What’s more played out than a big “best of the year” list? And who cares what is “best” if it’s not necessarily your cup of tea? Never mind how many truly intelligent critics with highly discerning tastes can be found bouncing around a dance floor to Fergie. Tripe or no, there’s something to be said about any musician who can create something that people want to hear.
When you spend most of your time listening to things you wouldn’t otherwise pick up, you tend to lose a lot of opportunity to really enjoy the small bits and pieces you hear in between. I really liked the new Mastodon disc, but when did I have time to listen to it to the point where I could truly fall in love with it and know every song by heart? It just doesn’t happen. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just the nature of the beast when you review albums. What comes in the mail is top priority, not enjoying the albums you already heard.
This can become incredibly tedious for someone who loves music. It turns your appetite into a job. Yes, you often come across something absolutely brilliant that you never would have heard otherwise, and that’s when it all becomes worth the effort. But when you just heard a disc that made your loins quiver and now you have to set it aside, staying focused and unbiased becomes more and more difficult.
Still, most critics who are also fans will find ways to sneak in listening to music for actual pleasure; the difference is that we truly have to pick and choose what it is we want to revisit because the opportunities aren’t very prevalent. Perhaps it’s those albums, moreso than the nine-out-of-tens, that deserve the most accolades. After all, Bob Dylan may be brilliant beyond anyone’s imagination, but it’s rarely anyone’s first choice in recreational spinning.
Now then. Shall we?
Katatonia: The Great Cold Distance
If anyone asked me what my Album of the Year would be, it’s this one. Katatonia has been evolving progressively over the years, hindered by some terrible lyrics and a feeling of being stuck in a rut. But with this disc, it’s like they magically found the formula that shoves a song into your brain and super-glues it there. I know the words to nearly every song and even created karaoke versions of a few. Do I have any other real reason why I love this disc so much? Not really. Many others were technically better and rightfully more critically acclaimed, but Katatonia set an atmosphere with The Great Cold Distance and I absolutely can’t escape it.
Depeche Mode Reissues
It’s been like having an old friend over for dinner every weekend. Should Depeche Mode have disappeared from anyone’s radar, especially after their latest output? Of course not. But hearing them with increased clarity and watching a very in-depth documentary of their career is a bonus nobody would have expected to have land in their lap.
Scar Symmetry: Pitch Black Progress
This may as well be glued to the CD player in my car. If I don’t thow it in, my husband throws it in — and he’s not really a metal guy. With their second album, Scar Symmetry is already as highly respected as a stalwart like Opeth; they’re just that damn good. The songs are ridiculously addictive for a tech-influenced disc and the quality of vocals are pleasing even to a non-growler’s ear.
Oomph!: Glaube Liebe Tod
“Gott ist ein Popstar” is my cell phone ring whenever my mom calls me. I don’t know why; maybe just so I can sneak out a giggle and a stomp before I’m subjected to tales of relatives. I’m an Oomph! fangirl, I must admit, as this album isn’t their best. Yet it continues to be another staple in my car stereo.
And for those wondering about Tool and Lacuna Coil, two bands who I adored yet was astronomically disappointed by their latest efforts? It seems that now that the fellating is over, most critics agree with me that “Vicarious” and “The Pot” are the only reasons to own 10,000 Days. And as for Lacuna, I saw them live just a few weeks ago and must say they have managed to make their style shift sound a lot less abrupt. It’s a pity we’ll never have another Unleashed Memories, but if every artist in the world kept making their same albums repeatedly, we’d be complaining about that instead.
And as for albums by Isis, Mastodon, Lamb of God, and countless others that are more than deserving of praise? I wish I had more time. I know I’m missing out. It’s been a wonderful year for so many bands. Please make up for my lack of attention in spades, and the world will be balanced for 2007.
