Right out of the gates two of the best albums I've heard in a while are released to start the new year in fine fashion. The Shins release "Wincing The Night Away," moving the band into a more "mature" realm of songwriting and sonic experimentation. And thankfully this is painlessly and eloquently executed. This is by far my favorite Shins record to date. I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy and have already worn it out.
On to #2! Of Montreal's "Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer," another 'must have' for the new year. Part three of Barnes’ creative trilogy Hissing Fauna is the logical next step in terms of sound, but with an added layer of personalization and introspection not so readily and immediately available on prior efforts. When he emotes on the track “A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger,” “I spent the winter on the verge of a total breakdown while living in Norway” backed by the incredibly poppy and upbeat instrumentation it’s as if you wonder whether to laugh or cry with him. Such is the duality of Hissing Fauna. Fifty plus minutes of clever, clever pop saturated in what sounds like a man on the brink of a nervous breakdown. It also may very well be Of Montreal’s best work yet. Needless to say, I look forward to seeing this band live with Bo and Randall next month.
Still to come: Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible" and Modest Mouse's " We Were Dead Before the Ship Went Down" - can't wait.
