I wish it didn’t feel so outdated to type “album.” I’m feeling nostalgic at the moment because I just got back from a going-out-of-business sale at Tower Records. For my non-USA readers, Tower is a massive music retail store along the lines of Virgin or HMV. A few weeks ago, Tower went bankrupt and the whole chain of stores across America is closing down. It was sad to look at all of those lonely CDs on the shelves that won’t find a good home. And with CD sales dropping dramatically, and downloads gaining in popularity, the album as we know it seems to be a format awaiting “relic” status.
This musical malaise might be a reason why it seems that while a fair amount of great singles were released in 2006, there were few solid albums. More than ever, in 2006 you were lucky if you got 3 great tracks on a CD, much less five. In previous years I had to winnow down my album picks to a mere ten. This year it was difficult to even come up with ten. But I kept at the task, and here are the results.
1. BELLE & SEBASTIAN – The Life Pursuit (Rough Trade/Matador)
Recorded in Los Angeles with Beck producer Tony Hoffer, The Life Pursuit finds Belle & Sebastian aging gracefully, and releasing their most stylistically diverse collection to date. Listening to this album in its entirety presents one sugar rush after another as we are treated to Beach Boys harmonies (“Act of the Apostle”), junkshop glam shuffles (“The White Collar Boy”), Bolan choogaloos (“The Blues Are Still Blue”), tasty country licks set to indie disco (“Sukie in the Graveyard”), faux Motown in a Weller style (“Funny Little Frog”), and oodles more. The CD booklet also merits lecherous praise as it’s loaded with color images of fetching Scottish lasses in kilts shot by band leader Stuart Murdoch.
2. DUELS – The Bright Lights and What I Should Have Learned (Nude UK)
Duels is the great white hope of Nude Records, the resurrected British label that in the ‘90s brought us Suede, Geneva, and the final Billy Mackenzie album. Always arbiters of stately pop, Nude once again delivers the goods. Comprised of two dapper brothers from Leeds, Jon and Jim Foulger, alongside a cousin on keyboards and a rhythm section from Bradford, Duels make sleek majestic pop that sounds like a perfect splicing of Suede and Blur at the height of Britpop.
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Article comments
1 - handyguy
Having not yet found anything to match my two faves from 2005, Sufjan Stevens's Illinois and Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, I thank you for your article - it gives me some possibilities to explore.
I would add to your list Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as one of the best singles in a long time, and Rufus Wainwright's June concerts at Carnegie Hall wherein he channeled Judy Garland's 1961 show. And there is Bob Dylan's Modern Times - possibly overpraised in the press, but still full of good stuff.
Finally, I notice on Metacritic that albums by TV on the Radio and Joanna Newsom have gotten great reviews...possibly worth a listen.
And...'LP' may be an archaic term, but 'album' is still the word of choice to describe, well...albums
2 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Is this merely a best of for the pop/mainstream?
Not an insult, just a question because I appreciate your article & your sentiment,but,for Hard Rock,in my opinion, you missed:
A Chinese Firedrill - Circles
O.S.I. - FREE