I have to say the year couldn't have started off better. I picked up the new Andrew Bird album Noble Beast as well as Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion last week and have not been disappointed.
Andrew Bird with his soothing voice and violin has once again been a great source of solace for me in the past week. Armchair Apocrypha was in my top 5 in 2007, and I am pretty sure Noble Beast will make it there this year.
Animal Collective has always taken some time for me to grasp. Merriweather Post Pavillion however, I seemed to enjoy on the first listen. Maybe this means it is more accessible then previous releases and that I am boring, but never the less it is a great album. You still hear that tribal rythym from other albums, but there is also this underlying dance beat through most of the songs. And is it just me or do I hear some tones of 'beach boyedness'?
So what else is in store for us? Well here are some of my top anticipated albums of the year ...so far...
February
Beirut March Of The Zapotec - I think they recorded part of this in Mexico, that's kickass.
M.Ward Hold Time - what can I say, I can't get enough of him.
Architecture in Helsinki That Beep - they are fun.
March
Pete Bjorn and John Living Thing - the last album was nice.
April
Doves Title TBA - its been a long time coming for this one. 4 years since Some Cities? wow.
More
Others I hear include The Avalanches, Built to Spill , Happy Mondays (what?), Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wilco AND Sonic Youth. I gotta say, I am most pumped about Sonic Youth - I think they got better with age. Not to say "My Friend Goo" is not an awesome song though.
Enjoy the year in music!
L.