Sigur Ros
Agaetis Byrjun (FatCat Records)
The album’s title, roughly translated “good start”, is a charming understatement given the buzz
surrounding this group’s second release of beautifully orchestrated, deeply atmospheric music. Sung in a hybrid of Icelandic and something they call Hopelandic, the lead singer’s unusual falsetto will have you thinking he’s a girl, but… married to the ethereal strings, langorous rhythms, and ambient backdrop, the overall sound has a woozy majesty. Not to all tastes but if you’re feeling adventurous…
The Magnetic Fields
69 Love Songs (Merge Records)
It’s hard to imagine the number of songs “love” has inspired over the years, but if you’re keeping count you can add another 69, courtesy of the ubiquitous Stephin Merritt. After a 4 year hiatus from his other bands (The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, Gothic Archies), Merritt has opened up his well spring of creativity to deconstruct the magic and mystery of our favorite human condition. The songs are short and spare and give the impression he was just noodling in the basement with some friends. This is a highly entertaining collection; catty, crude, funny, sappy and full of unlikely marriages… banjo and cello? Some will call it overkill but I couldn’t get enough. Collect all 69! I did.
Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
Furnace Room Lullaby (Mint Records)
Don’t let the crime-scene cover shot of Case dead on a basement floor deter you from checking out this alternative country gem. That’s just a bit of Case’s lingering punk rock sensibility showing through! It’s less blatant on the inside, but these crooners and belters benefit from her vitriolic delivery; her confident, emotive voice gently caressing one moment then yanking you by the collar the next. With her Boyfriends, an ever evolving army of musician and songwriter friends that must number in the thousands, she explores the country idiom with deep reverence, creating a heady experience that I defy you to keep from toe-tapping. Check out her side projects (Corn Sisters, New Pornographers) and stay tuned for an upcoming album that enlists Calexico among others.
Calexico
Third Rail (Our Soul Our Strength)
Look for this record in the “texmex mariachi-flavoured spaghetti western country rock concept album” section of your local music store. Bandmates Joey Burns and John Convertino have juggled musical styles with a host of collaborators for years and this has flavoured their songwriting greatly. Spices include Americana, roots and post-modern jazz, with a dash of ambient sound boiling up as needed. Add a host of talented guest players and you’ve got a tasty musical stew that nourishes long after the batteries have died on your walkman. Playing like a spaghetti western soundtrack, moods shift between intense energy and full orchestration, to sparse, somber moments. Mariachis figure prominently in the mix, blending with pedal steel, cello and moody vocals to conjur images of lazy, tequila-soaked bordertowns in this evocative, sunbaked gem.
The New Pornographers
Mass Romantic (Mint Records)
Good for us all that various Vancouver indie stalwarts feel it necessary to moonlight on a side project like The New Pornographers’ Mass Romantic to satisfy their creative urges. This impressive power pop debut draws alumnus from 5 or more bands, with vocals being shared between Carl Newman (Zumpano, Super-conductor), Don Bejar (Destroyer), and alternative country chanteuse, Neko Case. Together they have created an infectious, high energy romp that explores a multitude of influences and styles, blending Brian Wilson harmonies with wonderfully textured instrumental tricks that bob, weave and change gears through twelve lush tracks. Song writers Newman and Bejar provide hooks a-plenty with dense guitars leading the charge and spirited drumming from Limblifter’s Kurt Dahle. This is an inspired effort from all involved and the groups’ joyful enthusiasm and comraderie are plainly obvious throughout.
