Kevin
Mathews:
January,
2005

So Much Music…So Little Time

Happy New Year!

Over the festive season, as everyone reading this is probably aware, a tragic disaster hit South and South-East Asia in the form of earthquakes and tsunamis which have devastated parts of Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. Living in Singapore, I am keenly aware of how that could easily have been my family holidaying in Phuket or Penang - in fact many Singaporeans have been impacted by this tragedy personally - and it makes issues like determining the albums of 2004 seem trivial.

But it isn't.

Life must go on despite the trials and tribulations because we must always believe in a better tomorrow. Spare a thought (and a prayer) for the victims, their lives changed forever by this tragedy and live your life in appreciation of what you have - count your blessings and make the very most of 2005 because you have the opportunities many in the tsunami disaster have been deprived of.

With that in mind, here are my favorite albums of 2004.

The Blurb-O-Rama Excellent Album Achievement Awards for 2004

Brian Wilson SMiLE (Nonesuch)
Yes, it's ironic that the songs on the album of 2004 are 37 years old. Or maybe not. It's fitting that finally perhaps, Brian Wilson gets his due both critically and commercially for the mercurial genius that he is (not forgetting the invaluable contribution of Van Dyke Parks, Darian Sahanaja and Jeff Foskett). Putting aside sentimentality, SMiLE is a pop masterpiece and as a concept far surpasses Sgt Pepper's or Tommy and without exception deserves it's place amongst the greatest albums of all time.

The Get Up Kids Guilt Show (Vagrant)
The emo punk pioneers come of age as a power pop band! As maturity inevitably rears its head, the weight of fifty years of rock history and influence finds its way into the melodies, harmonies and songs of today's modern pop-rock masters. Surprisingly strong are the inspirations of late 70s/early 80s post-punk pop bands like Squeeze, the Cars, Elvis Costello, the Smithereens, the Cure and the pop world is a better place for it. I have been waiting a long time for modern rock to catch up!

Green Day American Idiot (Reprise)
Proof positive that the Who is probably the most important rock band around. A good quarter of a century later, a power chord happy trio, fed on a steady diet of The Jam and The Clash, take a stab at reinterpreting Tommy and Quadropheniaand succeed beyond anyone's wildest imaginations. But more that that, American Idiot is significant for the sheer number of endearing rock anthems it contains - "Boulvevard of Broken Dreams," "Are We the Waiting," "Give Me Novacaine," "Wait Me Up When September Ends" and the epic "Jesus of Suburbia." A classic rock album, the way it has always meant to be.

The Heavy Blinkers The Night and I Are Still So Young (Endearing)
This is orchestral art-pop at its finest, where melodies are heart wrenching and the arrangements leave you tearing in melancholic joy. No mean feat and perhaps unfortunate that the Heavy Blinkers have not received the acclaim they so richly deserve. I have been following these talented Canucks for a few years and believe me, they have been growing from strength to strength and boy, do they know their way around catchy pop melodies! Which in my estimation puts them ahead of the orch-pop parade (like Divine Comedy or High Llamas). In the year of SMiLE the Heavy Blinkers come the closest in living up to its spirit and core.

timewellspent s/t (Parasol)
This came totally from out of the blue. Casey Fundaro and Christopher Moll have delivered a soft pop tour de force that belies its hushed tones and gentle vibes. With a psychedelic bent that suggests Syd Barrett and Idle Race-era Jeff Lynne, this is a trip that never takes any wrong turns but heads straight down the freeway of chamber pop bliss. With equal play given to the joyous sentiments of the best Bacharach-David songs and the melancholic reveries of Brian Wilson, timewellspent is testament to the fact that even if there is little time to enjoy the multitude of great music out there, in this case it is indeed time well spent!

Starflyer 59 I am the Portuguese Blues (Tooth and Nail)
Anyone who can take a Boston riff and produce an indie rock standard is just fine in my book! Jason Martin, along with Bob Pollard and now, John Frusciante, is one of the hardest working men in rock and I am the Portuguese Blues basically follows through with the promise of Old without the sobering message. This is a good old-fashioned rave up as interpreted by drone masters like Joy Division, maybe. You like Interpol, Franz Ferdinand or the White Stripes? Check out Starflyer 59. Kudos to Tooth and Nail for continuing to believe in music this strident and "unhip."

Avion s/t (Console/Image)
Picked up recently by a major, Steve Bertrand's Avion certainly deserves a wider audience with its firm grasp of the neu rock - emo-inflected, anthemic and blessed with an authentic love ballad. In this case, the lovely "Seven Days Without You" which hearkens back to a time when it was fine to sing about love in all its splendor without a hint of irony. One of the songs of the year. Perhaps now, Steve Bertrand will receive the due praise and plaudits, his work with the Tories unjustly missed out on.

U2 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (Interscope)
I was dismissive about U2's previous return to basics comeback - 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind - but when a track like Yahweh moved me to tears, it was impossible for me to resist the strength and appeal of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. In the 80s, Bono and company held a special place in my heart and with this album it was almost like coming home. So, life does begin at 40! The beauty and power of Atomic Bomb has almost convinced me that the excesses of the 90s never happened. Almost.

Jeff Larson Sepia (New Surf)
Growing up in the early 70s, I was weaned on acoustic country-folk rock and learnt how to play guitar to the songs of Neil Young, Bread, Bee Gees, Dylan, America, CSNY, the Eagles, CCR et al. Jeff Larson has evoked that era perfectly with a breezy and thoughtful collection of songs that would make sense in any decade for its heartfelt ruminations on life. No, it's not alt-country neither it is traditional Country & Western, instead Sepia is simply first class pop music that delivers on every single level and whether you're an obsessive student or casual listener, you will find something to treasure here.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Abbattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (Mute)
I must fess up that I have never ever previously bothered with Mr. Cave's work - all the press seemed to present it as something awfully arty farty and pretentious. But, upon the strong recommendation of a good friend (take a bow, Ben Harrison), and the fact that it was two albums for the price of one, I took the plunge. And yes, what have I been missing all these years??!! The word here is "ambitious" - Cave does not take the easy way out, these songs drip with the sweat of craft and the inspiration of genius. An old world sensibility is certainly palpable as Cave ventures from visceral rock-outs in Abbattoir Blues to more genteel material in The Lyre of Orpheus and its eclecticism is commendable. I have not completely discerned the charms of this double album but definitely spend more of 2005 doing so.

Well, ask me again in six months and this list will probably be significantly different but you know the deal. I would like to take the opportunity to mention the following albums, which caught my ear in 2004:

Doug Powell Day For Night (Parasol), Ambulance LTD LP (TVT), The Davenports Hi Tech Lowlife (Motherwest), The Finn Brothers Everyone is Here (Nettwerk), The Helio Sequence Love and Distance (Sub Pop), The M's s/t (Brilliante), Michael Carpenter Rolling Ball (Not Lame), Lolas Something You Oughta Know (Jam), Pedro the Lion Achilles Heel (Jade Tree), Kevin Tihista's Red Terror Wake Up Captain (Parasol), Divine Comedy For Absent Friends (Parlophone), Augie March Strange Bird (spinART), Brindley Brothers Playing With the Light (Paste), Mock Orange Mind Is Not Brain (Silverthree), Creamy Velour Angel's Guise (Klank), Unbunny Snow Tires (Parasol), Lisa Mychols Sweet Sinsations (Cherry Red), Todd Rundgren Liars (Sanctuary), John Frusciante Inside of Emptiness (Record Collection) and last but not least, Keane Hopes and Fears (Interscope), which has hardly left my CD player and has been particularly meaningful during this time.

Finally, a big "Thank You" to all the bands and labels who have blessed my mailbox with the blood, sweat and tears of their efforts this past year and I hope in some simple way I have returned the favour with my humble reviews.

May God bless all of you in 2005 and keep on rockin'!!!

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