Broken Social Scene – “Meet Me in the Basement”
Forgiveness Rock Record
While I doubt BSS will be returning to the supreme glory of You Forgot It In People, one of my favorite albums of the last decade, this new album is at least better than their muddy and directionless self-titled sophomore effort. They haven’t let go of the terrible vocal harmony style they introduced on that record, though, so this instrumental track makes for a nice break. Dynamic, punchy, and triumphant, this reminds me of the fun all-out jams they used to break out into during live performances.
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
If you haven’t seen this yet… it’s cry time.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Field Music – “Precious Plans”
Measure
This is a track which, like “Darker Still,” seems to slip by and be done before you realize you’ve been listening. I couldn’t even really describe “Precious Plans” to you, but it’s really easy to like, and keeps elaboration to a minimum. (insound)
Whales.
Tricky – “Pumpkin”
Maxinquaye
Like many people, I had a trip hop period – during which time I only listened to Tricky, Massive Attack, and… that’s pretty much all. Dark days indeed. It didn’t last long, but the early 2000s were a golden age for the much-maligned genre. Maxinquaye would have caught my attention regardless, with tracks like “Pumpkin” and “Hell is Round the Corner” to its credit. Maxine’s voice in the former, making nonsense syllables out of actual lyrics, is so smoky and mysterious that it completely overshadows the slightly underwhelming backing track.
The soundest fact may fail or prevail in the style of its telling: like that singular organic jewel of our seas, which grows brighter as one woman wears it and, worn by another, dulls and goes to dust. Facts are no more solid, coherent, round, and real than pearls are. But both are sensitive.
Ursula K. LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness
