Was A Lover"
TV on the Radio - "Let the Devil In"
TV on the Radio - "Wolf Like Me"
Top Albums of '06 3-4
Top Albums of '06 5-6
Top Albums of '06 7-8
Top Albums of '06 9-10
Top Albums of '06 11-13
Top Albums of '06 14-16
Top Albums of '06 17-19
Top Albums of '06 20-22
Top Albums of '06 23-25
Top Albums of '06 26-30
Top Albums of '06 31-35
Top Albums of '06 36-40
Top Albums of '06 41-45
Top Albums of '06 46-50
1 comments:
I enjoyed your list throughout; I didn't catch the end until just now. I certainly liked 50-25 better than 25-1, but that's what makes other people's lists so interesting. You're one of the few who simultaneously praised The Hold Steady, TVOTR, Newsom, and The Thermals. Generally I've found that people only love one or two of the above.
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