The Best Albums of 2006
How can you say this was a bad year for music?
It's pretty special to display a soaring, physical voice in songs as tender as Ms. Case's.
Post-War is the most thoroughly enjoyable M. Ward album yet, perhaps because he's never seemed so urgent.
What happened to all the Liars love? This is a thick, often difficult album, but it's never too much. Respites are placed perfectly throughout the pummel: "Drum Gets A Glimpse" and "The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack" may be the most forward-looking, unconventionally beautiful moments on record this year.
Ys is a sprawling, involved masterpiece. Masterpiece. It demands more time.
Without a doubt the saddest record I listened to this year, Get Lonely never relents. The music is sedate, almost disconnected, the voice is broken and the story never brightens-- it's as if the album is set to the nether-hours of slight light and perfect dark. It's terrifying if it hits you right.
I'm amazed that they can keep going bigger while continuing to get better. "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" is my favorite Decemberists song yet-- no small feat.
This is a brave album, a scary album. It's full of boys and girls and jealous mothers, and blurred lines. It's one of the most moving things I heard all year.
Silent Shout was a mind-expander. This year found me tearing headfirst into electronic and dance music, inspired in no small part by this exhilarating, cavernous record.
This was my favorite album of the year at the halfway point, and I'm delighted and a little surprised that it's held up this well through another six months of repeated (and repeated) listens. Ritter's crafted a compassionate, breathing record full of weight ("Thin Blue Flame") and grace ("Girl In The War"). Also, I think Brian Deck has become my favorite producer.
It was pretty clear from the outset that this was a special album. I still lose my breath in all the right places.
So that's the list. Some albums, like Sufjan's Avalanche, didn't make the cut because I listened heavily to one side of the record and neglected the other. Others, like Boys And Girls In America, I just didn't know what to do with. That record fits on here somewhere, I just can't tell where.
It looks like switching to the new Blogger left you unable to leave comments on the previous posts (and I know you had comments). Hopefully this one works.
Happy Holidays kiddos!
10. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
mp3: "That Teenage Feeling"
mp3: "That Teenage Feeling"
It's pretty special to display a soaring, physical voice in songs as tender as Ms. Case's.
9. M. Ward - Post-War
mp3: "Post-War"
mp3: "Post-War"
Post-War is the most thoroughly enjoyable M. Ward album yet, perhaps because he's never seemed so urgent.
8. Liars - Drum's Not Dead
mp3: "Drum Gets A Glimpse"
mp3: "Drum Gets A Glimpse"
What happened to all the Liars love? This is a thick, often difficult album, but it's never too much. Respites are placed perfectly throughout the pummel: "Drum Gets A Glimpse" and "The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack" may be the most forward-looking, unconventionally beautiful moments on record this year.
7. Joanna Newsom - Ys
Ys is a sprawling, involved masterpiece. Masterpiece. It demands more time.
6. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely
mp3: "New Monster Avenue"
mp3: "New Monster Avenue"
Without a doubt the saddest record I listened to this year, Get Lonely never relents. The music is sedate, almost disconnected, the voice is broken and the story never brightens-- it's as if the album is set to the nether-hours of slight light and perfect dark. It's terrifying if it hits you right.
5. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
mp3: "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
mp3: "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
I'm amazed that they can keep going bigger while continuing to get better. "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" is my favorite Decemberists song yet-- no small feat.
4. Parenthetical Girls - Safe As Houses
mp3: "The Weight She Fell Under"
mp3: "The Weight She Fell Under"
This is a brave album, a scary album. It's full of boys and girls and jealous mothers, and blurred lines. It's one of the most moving things I heard all year.
3. The Knife - Silent Shout
mp3: "Silent Shout"
mp3: "Silent Shout"
Silent Shout was a mind-expander. This year found me tearing headfirst into electronic and dance music, inspired in no small part by this exhilarating, cavernous record.
2. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
mp3: "Girl In The War"
mp3: "Girl In The War"
This was my favorite album of the year at the halfway point, and I'm delighted and a little surprised that it's held up this well through another six months of repeated (and repeated) listens. Ritter's crafted a compassionate, breathing record full of weight ("Thin Blue Flame") and grace ("Girl In The War"). Also, I think Brian Deck has become my favorite producer.
1. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
mp3: "Like A Child"
mp3: "Like A Child"
It was pretty clear from the outset that this was a special album. I still lose my breath in all the right places.
***
So that's the list. Some albums, like Sufjan's Avalanche, didn't make the cut because I listened heavily to one side of the record and neglected the other. Others, like Boys And Girls In America, I just didn't know what to do with. That record fits on here somewhere, I just can't tell where.
It looks like switching to the new Blogger left you unable to leave comments on the previous posts (and I know you had comments). Hopefully this one works.
Happy Holidays kiddos!
by brian at 12/11/2006 09:51:00 AM
16 Comments:
Great, useful post. I've honestly only heard about a third of this stuff, so my judgment could be totally off, but nonetheless I'm very suspicious of the dearth of Grizzly Bear.
glad to see you didn't put band of horses. i can't understand what's so special about that album.
clap, clap.
like your list, especially five to ten, they are extra special to me, i must check out the josh ritter record.
Hey Brian,
I have to disagree about 2006. I think it was a step back from recent years. It's missing the definitive album. I like your list, and think it's a nice look at the year (I'd probably find room for B&S and Spektor...but oh well), but that's the problem: I think your list is good, but the music doesn't blow me away. They are a bunch of nice albums, but where's the Funeral, Illinois, YHF, etc? It just wasn't there...for me anyway.
But anyway...love the blog. One of my absolute faves.
- Andy
Thanks Andy. Funny you should mention this year's lack of a definitive record (though I think So This Is Goodbye is close), and specifically those three. When I was going to bed last night, I thought about that exact same trio, and how this year didn't quite make it. I don't know if that makes it a bad year though... anyway, it's interesting.
david is right on. WTF with the no "yellow house" on this list
I thought you were a fan
Dearth indeed!
It wasn't a slight against the band, or the album, I just haven't heard Yellow House yet. I'll make it a new year's resolution!
"I think it was a step back from recent years. It's missing the definitive album."
Ys. Definitive album of not only this year, but this decade, and probably more than that in my opinion.
Here's your trinity:
So Divided; Happy Hollow; I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.
2006 sure wasn't a bad year !
But as any other year, there are too many good records out there and not enough time to listen to everything ... :(
Yeah it wasn't bad. There are so many different records appearing on year-end lists which I think is a good thing. But 2007 is gonna be much better with releases coming from The Walkmen, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, CYHSY, The Shins...
Oh, and Brian, how is Pussycats not on that list? What are you doing?
the junior boys second record is good, can't get enough of tracks 1 through 'so this is goodbye'. I probably would have shifted some of the later tracks like 'like a child' earlier in the record, and left off some of them entirely. hard to deny this record or their talent.
This was a bad year for indie music
Brian, I really enjoyed the STIG album...I have it right up there with Ritter and The Decemberists. I see what you're saying. Calling it a bad year might be harsh. And in the coming months (years), other releases will wash over me and maybe albums that I just couldn't get into (Ys, Silent Shout) will creep up on me.
But I do agree with Waldo that 2007 should be a more favored year for me :)
- Andy
'Shit on my dick', best album of the year. period.
Do you can write anything else about it? Great article!
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