Although, in 2008, the music world hasn't seen anything quite like the explosion of awesomeness that cinema has been privy to, we should still be thankful for some pretty fine albums. Here, in no particular order, are some highly recommended gems from the first half of the year:
Antidotes by Foals
It seems people have been talking about Foals for an awfully long time. Personally, I never much bought into the hype back when NME were raving about them (mostly because NME rave about any and every new British indie outfit). I only really sat up and took note when nonsensical but irresistible single "Cassius" started making the rounds.
Oddly enough, as soon as the album landed, everyone decided they'd had enough of Foals and promptly labelled them as "nothing special". I, on the other hand, was intrigued enough to go buy the album.
I remember hearing, sometime before Antidotes came out, that the band had binned the original mix (done by Dave Sitek) as it sounded "too empty and spacey" or something. Now I don't know what they did to the mix after Dave was done with it, but the finished product sounds pretty damn spacey to me. Funnily enough, that's what I like best about it.
Antidotes is a largely minimal, but gorgeous, record. Singles "Cassius" and "Balloons" turned out to be terrible choices as far as representing the whole album goes, although the abstract lyrics pop up in pretty much every song. In many ways it reminds me of early Bloc Party, which is no bad thing at all. "Big Big Love (Fig. 2)" in particular feels like a stripped down, more lyrically ambiguous "So Here We Are". Other standouts include "Olympic Airways", which features simple yet melodious guitar and a - genuine - yearning in Yannis' voice, and "Heavy Water", which builds to an instrumental climax that your ears will thank you for.
Saturdays = Youth by M83
While Foals debut is spare in its instrumentation and shy with emotions, the oddly-titled Saturdays = Youth is positively brimming with heart-bursting teenage soundscapes. Before you recoil in horror, this isn't a troubled emo boy bent over an acoustic guitar. Rather, it's an electronic album, its sound a tribute to '80s teen movies, with whispered vocals in the style of shoegaze.
OK.. I guess you're still shaking your head. Trust me, it's awesome. From the sombre and hushed opening of "You, Appearing" leading to the euphoria rush of stellar single "Kim & Jessie", right through to the midnight whisper that is "Too Late". The 11-minute closing track is a bizarre misstep, but hey, good to fall asleep too.
Ringer by Four Tet
OK, a bit of a cheat here. Ringer is a 4-track EP, but it's about half an hour in length so better value than most albums. Ringer sounds much like a stripped down, futuristic vision of Four Tet's earlier work. Any "folktronica" trappings have all but vanished, replaced by something more akin to minimal techno. Make no mistake, the old Four Tet is still easily recognisable. Hebden's love of clattering percussion and seemingly random (but no less wonderful) electronic squiggles are both present and correct. After several listens, it becomes apparent that Ringer has more in common with semi-ambient music such as Boards of Canada, as these tracks tend to settle into a comfortable groove and remain there, swimming along very nicely. A fairly major change from the constant shifting and shaking of a track like "Slow Jam".
Make no mistake, Ringer is a fine EP. Track titles like "Ribbons" and "Swimmer" are very appropriate for music that is ideally suited to getting lost in.
Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
I can't help but feel that NYC-based quartet Vampire Weekend were unfairly sneered at from the start. To begin with, they're American, and considering the British music press pretty much ignore anything from beyond our shores, that's not a great start. What I also kept hearing was that these guys went to an Ivy League university, so hey, they must all be massive snobs. It took quite a few months for everyone to realise they just made great music, and - guess what - that's actually the most important thing.
Considering their eponymous debut landed in January, the album itself is a very summery affair. In particular, the rollicking (man, I love that word) drums of opener "Mansard Roof" and the breezy "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" are the perfect soundtrack to a summer stroll (if, indeed, anyone still goes on summer strolls in 2008).
Frontman Koenig turns out to be handy with lyrics too, spinning handsome yarns about student life and beyond. Short and sweet "A-Punk" is a highlight in this regard, telling a tale of two uni friends who lose touch and become separated by distance once they graduate.
Plus, keyboard player Batmanglij has the funniest name since David Ngoombujarra.
Well, if anyone is reading this, I hope my thoughts were of some use to you! It is very late now and I am well and truly knackered. I will return very soon to the interwebs!
P.S. If you're wondering, I will come up with more original post titles eventually. The numbering is simply what I'll use when I'm feeling lazy or devoid of ideas.
Antidotes by Foals
It seems people have been talking about Foals for an awfully long time. Personally, I never much bought into the hype back when NME were raving about them (mostly because NME rave about any and every new British indie outfit). I only really sat up and took note when nonsensical but irresistible single "Cassius" started making the rounds.
Oddly enough, as soon as the album landed, everyone decided they'd had enough of Foals and promptly labelled them as "nothing special". I, on the other hand, was intrigued enough to go buy the album.
I remember hearing, sometime before Antidotes came out, that the band had binned the original mix (done by Dave Sitek) as it sounded "too empty and spacey" or something. Now I don't know what they did to the mix after Dave was done with it, but the finished product sounds pretty damn spacey to me. Funnily enough, that's what I like best about it.
Antidotes is a largely minimal, but gorgeous, record. Singles "Cassius" and "Balloons" turned out to be terrible choices as far as representing the whole album goes, although the abstract lyrics pop up in pretty much every song. In many ways it reminds me of early Bloc Party, which is no bad thing at all. "Big Big Love (Fig. 2)" in particular feels like a stripped down, more lyrically ambiguous "So Here We Are". Other standouts include "Olympic Airways", which features simple yet melodious guitar and a - genuine - yearning in Yannis' voice, and "Heavy Water", which builds to an instrumental climax that your ears will thank you for.
Saturdays = Youth by M83
While Foals debut is spare in its instrumentation and shy with emotions, the oddly-titled Saturdays = Youth is positively brimming with heart-bursting teenage soundscapes. Before you recoil in horror, this isn't a troubled emo boy bent over an acoustic guitar. Rather, it's an electronic album, its sound a tribute to '80s teen movies, with whispered vocals in the style of shoegaze.
OK.. I guess you're still shaking your head. Trust me, it's awesome. From the sombre and hushed opening of "You, Appearing" leading to the euphoria rush of stellar single "Kim & Jessie", right through to the midnight whisper that is "Too Late". The 11-minute closing track is a bizarre misstep, but hey, good to fall asleep too.
Ringer by Four Tet
OK, a bit of a cheat here. Ringer is a 4-track EP, but it's about half an hour in length so better value than most albums. Ringer sounds much like a stripped down, futuristic vision of Four Tet's earlier work. Any "folktronica" trappings have all but vanished, replaced by something more akin to minimal techno. Make no mistake, the old Four Tet is still easily recognisable. Hebden's love of clattering percussion and seemingly random (but no less wonderful) electronic squiggles are both present and correct. After several listens, it becomes apparent that Ringer has more in common with semi-ambient music such as Boards of Canada, as these tracks tend to settle into a comfortable groove and remain there, swimming along very nicely. A fairly major change from the constant shifting and shaking of a track like "Slow Jam".
Make no mistake, Ringer is a fine EP. Track titles like "Ribbons" and "Swimmer" are very appropriate for music that is ideally suited to getting lost in.
Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
I can't help but feel that NYC-based quartet Vampire Weekend were unfairly sneered at from the start. To begin with, they're American, and considering the British music press pretty much ignore anything from beyond our shores, that's not a great start. What I also kept hearing was that these guys went to an Ivy League university, so hey, they must all be massive snobs. It took quite a few months for everyone to realise they just made great music, and - guess what - that's actually the most important thing.
Considering their eponymous debut landed in January, the album itself is a very summery affair. In particular, the rollicking (man, I love that word) drums of opener "Mansard Roof" and the breezy "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" are the perfect soundtrack to a summer stroll (if, indeed, anyone still goes on summer strolls in 2008).
Frontman Koenig turns out to be handy with lyrics too, spinning handsome yarns about student life and beyond. Short and sweet "A-Punk" is a highlight in this regard, telling a tale of two uni friends who lose touch and become separated by distance once they graduate.
Plus, keyboard player Batmanglij has the funniest name since David Ngoombujarra.
Well, if anyone is reading this, I hope my thoughts were of some use to you! It is very late now and I am well and truly knackered. I will return very soon to the interwebs!
P.S. If you're wondering, I will come up with more original post titles eventually. The numbering is simply what I'll use when I'm feeling lazy or devoid of ideas.
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