4. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief (The Gloaming)
A black spot in my Radiohead-chronology merely a year ago, Hail To The Thief, which for the records is the sixth full-lengther of the Oxford quintet, now assume
s its place among my favourites. More organic than its predecessors Kid A and Amnesiac, yet still more cynical than the following In Rainbows, HTTT in many ways draws the most direct lines back to much heralded masterpiece OK Computer of 1997 in terms of mood, tempo and diversity. A behemoth, 14-track fountain of everything from sizzling loops and noises to simple percussions and trumpets, it has its natural highs and lows, but as everything else graced by Jonny Greenwood's musical mastermind and Thom Yorke's excentricism and awe-inspiring, fulgurous voice, it is altogether a brilliant musical production. In many ways it ties the vastly genre-spanning discography of Radiohead together, most profoundly exemplifyed by opening jewel '2+2=5' which climbs from stinging sub-bridge guitar noises and electronic drums, mulling below Yorke's heavenly voice, through syncopated guitar-tension into a full-blown rock and roll crescendo. Other high points include 'Sit Down. Stand Up.' (yeah, all track-titles contain full stops) with its tension-building drums and wildly relinquishing xylophone-arpeggi, and beautifully Beatle'esque closing ballad 'A Wolf At The Door.'The top three songs on my last.fm are:
- '2+2=5'
- 'Sit Down. Stand Up.'
- 'Backdrifts.'
3. Spleen United - Neanderthal
It has been tough determining the order of the two next ones, since one of them is most definitely of a higher musical standard, while the other has perhaps been the most musically inspiring album for me this year. I have been a late starter on Danish electrorock outfit Spleen United, surprisingly, as I am a synthesizist, and only this last year have I embraced this outfit from Århus. Sophomore effort Neanderthal was my first exposure, and still dwarfs their debut effort Godspeed Into The Mainstream in my books. While it does have its
weak spots, songs such as hit single 'Suburbia', the instrumental 'Dominator', epic 'My Jungle Heart' and the magnificent '66', which rolls along with a heavy yet upbeat pace and uniquely kitsch drum machine sounds, make it all worth while. Above all, I as a synthesizist am very much inspired by Spleen United's choice of timbres and their rhythmic preferences as well. A great live act, as I have discovered this year too, while not as multi-faceted, they have outdone rivals VETO in plays the last six months, and have definitely been an enrichment.These three have had the most impact:
- '66'
- 'Suburbia'
- 'My Tribe'
2. Foals - Antidotes
Culminating in getting airtime on my request on P3 yesterday (just had to mention it), through the last half year, Foals have rocketed to the upper echelon of bands in my musical universe. Being statistically my most heavily listened album the last six months, Antidotes has proved to be a longevous one. A
nd deservedly so. The songs do not culminate all at once, in fact, Antidotes is a great example of tracks coming along at their own pace. At first, it was ones like Cassius and The French Open that were most exciting, later on it was Two Steps, Twice and Dearth, while now, Olympic Airways, Balloons and Tron are making their presence felt. Two Steps, Twice however is still one of my favourites, and it is very representative of Foals' unique style. Tapping, poly-rhythmic guitars create a wonderland of harmonies almost as were it a choir. Winding in and out through each other, the instruments create a wall of sound from remarkably stripped timbres. Synthesizers are often very unintegral - instead, somewhat gimmicky saxophones and trumpets enter the sound picture, which is topped by an extraordinarily skilled drummer with a refreshing, 'less is more'-approach.The last.fm top three is:
- 'Two Steps, Twice'
- 'Olympic Airways'
- 'Dearth'
1. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
All hail cowbells! Atop my list, as the most intriguing, important and influential new record in my twentieth year (being as the next is actually my twentyfirst even though I'll be 20, go figure), sits St. Albans' Friendly Fires, and their eponymous debut album from September 2008. An extrovert, uptempo synthpop-indie-dance effort produced by the band itself in their garage, from beginning to end, Friendly Fires is a joyride through samba-inspired vivacous percussion bits, sing-along choruses, innovative guitar-effects and yes, cowbells. You cannot anything but smile, dance and hum along to this elysian debut effort from a band which shows no signs of rookie slips. Critics may point out that Friendly Fires is slightly one-sided, but even when Ed McFarlane comes closest to wrenching out his feelings in Strobe, he and the band do so impressively, omitting this as a potential weak spot. While Friendly Fires may have not created an overly deep and pensive piece of art, they sure have made an admirably positive album without resorting to musical idiotism. Quite the opposite actually, as Friendly Fires have managed to create a record which is thoroughly their own, and which is remarkably secure whilst not compromising the youthful wit and energy that makes this the best party album in a long, long time, a deserved Mercury Prize nominee, and my most important album of the last twelve months!
And the top three is:
- 'Jump In The Pool'
- 'Ex-Lover'
- 'Lovesick'
