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08. The White Stripes - Elephant

I wanted to remain one of those people who could happily turn his nose up at the merest mention of the White Stripes. I wanted to scoff at the simple, primitive drumming and 70s blues-rock derivative guitar work, but a funny thing happened: "Seven Nation Army" hit my ears. As soon as I heard Meg's straight pounding and that goofy faux bassline, it hooked me. I didn't even need to hear Jack's inspired slide solo, but that certainly helped. When I finally gave in and gave the album a listen, it evoked memories of a 16 year old me soaking up every bit of Led Zeppelin's bluesy squealings. Where most of the new revival of that "garage" sound left me empty, Jack White impressed me because the blues drip out of every pore, as if he's been soaking in it all his life. He may clothe it in more modern stylings, but the spirit is the same.

09. Coheed & Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Were I to simply hear Coheed & Cambria in passing, I'd likely assume it was an unreleased Mars Volta track. Not only do the vocalists share similar ranges and tones, the music itself is similar - but distinctly different once the newness of it has worn off. Where the Mars Volta delves deep into atmosphere and mood, Coheed & Cambria resorts to riffing reminiscent of 80s metal - especially Iron Maiden at times - but also tosses in just a tinge of poppy punk attitude here and there. Oddly enough, where most critics are citing the weakness of the album as the longer tracks, I find that it's the shorter, simpler, more single-oriented tracks that distract from the main goal of the album. There's a story going on here, too, but, like with De-Loused In The Comatorium I'll be damned if I can make any sense of it. If anything, the true weakness of the album lies with the fault of the lyrics erring on the side of pretentious at times. Where the Mars Volta fascinates with near meaningless word-salad, Coheed & Cambria spend too much time trying to make it all mean something important all of the time. This doesn't, however, detract from the album's greatness - I find myself listening to this more and more, surprising even myself because I assumed after the first couple times that Coheed & Cambria's more punk leanings would distract me too much.

10. Living Colour - Collideoscope

Article Author: Tom Johnson

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