I loved both the Marling and the Mountain Goats records...thank you Richard for the heads up on those two.
I will go a different way, however, and (shockingly!) nominate Seeds We Sow by Lindsey Buckingham. As always, the lyrics have their clumsy moments, but he's got a lot on his mind on this one. Deception, mortality, justice in the universe, and the real personal cost of making "Tusk" instead of Rumours II - a decision that, in retrospect, Buckingham seems to believe (probably correctly) ruined his solo career. It appears that he needs to justify that choice 30 years later, and the obsessive element there speaks volumes about the guy.
To me, he is such an interesting mix of runaway talent and runaway ego that this very personal, introspective record is dominating my listening hours.
The comeback record from Kid Creole is also a terrific effort, modernized but recognizably old school. The Girls, Bon Hiver, Adele, Wilco, Paul Simon, and Foo Fighters all had new releases this year that I like a lot. All in, I thought 2011 was a great year!
I will go a different way, however, and (shockingly!) nominate Seeds We Sow by Lindsey Buckingham. As always, the lyrics have their clumsy moments, but he's got a lot on his mind on this one. Deception, mortality, justice in the universe, and the real personal cost of making "Tusk" instead of Rumours II - a decision that, in retrospect, Buckingham seems to believe (probably correctly) ruined his solo career. It appears that he needs to justify that choice 30 years later, and the obsessive element there speaks volumes about the guy.
To me, he is such an interesting mix of runaway talent and runaway ego that this very personal, introspective record is dominating my listening hours.
The comeback record from Kid Creole is also a terrific effort, modernized but recognizably old school. The Girls, Bon Hiver, Adele, Wilco, Paul Simon, and Foo Fighters all had new releases this year that I like a lot. All in, I thought 2011 was a great year!