Picks of '06: Great Albums & An Attempt to Aid My Failing Memory

by Ari Abramowitz
31 December 2006

The first thing I gotta get out of my fingers is that the main melodic theme from the first track of the recent (and quite amazing) JOANNA NEWSOM album sounds almost exactly like BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’s “Spirits in the Night.” Next, this is the first time I’ve ever done a year-end wrap-up. As I’m going through it, it seems to serve a couple of purposes, some for your benefit, some for mine. There is the obvious reason: to provide listening/shopping guidance. But isn’t that kind of what I’ve been doing all along? And why only include stuff from this year? I mean, we all find out about stuff from throughout history all the time. The post-modern cultural phenomenon of “perpetual retro” only compounds things further.

The answer is that year-end wrap-ups are a good way for anyone who listens to a lot of music to get straight what came out in a given year. It’s about fighting the inevitable onslaught of feeling “lost in music” (although I suppose it also gives sociologists the opportunity to situate a song or album in a historical context). There are virtues to getting lost, as there are with many aimless endeavors, but it can get tedious, leading to a music experience equivalent of high school ennui: “What do you wanna do tonight?” “I dunno. What do YOU wanna do?” And then doing nothing.

So, in the interests of distilling the accelerating onslaught of music and making sense of some of the amazing albums of 2006 and isolating them so I don’t confuse them with the amazing albums of 2005 or 1975, here are some discs to remember. Exciting Saturday night possibilities are right around the corner. I just hope I don’t forget about all the other albums that I didn’t put on the list.

PURE REASON REVOLUTION—The Dark Third (SonyBMG)
The best prog debut since MARS VOLTA’s. Seamless flow for 70 minutes as it rides through PINK FLOYD and PORCUPINE TREE spaciness and non-stop memorable songs.

PROTEST THE HERO—Kezia (Vagrant)
If this is the kind of metal the emo scene can produce, I say give us more. Excellent chops, melody, crunch, complexity, and strong vocals. And they look like they’re fifteen.

THE HOLD STEADY—Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant)
I’ve never been more than a tepid Springsteen fan, but I’ll be damned if these guys knocked that E Street sound out of the park with this one. I have not been able to get it off my play button.

DEAR HUNTER—Lake South River North (Triple Crown)
Ambitious, nearly-one-man-project of brilliantly written and played progressive post-emo. Superb dynamics, subtle and tasty guitar lines, varied styles yet still very coherent.

JOANNA NEWSOM—Ys (Drag City)
Speaking of Springsteen with the Hold Steady album, here Newsom pulls out the melody for “Spirits in the Night” on the opening track. But she conjures so many nifty melodies throughout each track, and the arrangements are mostly so well conceived, that I find there’s always something interesting going on, despite it being an hour of Yes-length tracks of infant-granny-intoned folk-poetry and harp accompaniment.

DANAVA—Danava (Kemado)
Unusual hard rock debut influenced by HAWKWIND at their proggiest, with a little boogie and glam. I think the album was underproduced, considering the instrumental prowess of the band, but they are certainly one to watch.

SAVIOURS—Crucifire (Level Plane)
I don’t know why these guys haven’t gotten more attention in our retro daze, but they really understand their core material on a level that few of their peers approach. Rarely do they ape any single band. Instead, they expertly balance SABBATH-era doominess, NWOBHM/punk rawness, and MAIDEN-esque, elegant, harmonized lead guitar lines. Underrated.

COLOUR HAZE—Tempel (Elektrohasch)
Kyuss-inspired trio that has done magic with their musical heritage by stretching it waaay out, turning their massive riffs into jazz heads from which to launch their skillful, heavy-but-loose jams.

STARKWEATHER—Croatoan (Candlelight)
Nudging out a respectable CELTIC FROST album for “Heavy Music Comeback Album of the Year,” this disc is a jaw-dropper. Starkweather is heavier, more intricate, and more emotionally bloodletting than ever on Croatoan, which features the mid-tempo, center-of-the-earth intensity of NEUROSIS, the freaked-out, reptilian nastiness of TODAY IS THE DAY, and the soul abjection/exorcism of the SWANS. Tough to make it through in one sitting, but revelatory.

CRIME IN CHOIR—Frumpery Metier (Gold Standard Labs)
It’s a pretty good time to be a prog fan. Between all the post-hard core, post-metal, and post-rock out there, prog has essentially inundated much of the indie world. It really comes down to many ways of saying “prog.” With CinC, no subterfuge is necessary: this is pure prog. Instrumental, even. Some of the riffs and beats feel vaguely early-’80s, but we’re talking melodic, technical tracks, with walls of keys and some guitar for counter-balance. Kind of like a more prog & keys, less metal & guitar F***ING CHAMPS.

CITAY—Citay (Important)
Strumming away on a sun-dappled summer day and then ROBERT FRIPP shows up from the next-door lawn, lays down in the hammock next to yours, sips some lemonade, and starts soloing over your strumming.

J DILLA—Donuts (Stones Throw)
I have no pretensions of passing as a hip-hop fan, but I know a great album of music when I hear it. Rarely have 31 tracks of near-snippets and beat sketches, worked so well into a coherent, flowing album. Tons of funk, jazz, soul, and beats galore. And not a rapper within earshot. RIP.

AGALLOCH—Ashes Against the Grain (The End)
Brilliant new one from one of the most original voices in American metal. Taking a page from OPETH’s grimoire, Agalloch are able to meld the dreamlike and nightmarish, the romantic and the bleak in their doomy, gothy, folky, proggy vision. Pretty close to their watershed Mantle album.

ROGER JOSEPH MANNING—Land of Pure Imagination (Cordless)

Flawed and inconsistent yet fantastic and beautiful set of home recordings by this former JELLYFISH dude. Average voice and some mawkish lyrics but also a sense of pop/rock beauty that perfectly melds the greats, such as TODD RUNDGREN, PAUL MCCARTNEY, BEACH BOYS, E.L.O., and more.

WARHAMMER 48k—Uber Om (Emergency Umbrella)
Left-field, outsider metal running all over the place with no-wave/post-rock noise, doom, thrash, and stoner styles. Completely bonkers but mostly musical and compelling.

EARL GREYHOUND—Soft Targets (Some)
Exciting New York-based trio that rocks hard when they swing their Bonham-beats with bigg riffs and wailing vocals. The energy and interest drop a bit with their fairly basic, straight rock tunes. If they could hone what it is they do best, they’ll knock skulls.

Filed under music best of the year