Half-awake in a Fake Empire

And now for the "rock" half of my top ten list, numbers 5 through 1.

#5: Ween - La Cucaracha. This was one of those albums where a single song ensured it a spot on the list. In this case it was the epic "Woman and Man," which includes a brain-melting guitar solo that goes on for somewhere in the neighborhood of half of the song's 10-minute running time. Pure wankery genius.


#4: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible. I placed Arcade Fire's debut album in my top ten when it came out, and in retrospect I think I may have fallen a bit hard for the band's hype. This album is substantially better--it feels just as anthemic, but more focused and, if I do say so, a bit Springsteenian.


#3: M.I.A. - Kala. Another second album that runs contrary to the idea of the sophmore slump. Production is noticably improved from her debut, and the number of musical references has increased exponentionally. "Paper Planes" was built on The Clash's "Straight to Hell," referenced Wrecks 'n' Effect's "Rump Shaker" and used gunshots and a cash register to punctuate a ditty written in the persona of the most horrible immigrant imaginable. Probably my single of the year.

#2: Radiohead - In Rainbows. Does anything else need to be said about this album at this point?






#1: The National - Boxer. This has to be one of the most under-appreciated albums ever to appear on about a bazillion top ten lists. It's #10 on the Village Voice list, yet not one word is wasted on it. Over at Idolator, the person responsible for commenting on the lists (sort of like the Christgau of the Village Voice, if Christgau was actually still at the Voice) noted that he would have preferred actual wallpaper to the album. This for something that came in at #7.

Why the indifference? My guess is that it's because of the fact that it's an album that you actually need to pay attention to in order to appreciate it. Unlike most of the other stuff that comprised top ten lists the world over (and the albums listed directly above this one), Boxer does not kick you in the genitals and demand you listen. Instead, it's all about subtlety: complex rhythms that don't announce themselves, an intentionally diminished dynamic range, and a singer who sounds like a random mutation from the genetic material of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.

There are also lyrical nuggets liberally spread all over the place. Taking a page from my buddy-in-blogging, I'll note that The National were also responsible for my lyric of the year, from the song "Mistaken for Strangers:"

You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
As you pass in the night under the silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
Oh you wouldn't want an angel watching over?
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Another un-innocent, elegant fall into the un-magnificent life of adults

It's most definitely a grower, and the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Obviously, it isn't for everyone.

And there are absolutely no gunshots.