True and everlasting.

One of the major signs a record is of a high quality, is when the tracks emerge from the context in vastly different paces. Any given albums will always have tracks that are immediate favorites, tracks that eventually emerge as being the best, but a majority of albums also contain a few or more tracks that never really surface. Or don't seem to, anyhow. When some of these tracks actually do eventually shine brightly, is often the time I begin to mention the album in question in conjunction with my favorite albums.

Two albums have evolved and developed in exactly such a way for me over the past year. One is Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by French indie-poppers Phoenix. Of course, some of the more accessible and energetic tracks such as 'Lisztomania', '1901' and 'Lasso' immediately shone through as powerhouses of the album. The latter part - especially the last three tracks - was for a long time quite more obscure. However these last few weeks I've really started taking a liking to especially 'Countdown' and 'Armistice'. They're both amazing tracks. They revolve around the same pattern, culminating in epic outros carried by subtly pensive lyrics, putting Thomas Mars' fragile yet expressive voice at the forefront of dreaming descriptions of lost and flying love.

The other is Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. A gloomy meanderthon of an album, this has caught slowly but surely up on me. I instantly loved 'Cornerstone', which is an awesome piece of coquettery, and also 'Potion Approaching', 'Pretty Visitors' and 'My Propeller'. But some of the more anonymous tracks are truly the strengths of the album - tracks such as the thoughtful and deep 'Secret Door', which reminds me of a cross between two of the most epic songs from the first albums, '505' and 'A Certain Romance'. 'Dance Little Liar' is another key track on Humbug, in many way drawing the stylistic influences and the sound of the album together.

Otherwise, really nothing much is going on. I've got no money this month to buy new records, sadly. Roskilde added a number of small acts this week, I haven't really looked thoroughly through them yet. This Thursday is the big release, which is gonna be important this year, as many are divided on the look of the line-up so far.