#1 - Top Five New Albums of 2007
(previous years: 2006, 2005)
1. Burial - Untrue
Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Dubstep
If I was allowed, this review would be written in all capitals and probably using over half swear words. However, another tact will be taken, perhaps not as true but more respectable.
When I first discovered Burial's self-titled release, I was totally blown away. Nothing sounded like this. Nothing. And yet, for all its ingenuity, all its magnificient glory, it was still relatively unapproachable. You either loved it, or wondered what all the fuss was about these strange noisy scratchy sounds with the basically inaudible vocals. It was glorious, music that you would walk home in the rain listening to on ridiculously expensive headphones, or in the dark at home. These sounds would never bleed onto a dance floor, nor bother you with on the signal of any radio. No, these were special, precious.
In spite of this, his complete anonymity, and generally distant sound, Burial was a huge success. He didn't know what to do with popularity, and I kinda wondered if another album would ever materialise, or was this was some Gorillaz-style big-namer releasing neat stuff on the sly (eventually to become yet another amazing plaque in their other stellar career).
And then Untrue came, not only exceeding expectations but utterly obliterating them. I wasn't even aware music could be this atmospheric. Subtle, dark, labyrinthine, this music is the pitter patter of little raindrops on London cobblestones, lit by giant glowing urban monoliths. This music is no longer the stuff you listen to on the rainslick nocturnal way home, this music IS the trip home, distilled back into music.
Album Download link
1. Burial - Untrue
Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Dubstep
If I was allowed, this review would be written in all capitals and probably using over half swear words. However, another tact will be taken, perhaps not as true but more respectable.
When I first discovered Burial's self-titled release, I was totally blown away. Nothing sounded like this. Nothing. And yet, for all its ingenuity, all its magnificient glory, it was still relatively unapproachable. You either loved it, or wondered what all the fuss was about these strange noisy scratchy sounds with the basically inaudible vocals. It was glorious, music that you would walk home in the rain listening to on ridiculously expensive headphones, or in the dark at home. These sounds would never bleed onto a dance floor, nor bother you with on the signal of any radio. No, these were special, precious.
In spite of this, his complete anonymity, and generally distant sound, Burial was a huge success. He didn't know what to do with popularity, and I kinda wondered if another album would ever materialise, or was this was some Gorillaz-style big-namer releasing neat stuff on the sly (eventually to become yet another amazing plaque in their other stellar career).
And then Untrue came, not only exceeding expectations but utterly obliterating them. I wasn't even aware music could be this atmospheric. Subtle, dark, labyrinthine, this music is the pitter patter of little raindrops on London cobblestones, lit by giant glowing urban monoliths. This music is no longer the stuff you listen to on the rainslick nocturnal way home, this music IS the trip home, distilled back into music.
Album Download link