I had a bit of a splurge on Amazon MP3 this month as I had some discount vouchers from Pizza Express!
Dragonette – Galore
A bit of a catch up with Dragonette’s first album before the release of their new album Bodyparts. Fixin’ To Thrill was a fixture on my iPhone for a very long time (probably about three years at this stage given that I loved the album prior to seeing them at Manchester Pride in 2010).
Eurythmics – Savage
I was rummaging through my old music VHS tapes (specifically to show the hubby ‘It Couldn’t Happen Here’ to show him how odd early Pet Shops Boys could be!) when I found the video-album of Savage. While the visuals are very dated it struck me how good this under-rated Eurythmics gem was. It manages to blend the best of their guitar-driven material with the stripped down electronica.
Grizzly Bear
Shields – Grizzly Bear, like Fleet Foxes, offer a mellow and sophisticated take on Folk that is perfect for chilly autumn evenings.
Kindness – World You Need a Change of Mind
This album was first released in the spring, but it has gained traction in the last couple of months due to the 80s funk sampling ‘That’s Alright’. Great stuff – including a cover of ‘Anyone Can Fall In Love’ (aka The Eastenders theme) that is so utterly bonkers it works!
Lara Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
Lara Marling is still astoundingly talented. I don’t think this is news to anyone…
Marina & The Diamonds – Electra Heart
I wasn’t sure about this album based on the tracks I’d heard at the beginning of the year. It’s not as quirky as ‘The Family Jewels’ but it has definitely grown on me. I think part of the problem is that her personality struggles to get past the big name collaborators and a highfalutin’ concept. It’s a shame really as there are some good songs here, but someone seems to be trying to turn her into an X-Factor starlet and as such most of it lacks substance.
Pnau – PNAU
I love the Empire Of The Sun album so I thought it would be worth going back to find some PNAU, especially as their Elton John remix/reinterpretation project was getting a lot of good press. Not as song-orientated as Empire of the Sun, but still great melodic dance tracks. Great for the last rays of the summer we haven’t really had!
Queen – Greatest Hits
The lack of Queen in my collection has been a bit glaring of late. While I can take or leave the ubiquitous Bohemian Rhapsody (overwrought pretentious nonsense or a rock classic? my opinion changes daily) but songs like ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ really show the strength of their songwriting. Unlike GH Vol II every track on this is worth having.
Suzanne Vega – Close Up Vol 4: Songs of Family
Vega continues her stripped down trips through her back catalogue. While one would never accuse her of over-production these intimate ‘back to basics’ releases are a timely reminder of just how good a songwriter she is. For some reason volumes 1 and 3 aren’t on eMusic – so I’ll have to track those down elsewhere…
Toy – Toy
I first saw Toy supporting The Horrors and while they showed promise they were rather over-(eye)-shadowed by the main event. On their self-titled début the wall of distorted noise comes into focus and something rather special takes shape. There are obvious comparisons with The Horrors rather magnificent Skying but there are also flashes of 90s indie-distortion specialists such as Spiritualised (and indeed Spaceman 3) and My Bloody Valentine as well.
The xx – Coexist
I’m not entirely convinced by The xx. After last year’s Mercury win they suffered terribly from the familiarity that comes with over-exposure. Coexist doesn’t really tread any new ground and I’m not sure that memory has faded enough for their minimalist indie-electro with whispered vocals to sound anything other than a little tired. Maybe if they’d given themselves more time for their sound to evolve I’d be more enthused but as it is this is just more of the same…