Woah. Cryptic post title. Yeah. I think it’s time to add a few more albums to my running list of 2008 highlights.
Hercules and Love Affair (self-titled)
There was a time when I hated Antony and the Johnsons. Hated. My mind was completely unaccepting of Antony’s vocals and bewildered at the praise their last album received. Then I started to soften, I gave the album a few chances (Antony and The Johnsons’ I am a bird now). I don’t know why, but over a period of at least twelve months I grew from disgust into utter infatuation. It is a masterpiece. And I finally appreciated Antony Hegardy’s style for the genius that it is. Which is why I was so surprised that I didn’t notice this album until it was out. Antony appearing on a dance album? Released by DFA (record label with a golden touch, and the American home of my beloved Hot Chip). The album is the work of a DJ named Andrew Butler, who I’d never heard of, and features Antony on literally every second track. And it is fucking brilliant. The most apt way to describe it would be to invoke the usually unmentionable ‘disco’ moniker. But musically, it’s quite varied. Opener Time Will sets the scene early, with Antony’s wail dominating by the end of the song. As my girlfriend’s housemate Kiki exclaimed to me when I said I was putting on some ‘disco’… “This isn’t disco… it’s afrobeat stuff!”. Perhaps, but then the guitars seem almost flamenco. And Antony’s presence indescribable. The next track is the real pleaser though. Hercule’s Theme being one of the albums five (out of ten) songs not featuring Antony. Yet, it manages to be one of my favourite on the album. Amazingly punchy and upbeat, with a female vocalist and amazing sax work. The saxophone makes many welcome appearances on this album. It shows the album isn’t dependent on Antony, and futher tracks only cement this point. It’s just great music all ’round. The album peaks at single Blind. Which is oh so good. If the public had any sense this track would be the mainstream breakthrough that Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy was last year. I could die.
DeVotchKa – A Mad and Faithful Telling
If you watched the wonderful movie Little Miss Sunshine (and lord knows i have several times) then you’ve already been introduced to this band, as they did the majority of the soundtrack. Musically, in my mind they’re some glorious blend of Arcade Fire, Gorgol Bordello, Sufjan Stevens, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. But entirely unique in their own way. It’s sort of gypsie meets indie rock meets something else. The vibrato heavy vocals are very very distinctive, and the instrumentation is lush and varied. In fact, I was laying in bed listening to this album a few nights ago when it dawned on me that the bass lines are almost entirely performed by what I assume is a fucking bassoon. Correct me if I’m wrong. All in all, a very heartfelt album with amazing amazing instrumentation. Totally in it’s own league musically.
The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
I can say without any hesitation Jack White is my favourite guitarist. He’s forced me to change underpants more times than anyone else. Orgasmic. This album came out of nowhere. And this time not because I was out of the loop, but because allegedly they gave no word to their label about its creation… just slapped it down one day and said ‘oh we made an album. release this bitch in a week’. Ok, maybe not an exact quote. But it was a nice surprise. Jack White is again joined by Brian Benson, and the rhythm section of The Greenhornes (who are a great blues band in their own right, check them out), but this is far far from a side project. It’s well and truly it’s own entity now. And it fucking rocks. If you can listen to the first two tracks without needing a change of pants than you are incontinent. As a bass player I may be biased, but holy zombie christ the bass tones on this album are so god damn ballsy. Gritty, dirty bass. Just how it should be. And with Jack’s amazing guitar, precise and crunchy drums, and the one-two vocal attack of Jack and Brian (who in my opinion actually seem to be sounding more like each other these days). Musically, it branches out too. Not just dirty blues-rock, but with many surprises along the way. The highlight for me being the amazing fiddle parts in Old Enough. And there’s plenty of great keyboard/organ parts throughout, also. And the fucking guitar, man.
Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
And now the first of two albums produced by Danger Mouse. The man with the golden touch. Anyone responsible for the musical brilliance of Demon Days (by Gorillaz), The Grey Album (the Beatles v Jay-Z mash-up album that first brought him attention, both from music listeners and copyright lawyers), The Good, The Bad, and The Queen (by the Damon Albarn led band of the same name), and The Mask and The Mouse (his collaboration with one of my favourite rappers, MF Doom) deserves all your attention. But it’s his collaboration with Cee-Lo as Gnarls Barkley that unexpectedly defined his career. Cee-Lo Green (the soul machine) has been around for quite a while, but never gained the mainstream attention that the musically similar Outkast did. Just a tad too weird, perhaps. But together, they are an unstoppable force. And this album is no different. Musically, it is still quite similar to their debut St Elsewhere. It is however lyrically darker (and I already loved their ability to bring self-deprecation into the mainstream music community littered with egos and aggressive masturbation over the microphone), at times more stripped back (such as on the standout track Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?), yet at times way more busy (such as during bizzarre first single Run), and there are enough surprises to keep you hanging (the seemingly Celtic music inspired Going On, for example). In true DM style, the drums are amazing, the music is polished, and his trademarks are everywhere. If you liked their first, I can’t see any reason you would love this.
The Black Keys – Attack & Release
The Black Keys have always been a great blues-rock band ripping it apart in the mid-fi arena. Not quite lo-fi, but way too gritty to be considered anywhere near the mainstream as far as production value is concerned. A guitar & drums band. Which is why it was so surprising to hear that the aforementioned Danger Mouse had been roped into producing this album. It’s world colliding stuff here. The crisp, often simplistic style of DM clashing into the pure grit and gravel-rash of The Black Keys. But it WORKS. So well. I think the real key is that DM’s presence is distinct, but still subtle. It’s definitely the most polished sounding album of their career, but the dirt still remains. The gorgeous touches of DM do it wonders and expand their palette. His keyboard parts not overtaking, but wonderfully complimentary. See Psychotic Girl, for example. And the trademark vocal ‘oohs’ he seems to love. Basically, this unexpected collaboration seems to reflect amazingly well on both parties… two worlds working very well with each other. Far and away my favourite Black Keys release. And in true DM style, the drums seem crunchier too. If you’re a fan of either, I would not miss this one. Now if only we can get him to produce a fucking Hives album. Oh yes please.
