Seven Great Records from 2008 - Page 2

Momofuku utilizes Lewis and members of her Acid Tongue band as well as the expected Imposters lineup of keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist/backing vocalist Davey Faragher, and drummer Pete Thomas, who gets to pound skins on one track with his daughter Tennessee of indie band The Like. There's a looseness here that hasn't been present on a Costello record in well over a decade; at the same time, these are each focused gems of pop songs, delivered with righteous bile. "American Gangster Time" is Elvis' own personal "up yours, Bush" tune.Exit Strategy of the Soul, Ron Sexsmith (July 8)If I had to pick an "album of the year," this one might be it — at least, if number of plays were the sole factor involved, this record got more spins than any other on my list. It's a little hard for me to explain why — Ron Sexsmith is an artist I've always known was great, but I've never had a chance to connect substantially with his music, and in fact, I had a friend who practically forced me at gunpoint to listen to his first record years ago, and I couldn't get behind it.Exit Strategy finds Sexsmith exploring matters of spirituality and relationships; the record opens and closes with gentle, transcendant instrumentals driven by Sexsmith's piano. He makes a big deal in the press notes about how his piano playing is hardly ready for prime-time, but it's exactly that hesitant, soulful feeling that drives all the songs on this record. These songs are tender but fierce, sure of purpose but uncertain as to the ultimate truths that guide this world we live in.

Like so many great albums, it's a search for meaning set to music, and it's an aural journey I've enjoyed taking time and again in 2008 (and already a few times in 2009 too). Partie Traumatic, Black Kids (July 22)Pure pop for now people, as Nick Lowe used to say. Emphasis on the "now people" part — this album sketches the landscape of young drunken nights circa the early aughts, via the fits and starts of eighties' pop-goth new wave. The songwriting is nasty and clever, with lines like "You're on your honeymoon/and you're sending me notes, You hope to see me soon/you've got 'see' wrapped in quotes" that stick in your brain and inspire fits of dark giggles. The sweet twist in the final moments of "Love Me Already" elevates what could have been a disposable song of love betrayed into a deceptively smart lyrical tale. There seemed to be some post-release backlash against Black Kids on the part of the hipster community; I read a snide comment someplace (maybe Bust magazine?) about how the band didn't pay off on the hype that attended its debut EP release, Wizard of Ahhs. Those hipsters are nuts. This may not be timeless music built to last beyond a single tipsy evening, but on most tipsy evenings, it doesn't need to be exactly right — it just needs to be exactly RIGHT NOW. That's Partie Traumatic. Acid Tongue, Jenny Lewis (September 23)Lewis' first album, Rabbit Fur Coat, was nothing less than a revelation — for those familiar with her work with indie darlings Rilo Kiley, this was a more naked, soulful iteration of the singer. Incredible songwriting combined with spacious arrangements to create a folk-rock-soul hybrid that delivered passion, bile, and beauty in equal measure. Acid Tongue strikes me as a more confident, accomplished work than Rabbit Fur Coat, and I'm not exactly sure why. I think it has a bigger sound, for sure, with more of a country rock feel than a folk vibe; even the ballads are more elaborately arranged, with piano and strings carrying several of the more beautiful tracks. If Rabbit Fur Coat was Lewis exploring her own creative identity and ability to develop her own work, then Acid Tongue finds Lewis in full command of her abilities as a singer, instrumentalist, and producer. Tracks like "See Fernando," "Carpetbaggers" and the mini-epic "The Next Messiah" (clocking in at 8 minutes plus) are not the work of an artist finding her way; they're the work of an artist who has found her way, and knows exactly where she is going. It's not a stretch to call Jenny Lewis one of the finest songwriters of her generation (whatever THAT means; she just writes really, really good), and if she's putting together work this accomplished on only her second solo effort, she has an amazing and beautiful career ahead of her. Way To Normal, Ben Folds (September 30)This is maybe the first Ben Folds album I'm appreciating more as a collection of songs than as a full proper album; it's not really coalescing for me yet, although the tracks share a sonic mood that fits the tone of the lyrics quite well — sharp, brittle, and broken.

Article Author: Matt Springer

Matt Springer should probably trim his toenails more often. Instead, he spends far too much time thinking and writing about pop culture ephemera, at Alert Nerd (for geek stuff) and Pop Geek (for everything else). …

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