Top 5 - Tim Hulsizer
1) Belle & Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister (The Enclave). This Glaswegian septet defines their own sound and simultaneously saves pop music as we know it. Every review of the album called it "fey" and that is absolutely true. High voice, strings, honey-dripping melodies and thoroughly intellectual lyrics. Hell, it's almost poetry! Amazing!
2) Pavement, Brighten the Corners (Capitol/Matador). My personal favorite Pavement LP to date, this one is definitely a keeper. Steve Malkmus keeps writing these songs that stick in my head, even though I can't figure out what the hell he's singing about. Still, if you listen close there are worlds to discover here. Type slowly, indeed.
3) Squarepusher, Hard Normal Daddy (Warp - import). Tom Jenkinson is the mastermind behind this crazed drum'n'bass music. He has inked a deal with Nothing Records in the USA, so be on the lookout for the Squarepusher ouvre in your favorite record shop. Scratchy, swirly, bassy and experimental. The album preceding this one is just as good, as are the EPs that have followed it recently.
4) Babybird, Ugly Beautiful (Atlantic). In the immortal words of a British music reviewer, "Who knew there were this many great pop songs left to be written..and that one man would write them?!" At first I was skeptical about this disc, as I thought the production was a bit slick for my taste. Then I listened to his brilliantly cynical love-lyrics. I believe, baby. You will too.
5) TIE Grant McLennan, In Your Bright Ray (Beggars Banquet) / Radiohead, OK Computer, (Capitol). What a copout, huh? I guess you can see that I like pop music, preferably from the British Isles and/or former-British penal colonies. So be it, because this stuff is fantastic. Radiohead delivers an album that deserves all of the critical praise heaped on it. Exploratory yet melodic, holding up to repeated listens. And what can I say about Grant McLennan? He's still one of the best pop songwriters around, as evidenced by the new album. Love and life, just the way I dig it.
