(#20-16 is this way, in case you missed it and care about such things...)
In retrospect, I probably should have ranked this album lower since, overall, it's really just okay at best; however, moody synth-pop is to me what a shiny piece of aluminum foil is to a raccoon. Terrifically distracting.
Love: "Hold on to This Coat", "Silja Line"
Call me crazy, but I like "We Were Dead..." better than "Good News for People Who Hate Bad News". Or, at least I like it more consistently. And by the way, does anyone know what Isaac Brock is so dang angry about? Just curious...
Love: "People as Places as People", "Fly Trapped in a Jar"
I admit that after Everything All the Time, Cease to Begin sometimes feels like taking a step backwards rather than foreword, however it's still a really good album. "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" alone is worth the price of admission. (And on a side note, after watching several YouTube clips of this band performing live in all their hippie, shaggy-haired glory, I can only assume that Mrs. White at a Band of Horses show would be comparable to Paris Hilton at a MENSA cocktail party. I'd have me some inebriated fun, however it would quickly become apparent that I really just don't fit in with this crowd.)
Love: "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands", "The General Specific"
No, there's nothing particularly new or inventive here, but there isn't a bad song to be found, either. Solid. Tight. Catchy. Good.
Although listening to this posthumous album makes me seven sorts of sad, I can't seem to stop, especially recently since the weather's turned. Not that I could forget, but damn was he amazing. Miss, miss, miss.
Love: "Big Decision", "Georgia, Georgia"
And since for obvious reasons I can't link to performances of any material from New Moon, here instead is my fourth favorite from Smith's repertoire: a live performance of "Angeles" in which he almost seems happy. Or, at least a close approximation of happy...
2 Comments:
Weirdly, I had completely forgotten that New Moon came out this year. I don't know if it's going to make my list, but I'm going to go listen to it again now.
Plus, I love that video. How quiet yet captivating that guy was. I feel lucky to have seen him play twice.
I'm making a tiny bit of progress, Mrs. White. I've heard of two groups out of these five. Maybe by the time you reach the top of your list, I'll be like, "Yeah, those guys are my favorite, too!"
Or...maybe not. Either way, I'm enjoying the ride. And the education. :)
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