Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#30-26)
For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31]
30. Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams (2000)
The argument that most of the world's greatest art is derived from sadness is one that I've always worked hard to refute, but a guy like Ryan Adams doesn't make it easy for me to do so. It doesn't get much sadder than his solo debut, which apparently was inspired by the ending of a romantic relationship. Obviously this is not exactly uncharted territory in the world of (real) country music, but Adams leaves no misplaced notions that the feelings portrayed here are anything but genuine. I love the album's deceiving opening, where it begins with a hilarious interchange between him and David Rawlings about whether or not Morrissey's Suedehead is on the album Viva Hate (it is), before lunging into an upbeat rockabilly number called To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High). From that point on though, Adams plays some of the most melancholy music I've ever heard. Oh My Sweet Carolina is a homesick ballad featuring the always beautiful vocals of Emmylou Harris. You may be able to remain composed during Bartering Lines or Damn Sam (I Love A Woman That Rains) but by the time Come Pick Me Up comes along on the playlist, you might as well just set aside the foolish machismo for awhile and let the waterworks flow, because this is an artist that was not put in the recording studio for our foolish amusement. [Myspace: Ryan Adams]
29. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV On The Radio (2004)
TVOTR is a band that has been very consistent throughout this decade as all three of their studio albums were considered quite seriously for inclusion on this list. When I listened to them all through more recently though, it was this 2004 (studio) debut that had to be the winner since it's the original in terms of them solidifying an avant garde sound that is currently beyond comparison. For me, TVOTR is basically a genre unto themselves. When I want to listen to psych rock for example, there are many artists, old and new, that I could go to. The same goes for folk music, and pop music. But when I'm in the mood for TVOTR music, only TVOTR will do. The harmonies and swirling vocalizations of Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone take bizarre doo-wop sonics to another level, while the music itself takes the standard bass, guitars and drum approach and layers it to a point where it becomes a grand looping orchestra. And the acapella groove of Ambulance hits me in a clouds parting, heavens opening sort of way. There's no doubt that they'll continue to be one of my 'purchase without needing to hear first' bands, since their consistency is now an established fact, as far as I'm concerned. [Myspace: TV On The Radio]
28. Cryptograms - Deerhunter (2007)
While last year's Microcastle and subsequent tour established to us all that Bradford Cox has gotten most of the weird out of his system, I'm eternally grateful that he managed to get this psych rock experience out to the masses beforehand. His more streamlined sound of today is still amazing as he continues to break down boundaries with his unique and original vision, but in terms of artistry and special experiences, nothing can compare with the sonic achievement of Cryptograms. I love the album's schizophrenic approach with the songs alternating between heady rockier, almost straightforward numbers and disjointed soundscapes that make the spaces inbetween the songs crucial to the album's overall tone. The fact that the album was recorded at two different sessions actually works in its favor as this enables it to serve as a document of growth from a confused disheveled beginning to a more focused yet eclectic conclusion. [Myspace: Deerhunter]
27. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case (2006)
There are many reasons why Neko's Fox Confessor... album is one the best of the decade. For one, there is the unique structuring of the songs as they deliberately steer clear from anything overly conventional while still borrowing heavily from the pioneers of the past. There is also the strength that is to be found in the lyrical aspect of the album. Lines such as "The night I fell into the lion’s jaws /To my regret /And your delight /Those teeth themselves could not divine /Nor their pressure estimate /The haze I wish to never break /And to never contemplate" are stacked with unusually stark imagery. But let's be honest, the main reason she's here is that voice! That unparalleled, powerfully sultry voice is such that one can't help but be a slave to its charms. Nowhere is this more obvious than when she belts out the title to That Teenage Feeling, where that intoxicating vocal presence of hers takes me back, not to my own teens, but to the pre-adult years of generations past with a classic feel that epitomizes a time that is often categorized as innocent, even though Case's homage makes it clear that such was not always the case. [Myspace: Neko Case]
26. Let It Die - Feist (2004)
And while we're on the topic of unparalleled vocalists, is it any surprise that Leslie Feist has gone on to become the household name that we all knew she should be? Well, I guess the true answer to that question is actually 'yes' since although she's discovered the pot of gold, so to speak, there are many other equally deserving artists who have not. And it's true that her current popularity has spawned a crapload of imitators but even more tragic is the fact that artists who have been doing this longer than she has are now in danger of being accused of imitating her as well, since she has opened a path that many are now free to follow. Wow, what was supposed to be praise for her album is now sounding like a rant, but let me apologize by saying that Let It Die deserves it all. What's interesting is the fact that, although I like the popular Mushaboom song, as well as the popular Bee Gees cover (Inside and Out), one of my favorite songs is actually the cover of Françoise Hardy's L'Amour ne dure pas toujours simply because, for me, that song encapsulates all that I find endearing about Feist's whole persona. She's certainly got an air of mystery about her, that certain twinkle in her eye if you will, but she also seems completely down to Earth and approachable as well, and both of those sides shine throughout the course of this album. [Myspace: Feist]
Tomorrow: Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
Labels: deerhunter, feist, neko case, ryan adams, top 50 albums of the decade, tv on the radio
posted by Bobby B at 12:00 AM
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