My favorite albums of the past decade - part 2
Erykah Badu, ““New Amerykah Part 1: 4th World War” (2008)
I haven’t really followed Erykah Badu from the beginning, but I picked this up based on strong reviews and the bewitching video for “Honey”. This decade has been one where the album has, at least to me, lost its prominence over individual songs, but this album is a solid *album* - from start to finish, Erykah is in her own funky, black power universe. The songwriting is superstrong, and the grooves are fantastic. An album to get lost in, and I did. Some of the tracks are simply astonishing - the production on them is unbelievable. There’s supposed to be a part 2 and part 3 - though the release date gets pushed back forever, which is a bummer. Favorite songs: “The Healer,” “Honey,” “Telephone,” “The Cell”
Aimee Mann, “Lost in Space” (2002)
I’ve seen Aimee maybe 6 times in the last ten years, and I have loved her solo stuff (and before that - the last ‘Til Tuesday album is a masterpiece). She made a close-to-perfect album in the 90s - “I’m With Stupid” - that since to her dumb label battles kind of got lost in the shuffle. She’s at a point now where she makes great 2/3 albums, which is fine, because the good stuff is so good… but this is her best album of the last decade, and pretty much solid all the way through. It also features five of her best songs… “Today’s the Day,” “Real Bad News,” “Lost In Space,” and two of my all time favorites - “This is How It Goes” and “Invisible Ink, ” which is like a summation of everything she’s tried to do up to this point.
The Knife, “Silent Shout” (2006)
For once the Pitchfork hype was worth it. The people in this band are completely batshit crazy, in a very good way, and they make ominous and hypnotic music I was kind of obsessed with for about six months. Best songs: “Silent Shout” and “We Share Our Mothers Health”.
Frightened Rabbit, “Midnight Organ Fight” (2008)
You know how a lot of times British singers don’t sound British when they sing? Not the case for these guys. This album was a sleeper - I downloaded it and didn’t really get into it for a couple of months, but there’s some really great songwriting on here. I feel like they’re a band that will only get better, and I’m excited to see what they’ll come up with next. Best songs: “Head Rolls Off,” and the amazing “Keep Yourself Warm,” the sweetest song with NC17 lyrics I can think of from the last decade.
Postal Service, “Give Up” (2003)
I saw some people dissing Ben Gibbard on someone else’s FB today, and I don’t get it. I think he’s done some astonishing stuff, and this one off with the guy from Dntel (which grew from their single collaboration “This is the dream of Evan and Chan), while it sort of became musical wallpaper for a while, is still a fantastic album. From the first song, which gives a shout out to my hometown (“DC Sleeps Alone Tonight”) through the end, it’s tight, and fun, and sweet. “Such Great Heights” deserves its classic single status, and “Brand New Colony” is almost as good. (I’m including a b-side in this, “Be Still My Heart,” which is another one of my favorites.) Haters, step off.
The National, “Boxer” (2007) This is an odd one. As Pitchfork says, in praising this band mind you, they’re a bit on the boring side, and I don’t really love their earlier stuff, but this album was a fixation for about six months. Just incredibly solid songwriting and playing. Live, they were decent, and I wonder if they’ll ever be as good as this, but I’m hopeful. If I were making a playlist of songs of the decade, the first two songs, “Mistaken for Strangers” and especially the beautiful, beautiful “Fake Empire” would be prominently featured.
I haven’t really followed Erykah Badu from the beginning, but I picked this up based on strong reviews and the bewitching video for “Honey”. This decade has been one where the album has, at least to me, lost its prominence over individual songs, but this album is a solid *album* - from start to finish, Erykah is in her own funky, black power universe. The songwriting is superstrong, and the grooves are fantastic. An album to get lost in, and I did. Some of the tracks are simply astonishing - the production on them is unbelievable. There’s supposed to be a part 2 and part 3 - though the release date gets pushed back forever, which is a bummer. Favorite songs: “The Healer,” “Honey,” “Telephone,” “The Cell”
Aimee Mann, “Lost in Space” (2002)
I’ve seen Aimee maybe 6 times in the last ten years, and I have loved her solo stuff (and before that - the last ‘Til Tuesday album is a masterpiece). She made a close-to-perfect album in the 90s - “I’m With Stupid” - that since to her dumb label battles kind of got lost in the shuffle. She’s at a point now where she makes great 2/3 albums, which is fine, because the good stuff is so good… but this is her best album of the last decade, and pretty much solid all the way through. It also features five of her best songs… “Today’s the Day,” “Real Bad News,” “Lost In Space,” and two of my all time favorites - “This is How It Goes” and “Invisible Ink, ” which is like a summation of everything she’s tried to do up to this point.
The Knife, “Silent Shout” (2006)
For once the Pitchfork hype was worth it. The people in this band are completely batshit crazy, in a very good way, and they make ominous and hypnotic music I was kind of obsessed with for about six months. Best songs: “Silent Shout” and “We Share Our Mothers Health”.
Frightened Rabbit, “Midnight Organ Fight” (2008)
You know how a lot of times British singers don’t sound British when they sing? Not the case for these guys. This album was a sleeper - I downloaded it and didn’t really get into it for a couple of months, but there’s some really great songwriting on here. I feel like they’re a band that will only get better, and I’m excited to see what they’ll come up with next. Best songs: “Head Rolls Off,” and the amazing “Keep Yourself Warm,” the sweetest song with NC17 lyrics I can think of from the last decade.
Postal Service, “Give Up” (2003)
I saw some people dissing Ben Gibbard on someone else’s FB today, and I don’t get it. I think he’s done some astonishing stuff, and this one off with the guy from Dntel (which grew from their single collaboration “This is the dream of Evan and Chan), while it sort of became musical wallpaper for a while, is still a fantastic album. From the first song, which gives a shout out to my hometown (“DC Sleeps Alone Tonight”) through the end, it’s tight, and fun, and sweet. “Such Great Heights” deserves its classic single status, and “Brand New Colony” is almost as good. (I’m including a b-side in this, “Be Still My Heart,” which is another one of my favorites.) Haters, step off.
The National, “Boxer” (2007) This is an odd one. As Pitchfork says, in praising this band mind you, they’re a bit on the boring side, and I don’t really love their earlier stuff, but this album was a fixation for about six months. Just incredibly solid songwriting and playing. Live, they were decent, and I wonder if they’ll ever be as good as this, but I’m hopeful. If I were making a playlist of songs of the decade, the first two songs, “Mistaken for Strangers” and especially the beautiful, beautiful “Fake Empire” would be prominently featured.