Look Back In Anger
Diamonds in the Rough
by Steve Matteo
It's time to look back on the year in music. The following is only a slice of some of the best of the year.
David Gilmour returned with his first solo album in years, On An Island. Having received co-production help and guitar support from Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, Gilmour made an album that sits comfortably alongside previous solo works and his Pink Floyd tenure. Given how great the album is, it's a shame that Gilmour releases new albums so infrequently. Ray Davies, another British artist who began in the 1960s and who was in one of the defining groups of that era, released his first solo albums in years, Other People Lives. The album bears little of the trademark Kinks sound, but is infused with Davies' sly wit, storytelling talents and melodic composing gifts. There's a richness, a timelessness and an edgy R&B grit that really makes it an outstanding effort. Davies, a resident of Long Island's East End, recently said that a Kinks reunion is on for some time in the very near future. Lindsey
Buckingham is also back with a solo album, Under The Skin. Easily one of his best, the album balances Buckingham's quirky and experimental side with his more lush, melodic side. It was also one of the best-sounding recordings of the year. Nils Logren is also back with his first solo album in years, Sacred Weapon, and it's as good as anything he has ever done. His signature vocal style is still intact and his composing skills and especially his guitar work have never sounded better.
There were many albums that seemed to define the sound of music in 2007. While many received little or no airplay and did not always sell in big numbers, they reflect where music is right now. Cat Power, who has hinted at her musical gifts on previous albums, has now hit a home run. This lush, soulful, wonderfully orchestrated album, The Greatest, is her best album. Leaving her angst and skittish nature behind, she fully immerses herself in the music and proves to be one of the most important artists in music today. Regina Spektor took a major step forward with her latest album, Begin To Hope, an unforgettable quirky and electronic pop outing. Thom Yorke of Radiohead, taking time out between the last Radiohead tour and the upcoming release of the next
Radiohead album, has released a startling solo album, The Eraser, that, while sparser than a Radiohead album, possesses all the unsettling, gripping electronic sonic angst of the best of Radiohead. More than just a busman's holiday, it, together with Radiohead's recent shows, offers a glimpse into the future. Beth Orton, who, like Yorke, is making music that defines the current musical times, has come up with a new record, Comfort of Strangers, that is also more sparse. She is also conveying her musical message in a more unassuming way and has not included any songs that may jump out as readily as anything on previous outings. Gomez, yet another great band from Liverpool, seemed poised to break out of the underground and has made the album How We Operate, which may be the first step for the group in achieving widespread popular acclaim. This is easily a major transitional moment for the group and its next album will probably be the one to catapult it into the mainstream. Sparkelhorse is close to gaining the kind of recognition that will propel them beyond being critical favorites toward attaining mainstream acceptance. Yet another band who has slowly built a following based on imaginative, sprawling, often dissonant electronic music with a rock edge, Sparkelhorse seems intent on achieving success on its own terms on its new album, Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly of a Mountain. Hem has quietly proven to be one of the most likeable groups on the scene today. Lush and soulful, the group just gets stronger with each album and has now made its best album, Funnel Cloud. Keene also continues to build a case for itself as a band to watch. Guitar-oriented in the Brit pop vain, the group makes music with a rough edge, yet continues to craft sonically sharp recordings. With only a few albums under its belt prior to its thrilling new album, Under The Iron Sea, Keene is already making a name for itself as one of the hottest bands on the scene. Badly Drawn Boy, the brainchild of Damon Gough, has definitely recorded his breakthrough album, Born in the U.K., regardless of how much it sells or how much attention it receives. Clearly a throwback to an era when great singer-songwriters roamed free, Gough makes grand piano-based pop, sung with a dramatically elegant, plaintive vocal style that is just understated enough to not be over the top. Although not around all that long, the influence that he is having on other artists is beginning to become clear. This latest album is a major musical event and a recording that will still resonate for years to come. While Damien Rice didn't single-handedly usher in the new era of singer-songwriters, his newest album, 9, shows him at the top of the form. Not content to merely make wispy and melodic acoustic-based songs, Rice and his collaborators run the gamut of emotions and sounds on this sprawling and expansive work that is at times soft and meditative, and raging and angst-filled at other times. Rice has come a long way in a short time and is one of the most extraordinary musical artists on the scene today. The new soul revival continues to pick up steam, and John Legend has expanded on the promise he demonstrated on his previous release with his newest album, Once Again. With the ability to make timeless, songwriter-based soul and to reach a large audience at the same time, Legend gives hope to those who hunger for authentic yet accessible R&B. Michael Franti and Spearhead return with another no-nonsense album, Yellfire!, of truth and rhythm. Why Franti has not garnered a larger audience at this point in his career is truly hard to understand. Mojave 3 continues to make dusky, electronic music of dreamy soundscapes and to point the way to the future of music with its new album, Puzzles Like You.
Artists who were previously in bands but who are striking out on their own with recently released strong solo albums include Glen Philips, formerly of Toad the Wet Sprocket - Mr. Lemons, Miho Hatori - Ecdysis, formerly of Cibo Matto, Isobel Campbell - Milk White Sheets and Ballad of the Broken Seas with Mark Lanegan, formerly of Belle & Sebastian, and Tina Dico - In The Red, formerly of Zero 7.
Some other releases from the past year that should not be missed include the latest from Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, Cracker - Greenland, Lloyd Cole -Antidepressant, Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors, The Church - Uninvited, Like The Clouds, The Charlatans U.K. - Simpatico, Belle & Sebastian - The Life Support and The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity.
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