Al Bedsitter's Best Albums of 2018 (Part 3 of 3)

[bedsitter23]

Johnny Marr Call the Comet (New Voodoo/Sire) – It’s weird that Marr’s solo career didn’t realty take off until the 201xs.  Even weirder, he seems to get better every record.  Call the Comet is his best solo album yet, and in a world where 120 Minutes still mattered, “Hi Hello” would be in every house.  Perhaps, little surprise that this is also the record that has most embraced the Smiths and New Order (and Joy Division) sound that has marked Marr’s career.  I catch direct reference to Patti Smith, too.  Smiths fans who may have not paid attention to Marr should check this out.  This one shows what a real talent Marr was and he could have held it down on his own (though, add some unique voice and better lyrics, and well, I promised I wouldn’t do this…)

Mitski Be the Cowboy (Dead Oceans Records)-  2016's Puberty 2 was such a masterful indie record.  It's hard to even classify Mitski's music.  On one hand, it's lyrical folk, drawing comparisons to Jenny Lewis and Angel Olson, and the other hand it's totally lo-fi with the occasional Pixies-ish noise.  It drew comparison to lo-fi bands like Car Seat Headrest. There really hadn't been an artist that broke those kind of boundaries since Julie Doiron and Eric's Trip.  Mitski would be forgiven for taking a step back on this follow-up.  Instead, she takes it to another level, adding elements of dance and electronic music.  Moments of the record reveal a mixture of 80s influences like The Smiths and Kate Bush.  It all adds together to make one of the most completely realized albums of 2018.


Parquet Courts  Wide Awake! (Rough Trade)  -2016's Human Performance was a revelation.  It imagined the feel of the Velvet Underground wrap around shades and European son cool.  Last year's Daniele Luppi collaboration Milano doubled down on that.  Hard to say which album is better, but Wide Awake is just as good.  This time, with another amazing collaborater Danger Mouse.  This sounds like a great unheard of new wave album- nods to The Fall, Fear of Music, Gang of Four, Wire, even some Minutemen and classic 1970s NYC- Ramones, Television, and of course, Lou Reed.  They seem to maintain a certain chameleon-like quality, but come off as their own.


Nathaniel Ratcliff & the Night Sweats Tearing at the Seams (Fantasy)-  For all of the talk about rock being dead, there are quite a few good rock bands that fall in the genre that used to be called Adult Alternative.The Revivalists, Milky Chance, Alabama Shakes, the Avett Brothers and maybe best of all, Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats. This mini-explosion owes much to Jack White and the Black Keys though their concurrent influences of the Post-Mumford explosion and to a certain extent, jam bands which via The Lumineers, The Hand and the Heart, Of Monsters and Men, and even Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings bring us here. “SOB” was a huge hit that got these guys played on stations that normally play The Crue and White Zombie. There’s nothing quite that catchy here (a couple of songs come close) but it’s a much more realized record than their self-titled breakthrough disc. Impossible not to mention Van Morrison but like their tourmates Kings of Leon,  I suppose the band owns a few CCR and The Band records too.

Rolling Blackouts C.F. Hope Downs (SubPop)-  It is hard to think of a debut album that has come out recently that had so many expectations, and it was one of my most anticipated albums of the year as well.  They had released 2 EPs that showed what a unique talent they are.  So I am happy to report that they delivered.  It's hard to classify RBCF.  They are like all the good bits of music-  C86 and some of the sophisticated pop of those days like Orange Juice and the Go-Betweens, with some Flying Nun pop, a touch of Parquet Courts style punk influences, and a lot of classic American college rock like REM, the Feelies, maybe even the Replacements.  "An Airconditioned Man" might be the best kick off to an album all year.

Richard Thompson 13 Rivers (New West) I have put together "20 Best Albums of the Year" lists for 15 years, and this will be the first to feature Richard Thompson.  I have followed his career and looking back, I may have been wrong a time or two (Sweet Warrior), but I think his legacy towers over everything he has done.  So it isn't that he made bad albums, he has just already done it all.  Then again, there is something about 13 Rivers that feels different.  I would say it is a stronger set of songs, for one.  I do think that is part of it; but it is also a throwback to  the classic sound.  Thompson produces and Clay Blair (The War on Drugs) catches a sound that is immediately arresting, much like Thompson's classic material.

Tracyanne & Danny Tracyanne & Danny (Merge)  From a selfish point of view, I am saddened by the death of  Camera Obscura pianist/vocalist Carey Lander.  Lander was am integral part of the band, and they broke up.  Looking back, the band's four records are incredible.  They were often overshadowed by the similar Belle & Sebastian, but looking back now, were they just as good or even better.  This album relaunches Traceyanne Campbell's career by pairing her with Crybaby's Danny Coughlan, and it's such a great listen.  Campbell is always inspired, but when needed, Coughlan proves a worthy foil.  Much in line with Camera Obscura, subsequent listens show the strong backing music that goes from Bachrach-ian pop to Velvet Underground cool.