It's kind of amazing how in tune a lot of these lists seem to be, isn't it? You'll find no argument at Naive Harmonies that the likes of Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Phoenix et al put out stellar releases in 2009... but how about some love for some of the more unheralded albums released in the past twelve months? Listed below are five albums that this author has yet to find on the majority of year-end lists out there. Dig in, discover and enjoy.
Doug Paisley self-titled (No Quarter) [buy it]Listen To "Broken In Two"
In the grand tradition of Canadian troubadours exploring Americana (Neil Young, The Band), Doug Paisley is a Toronto born/London based singer-songwriter whose songs evoke a kind of dusty country-tinged folk. His self-titled debut album is an intimate charmer that sounds equally great sound tracking a spring afternoon spent idly on a sun-lit porch swing as it does on a winter's evening sipping warm cider by a fire. Bonnie Prince Billy fans would be wise to investigate this album for all seasons. (Truth be told, this record flew so far under the radar, it actually was released in vinyl-only in late 2008; it's digital/cd release in early '09 qualifies it here.)
Lee Fields My World (Truth & Soul) [buy it]Listen To "Honey Dove"
Forget the soul-revival. And please don't call it a comeback; Lee Fields has actually been here for years. Fields has been a mainstay on the soul & funk scene since the 70's, drawing unavoidable vocal comparisons along the way to James Brown. My own limited exposure to but a fraction of his deep back catalog suggested a leaning towards the so-called deep-funk movement. My World, an album whose gestation reportedly lasted over 4 years, flips the script considerably and shifts focus towards classic 60's and 70's inspired soul. This is timeless stuff, with impeccable production and wonderful arrangements. Fields even cedes the spotlight to his band The Expressions for a couple of bang-on instrumentals. This album lived in the better half's car cd player for months and made her arguments for driving a lot more compelling.
Trembling Bells Carbeth (Honest Jons) [buy it]Listen To "Willows Of Carbeth"
Damon Albarn's Honest Jons label has been offering discriminating crate-diggers rare world, funk and soul releases for years. What a surprise then to find this offering: the debut from a Glasgow based band who draws a compelling line right back to the late 60's output of British folk rock pioneers such as Fairport Convention, Pentangle and the Incredible String Band. Trembling Bells' co-vocalist Lavina Blackwall darn nearly channels the incomparable late Sandy Denny. Yet somehow, against all odds, this all comes off as something more than an exercise in genre-plundering mimicry. Carbeth is the most sincerely and enjoyably out of time record of 2009.
Idlewild Post Electric Blues (Cooking Vinyl) [buy it]Listen To "Readers & Writers"
Staying in Scotland, we have the seventh album from Edinburgh's Idlewild. Call this one the surprise of the year. Three years removed from the disappointing Make Another World, Idlewild seemed to be spinning its collective wheels and in danger of slipping into irrelevancy. Label-less, the band turned to its audience for the funding of this new album, a creative rebirth of sorts. What a shock to find the band sounding revitalized and re energized on Post Electric Blues, an album of grand, sweeping, stadium-sized rock gestures and hooks. They may never return to the thrilling visceral intensity of 100 Broken Windows or The Remote Part, albums upon which their hard-earned critical reputation was forged; but here there is a confidence, maturity and comfort in one's own skin. Few moments in 2009 had me reaching for the volume knob more than the one-two punch of "Readers & Writers" and "City Hall".
The Leisure Society The Sleeper (Full Time Hobby) [buy it]Listen To "A Matter Of Time"
Sure, The BQE project was an impressive undertaking. But those finding themselves wishing and hoping for something more along the lines of the next installment of Sufjan Steven's mythic (and recently debunked) 50 states project might be wise to divert their attention instead to this London band's debut effort. The Sleeper is a swoon-worthy wide screen chamber-pop affair that is not afraid to tug hard at the heartstrings. Unlikely Ivor Novello nominees, recent recipients of a year's best tag from Rough Trade, and the object of unabashed affection from one Brian Eno? The Leisure Society is somehow all of these things and yet, a band that managed to escape 2009 with a puzzling lack of stateside attention. There are moments when one may wish that The Sleeper bore the mark of a band with a bit more dirt underneath its nails, but it's still a winsome and lovely way to spend 40 minutes. An impressive starting point, by any measure.
So how about you? Feel free to share with us your favorite unheralded gems from the musical year 2009 in the comments.
