Onze eindejaarscountdown! De tien favoriete albums van Linda, Ilse, en ondergetekende uitgebracht in 2010. Favoriet, omdat iedereen natuurlijk andere dingen leuk vindt en andere connotaties heeft bij de muziek en thema’s/genres die we daarin kunnen terugvinden. Dus dit zijn niet objectief de beste albums, maar de albums die op ons om de een of andere reden de meeste indruk hebben gemaakt. Enjoy!
The list: 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5
Nr. 4 – Linda
Album: Carve Out the Face of My God
Artist: Infinite Body
Someone wrote about this album that it’s this day’s classical music, and I couldn’t agree more (and I really should start writing down quotes when I read something I want to use as I couldn’t for the life of me tell you who actually said that). Infinite Body’s music is a sort of ambient Fuck Buttons but with that LA sound that really seemed to catch on this year, resulting in 40% of my end of the year list originating from this one city. And when you think about that a bit more, it feels rather weird. How does one city, on the other side of the planet, manage to dominate this year’s album list? According to my flatmate it’s impossible to form a band in London because the city’s too crowded: there are no affordable spaces where you can really practice – meaning without the neighbours calling the police because you’re making noise - resulting in ‘bands’ having to get full time jobs in order to pay for practice space and then not having the time to practice in the now affordable space. The vast open space of the USA seems to be winning on this (then again, L.A. doesn't strike me as the wide open Western country plains, but I've only been there once as a kid so I've got no clue anyway - ed).
I have used ‘A Fool Persists’ as my ringtone for the better part of the year, which wasn’t a big success as I didn’t really want to pick up my phone on the rare occasion that it actually went off. On the album it works perfectly though. All the songs flow into each other, something which I love as it means you shouldn’t play this album on shuffle. Shorter interludes are alternated between the longer tracks, and while the all tracks feature a drone of noise which strangle reminds me of No Age – or not so strangely as the album has been released on their record label - there is some real beauty in there too.
Random Track: ‘Dive’
Nr. 4 – Ilse
Album: High Violet
Artist: The National
Six months ago I wrote this album off as ‘another one of those the National albums’. This wasn’t a negative remark, as I adore ‘High Violet’ just as much as their other work. However, having had more time to let the album sink in; I think this one is actually bigger and more enlightening than their older stuff, something I’d attribute to the lush orchestration and uplifting harmonies. The sense of hope that shimmers through the cracks of each of the songs is incredibly comforting. Another remarkable thing about the National is that they’re are able to make somewhat odd lyrics sound very natural. I mean, how many bands can get away with “It’s a terrible love and I’m walking with spiders”? I’m still puzzled by how they do it, but I think Matt Berninger’s distinctive baritone voice is definitely a suspect. He manages to deliver it with such sincerity, devotion and soothing warmth you’ll eagerly agree and succumb to it, no matter how seemingly non-sensical the words may be.
Though ‘High Violet’ features numerous great songs, ‘England’ must be one of my favourite tracks of the year 2010. Not only on a musical level, but more on a personal level as well. Having left England this summer after almost a year of living there, the lyrics “You must be somewhere in London / You must be loving your life in the rain” are quite painful, not only because of all the people I left behind (and they definitely come to mind when I hear this line), but also for the memories I have of my time there. It’s a time I won’t get back and won’t relive again anytime soon, if not never. At the same time ‘England’ helps me cope with these feelings and reminds me that life goes on. All in all, the National may be kings of sad bastard melodrama rock about urban and social anxiety, it is definitely not in a ‘nobody understands me’-way. Quite the opposite actually, their music is engaging, uplifting and has a relatable and universal appeal.
Random Track: ‘England’
Nr. 4 – Stef
Album: Heartland
Artist: Owen Pallett
As you might have realized by now – and surely if you have read this blog before you must’ve known – I do love stuff that is thematically linked to each other. Whether that be on themes or in terms of narrative or in terms of atmosphere; I love it if there is an idea behind it or if an idea has unconsciously been built in. This time it is very much on purpose, because Owen Pallett has made an intricately structured concept album about farmer Lewis in a fictional world where he, Owen Pallett, reigns supreme. However, Owen wants something of Lewis, but he is “never gonna give it to” him. In the finale of the album Lewis violently dethrones Pallett from his mandate to rule the world.
Now, that is the story of the narrative, and there is a whole hoist of themes there that I find interesting. First of all, the meta-fictional element of putting yourself in a work of fiction so that, inherently, it IS fiction. So there is no world created trying to be real, but the author’s hand and eye are firmly present and the author makes no attempt in hiding it. Second of all, there is the theme of a fictional character rebelling against the narrative. The author says, hey, this is the way it is going down, and the character says, You know what, no!, and rebels against it. Which can be construed as rebelling against tradition or conformity, or something else oppressing. Very much ties in what the world has been doing since 1950 with Gay Rights, Civil Rights, the Second Wave of Feminism, and the ongoing quest of, okay, so, I don’t believe in God, but if there is no God, what exactly is going on in this world and why? On the album there are loads of references to be found to religion as well, or to other literature like, for example, Faust. Not to mention that the songs are just plain good. Some are even rather catchy because of the amazing looping Owen does, some are carefully crafted and have some curveballs in them, like the opera singer on the closer of the album. Both musically and in terms of narrative a great album high on themes and ideas.
Random Track: ‘Tryst With Mephistopheles’
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