Top 5 - David Landgren
1) Sonic Youth, A Thousand Leaves (Geffen). "Hoarfrost", "Hits of Sunshine" and "Wildflower Soul" are some of the finest songs written anywhere, by anybody, anytime. I'm just still seriously aggravated that their gig in Paris sold out before I bought tickets. Still getting a lot of play at home.
2) Rodolphe Burger, Meteor Show (Chrysalis - Import). I've been living in France for close on a decade, and it's my view that some really exceptional talent is finally starting to make itself heard. Two amazing covers of Jagger/Richards and Hendrix along with a lot of guitar work somewhere between Cure and The Church.
3) Miossec, A prendre (Play it again Sam - Import). It's like your favourite underground artist finally gets enough money to get a decent production... and goes on to employ it to his best advantage. A writer from the Springsteen school of urgency circa Born To Run, this is the third album from Miossec. For anyone who likes their guitars dry.
4) PJ Harvey, Is this desire? (Island). It took me a while to appreciate Polly Jean. This is certainly the album I wished she had always made. Flood's production is without peer.
5) Cake, Prolonging The Magic (Capricorn). I still haven't made up my mind about all of this album, but "You turn the screws" is such a delicious piece of pop, perhaps the finest single this year, that it's keeping me going until I figure out whether I like the rest of the album.
