#19: Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

Release Year: 2010

After a slight misstep in The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (though by no means a bad album), Josh Ritter returned with his most musically mature and diverse album yet, So Runs The World Away.  This record is upbeat, ethereal, and atmospheric.

Here we see Josh at his most poetic.  Songs like "The Curse," "Orbital," and "Rattling Locks" exemplify what makes Josh Ritter my favorite lyricist ever.

The highlight of this record is the dreary, seven minute track "Another New World."  It would be difficult to find a better showcase of tone than this.  It's rare enough that an author effectively employs a dark, chilling tone in words alone; Ritter does not only that, but projects that same tone into the music itself.  Indeed, two of my favorite moments this year were Punch Brothers covering this song.

Standout tracks:

• Another New World
• Southern Pacifica
• Lark
• Orbital 

#20: Abigail Washburn - City of Refuge

Release Year: 2011

I don't know what it is about this album that makes it so great.  The first few times I heard it, I thought it nothing special, but said I'd buy it if I saw it on vinyl.  At Telluride Bluegrass, I saw a vinyl copy at the merch tent, and I'm a man of my word.

It helped that I saw her perform several times at the festival.  It was during her live set that her music really clicked with me, and I found myself enjoying her set more than almost any other.  I listened to the album a few more times in the ensuing weeks, and I was hooked.

Washburn plays the banjo, but this isn't bluegrass.  It's more folk than anything else.  The music is rich and textured, and her warm voice perfectly complements her lush songs.  There's really nothing else out there that combines the same influences she pulls from, making this one of the more unique records in my collection.

Standout tracks:

• Divine Bell
• Burn Thru
• Chains
• Last Train 

#21: Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

Release Year: 2010 (2009 UK)

Typically, I don't like music that is really popular.  It's not that I'm an ideological contrarian; it's more that the characteristics I value in an artist are usually not valued by the world at large.  But every now and then, something I like happens to become really popular, for one reason or another.

I actually purchased this album before it was officially released in the US.  I spun it probably dozens of times before they really started to pick up steam in the states.  There's nothing particularly new about this record; other artists in the West London folk scene (e.g., Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn, et al) were already doing the "intelligent hipster folk" thing.  But Mumford & Sons took that style and injected an extra level of energy in their music, and the result is something that maintains the same musical quality, but is considerably more accessible.

This is one of the albums that is really pushing acoustic music to new levels of popularity.  Considering most of the new artists I've been listening to in the past two years are similarly acoustic, I really can't complain about their popularity.

Standout tracks:

• Awake My Soul
• Winter Winds
• The Cave 
• Thistle & Weeds

#22: Dream Theater - Awake

Release Year: 1994

A lot of people accuse Dream Theater of being pretentious.  That they are nothing more than a bunch of showoffs trying to fit as many notes into each measure as possible.  They are certainly guilty of that at times (especially after the departure of Kevin Moore), but I cannot deny that Awake is a solid album, and Dream Theater's musical pinnacle.

This album flows just right, from the first song to the last.  There is certainly musical virtuosity here, but none of it seems out of place.  The long songs don't seem unnecessarily long, nor do they lack direction.  The musicians are technical, but here they can actually be described as "progressive."

This album has strong dynamics, interesting rhythms, and memorable memories.  After Awake, Kevin Moore would leave the band, and they never quite had the same creative spark.

Standout tracks:

• Scarred
• Voices
• Space-Dye Vest
• 6:00 

#23: Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

Release Year: 1973

Led Zeppelin's fourth album, IV (or ZOSO or Untitled or whatever you choose to call it), gets most of the attention, but Houses of the Holy is easily my favorite Zep record.  There's just something about the record that makes it stand out, and I think it is "The Rain Song" and "No Quarter."

These happen to be my two favorite Zeppelin songs. "The Rain Song" is stunningly beautiful...I love everything about it.  The way the choruses hit you is just perfect.  And "No Quarter" might be the most creative and artistic Led Zeppelin ever got.

This album is just solid from start to finish.

Standout tracks:

• The Rain Song
• No Quarter
• Over The Hills And Far Away 

New Release: Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

Release Date: September 26, 2011
Label:  KScope

Having received my much-awaited Grace For Drowning vinyl and deluxe edition mail orders, and allowing a few listens to set in, I feel compelled to provide my thoughts on this excellent new record.  Steven Wilson is the lead singer, songwriter, producer, and creative genius behind the progressive rock/metal band Porcupine Tree, and has been involved with many other projects (as both musician, producer, and general sound expert), including Blackfield, Opeth, and, notably, the new 40th anniversary King Crimson remasters.  It is the latter project that clearly had the most influence over the outcome of his new sophomore solo record.

I shall break this up into a few broad attributes.

Packaging

Grace For Drowning vinyl edition

I bought both the vinyl and the deluxe blu-ray edition.  The vinyl is a standard double gatefold, with printed sleeves and 180g black vinyl.  This is what I listened to first, and it is an impressive package, but not any more so than similar vinyl releases.

The deluxe edition, running at a cool $80 plus shipping, is truly impressive.  This version comes with both discs of Grace For Drowning, and bonus disc with demos and outtakes, and a blu-ray disc containing 5.1 and stereo mixes of the album, videos, a couple of bonus tracks, photos, and handwritten lyrics.  I haven't had a chance to watch all of the videos, but the ones I've seen do songs justice, and fit their dark mood, as is typical of Lasse Hoile-directed videos.

Grace For Drowning deluxe edition

The deluxe edition is housed in a 120-page hardcover book, whose cover is fitted with embossed denim.  They certainly did not skimp on quality here.  The book's 120 pages - yes, there are really 120 pages - are photos that I'm assuming are thematic, interspersed with lyrics and reproductions of handwritten notes.  I don't know where all these photos came from, but it looks like almost as much work could have been put into the design of this edition as the music itself.  Steven Wilson considers the album artwork to be, along with the actual music, one of the critical components of an album, and this album artwork is as breathtaking as any I've seen.

Sound
I mentioned that Wilson is hot off his work on King Crimson's 40th Anniversary Editions, and these song truly phenomenal.  The new 5.1 remixes of those albums are largely responsible for my renewed appreciation for Lizard and Islands.  Thus, it is only appropriate for this album to include a 5.1 edition.

The great thing about this is the 5.1 mix doesn't make the album.  It still sounds spectacular in stereo; you don't even really need the 5.1 mix to appreciate the incredible aural experience this album offers.  What the 5.1 mix brings to the table is a little more subtle; Wilson essentially brings you, the listener, into the room by moving atmospheric elements and some vocals to the rear channels.  There is more separation between the sounds.  The blu-ray edition really shines during the quiet parts of the album, when there are but a few instruments, and you are not limited to the dynamic range compressed stereo CDs have.  A perfect example of this is the final track, "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye."  You hear Wilson in the center channel, the piano in the rear, guitar chords in the front, some occasional strumming in the rear, and layered background vocals all around you.

Even if you don't buy the $80 deluxe edition, it is still worthwhile to have the blu-ray disc, when can be bought separately for about $15 on Amazon.

The Actual Music
Obviously the music is the most important part of any album, and there is no disappointment in this regard.  Grace For Drowning is far more ambitious than Wilson's debut solo album, Insurgentes, which is sometimes a recipe for trouble.  There is always the risk of coming across as overindulgent, and sometimes music just needs to be simple.

Fortunately, Wilson took a new approach here: he made two separate albums, Deform to Form a Star, which comprises the first disc, and Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye, which comprises the second disc.  He intended for these albums to be digested separately.  The first, Deform, is more structured, less ambitious, and contains a few beautifully simple songs (e.g., "Postcard").  The disc starts out with the delicate title track, whose vocals are limited to some layered la's.  The second track, "Sectarian," is a wonderfully discordant and rhythmic instrumental.  This starkly contrasts to the Insurgentes, which began with the catchiest song on the album, "Harmony Korine."  The effect here is that after ten minutes of textured music, the soft vocals become far more profound when the track "Deform to Form a Star" begins.

The second disc/album is more abstract and ambitious.  The centerpiece is a very Lizard-esque epic track entitled "Raider II."  The onset of this track seems to give a deliberate nod to Lizard, with its vocal melody and style that is very reminiscent of the beginning of Lizard's first track, "Cirkus."  This influence is noticeable throughout the entire album; for this record, Wilson employed several jazz musicians, and there are saxophone and flute parts scattered about.  Given the fact that Lizard is one of my favorite albums, this is a welcome influence.

The reason I like the way the albums are divided, is that if the whole album is a bit too much for you, you can simply stick to the first sub-album.  This disc alone offers enough depth to keep you occupied for some time.  When you feel like you're done absorbing the first disc, you can then move on to the second.

I don't know where this album will settle after I've had months to digest it, but my initial impression, after three listens, is that it's the best thing I've heard in some time, and it's Wilson's best work, which is a high mark indeed.  

This album, perhaps more than any album I've heard, offers the complete package.  It is pure art in every form.  It has excellent music, great photography, beautiful videos, and amazing sound.  Regardless of whether this is your preferred style of music, you can't help but be amazed by Wilson's ability to put all this together.  





★★★★

#24: Josh Ritter - Hello Starling

Release Year: 2003

The first of Josh Ritter's trifecta of great albums, Hello Starling contains some of my favorite modern folk tunes.  Here, the acoustic guitar shines, and Ritter's poetic aptitude is on display.

This is Josh at his most sincere.  Most of the songs are nice, pleasant, acoustic guitar-based ballads, with a few upbeat folk rock songs mixed in ("Kathleen," "Snow Is Gone," and "Man Burning" being the ones that stick out).

Ritter is one of my favorite artists, and a huge part of that is his lyrics.  I don't know what to say about this album other than, this man is a poet.

Standout tracks:

• Kathleen
• Snow Is Gone
• Wings
• Man Burning