Coldplay - X&Y - Raise your hand if can think of any mainstream major record label release that was as hyped as Coldplay's third full-length album. Anyone? And what happened? Well, their "masterpiece" turned out to be nothing more than a mish-mosh of overly-sentimental and sloppy mid-tempo pop rock. Disappointing but not totally unexpected. Result? Over-rated AND Underwhelming.
Hot Hot Heat - Elevator - While Bloc Party were the darlings this year, Hot Hot Heat held the title for a little while a few years back after their debut album, Make Up the Breakdown, hit the scene. It was a fun, engaging, interesting and different pop rock album which actually did deserve praise. How that same band made the paint-by-numbers Elevator is beyond me. This album does not have even half the energy of it's predecessor and none of the quirks that endeared us to Hot Hot Heat in the first place. Can you say sophomore slump? Result? Underwhelming.
Overlooked Record of the Year
The Pale Pacific - Urgency - Comparisons to Death Cab for Cutie are inevitable. DCFC and TPP both hail from the same part of the country and both produce the same kind of quiet/loud indie pop rock beauty that region is known for. But while Death Cab mostly eschew the pop aspects of their music, these guys embrace them. Listen to "If Only She'd Leave Town" for further proof. Could this album be better? Yes. It plods along a little too slowly at first, only really picking up steam on track 3, "Tied to a Million Things," but once you hit "Fortune Folds" heavenly melodies and harmonies, you won't look back. Sure, some of the songs have no direction and overstay their welcome, but this is a good album and this band has nowhere to go but up from here. Check 'em out if it sounds like your kinda thing.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
I agree with you on Beck and Coldplay. The Beck album is fabulous and will easily be near the top of my list (to be podcast and written early next year).
The Coldplay... very disappointing. And I say this as someone considering himself a Coldplay fan. I wanted this to be THE album. It's not. It is well behind either of their first two albums.
2 - GoHah
especially agreed that New Pornographers is up there (I reserve top spot for America's Sweetheart, Fiona "Go With Yourself" Apple). And this is the clincher for Sufjan Stevens--haven't heard it, but it's shown up on so many best-of I'll need to succumb to some extent.
And Coldplay? I'm convinced that the reason such a piss-poor band like this has been so embraced is somehow linked to Gwyneth, the anti-Sweetheart of America, sour Apple and all. You have no powers here, Gwyn!
3 - Scott
I just realized that there's 8 records on my "best of" list and 5 on the "over-rated" list. Kinda sad in a way. I guess I should have also said that there were a few honorable mentions that are good records but simply didn't make the "best of" list. The Clientele, Low and The Magic Numbers all made pretty solid records.
4 - Darren
Ditto on the Weezer debacle. I've never listened to a record that made me cringe quite so much as "My Best Friend". Painfully embarrassing. Makes the Green Album look pretty good; which in hindsight, it actually is. Think you've heard the riff from Coldplay's second single "Talk" before? You have - in numerous Big Country songs. Why such the big whoop about this band??? They're OK, but there's a lot better out there.
Anyone like the new Depeche Mode album? All I've heard is the first single, "Precious", and I like it - atmospheric and hooky, along the lines of "Policy of Truth" from Violator. worth a shot, it gets good critical reviews. I actually heard this on --- get this --- the radio! Remember that thing? Little box -- dial -- used to be worth listening to?
I'm going to listen to the rest of the stuff on this list, as I'm painfully out of touch at nearly 40. I would like to be proven wrong, that all the best music has already been recorded.