Best Albums Of May 2008

May was a strong month with a lot of good releases. Here’s The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s favorites:

1. Pomegranates – Everything Is Alive | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
   Download “Whom/Who” (mp3)
   Download “Thunder Meadow” (mp3)
   

   This Cincinnati band is “Better Than The Chili” with their full-length debut of “experimental pop.” The album is upbeat and original. With each listen it becomes more appealing for the pop nuances. The band recorded and mixed it in a total of six days. It doesn’t sound like it was loosely thrown together; the album sounds true, unique, and marvelous.



2. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Lie Down In The Light | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP
   

   With a countrified folk-rock sound, this album is engagingly and convincingly uplifting. The multitude of organic instruments move in and out of their parts seamlessly. Will Oldham has released one of the best albums of his stellar musical catalog.



3. Spiritualized – Songs In A&E | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD
   

   J. Spaceman became gravely ill and spent too long in the Accident & Emergency ward. The experience influenced this album and led to the title Songs In A&E. This album moves through upbeat and mellow songs with layers of orchestration. In his poem Mental Fight, Ben Okri wrote, “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering.” Spaceman’s performance created an album that transcends the suffering into a work of beauty.



4. Vetiver – Thing Of The Past | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP MP3
   

   This is an alt country cover album, but I probably wouldn’t have realized that without being told. Most of the songs covered were picked from the late sixties and early seventies. There are some well-known songwriters present like Townes Van Zant and Loudon Wainwright III. The band also covers some more obscure musicians. Overall, Vetiver makes these forgotten songs sound like originals with a consistent warm production.



5. Okay – Huggable Dust | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
   Download “My” (mp3)
   

   Marty Anderson is Okay. He is mostly confined to stay home because of a rare stomach disorder. The music that Anderson makes is tactful and graceful folk pop. The songs seem simple, but are magnificently beautiful. As he sings in “Natural,” “You and me the exact same white light/ I could write you a novel tonight/ I could write you a new song each day/ It’s a natural part of my day.”



6. French Kicks – Swimming | Amazon CD | Insound CD
   Download “Abandon” (mp3)
   

   With singers Nick Stumpf and Josh Wise, French Kicks have released an accessible and melodic album. The band produced and mixed the album themselves and created a post-pop gem that shares a sonic similarity to the best work of their once tourmates, The Walkmen.



7. The Herbaliser – Same As It Never Was | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD
   

   This R&B album bounces through different genres. It gets into hip-hop and funk at times. It’s full of catchy songs and guest vocals from Yungun (Essa), Jean Grae, More or Les, and (mostly) Jessica Darling. It’s perfectly produced throughout and even the instrumental tracks on this album are enjoyable.



8. The Black Angels – Directions To See A Ghost | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
   Download “Doves” (mp3) from KEXP
   

   This band takes its name from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song.” The music holds true to the sonic qualities of its namesake, from the tom pounding of the drums to the melodic drone of the fuzzy guitars. Vocalist Alex Mass sounds like Jim Morrison on some of the songs. Ultimately, this band summons the sound of ‘60s psychedelic rock.



9. Islands – Arm’s Way | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD MP3
   Download “The Arm” (mp3)
   Download “Creeper” (mp3)
   

   First there was The Unicorns. Then that band broke up and two of the three members formed Islands with a cast of musicians. Next, Jamie Thompson amicably left the band leaving Nick Thorburn and his camaraderie of supporting musicians. Arm’s Way still retains the orchestral production of the band’s first album with violins and bass clarinet mixed into the guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums. This new album, however, is mixed better and stands out as a stronger release.



10. The Submarines – Honeysuckle Weeks | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD
    Download “You, Me, & The Bourgeoisie” (mp3)
    

    Married couple Jack Dragonetti and Blake Hazard shared lead roles in this band. The album volleys between a minimalist production and orchestra production. It is full of catchy melodies and diverse instrumentation. The band tours as a three-piece with a drummer added to the duo. I can’t imagine how these songs could be duplicated live as they are on this album since this release sounds much bigger than a three-piece band.

Some of the above writing was originally published on these posts:
New Releases – 6 May 2008
New Releases – 13 May 2008
New Releases – 20 May 2008
New Releases – 27 May 2008

The Wheel's Still In Spin's Best Albums Of January 2008
The Wheel's Still In Spin's Best Albums Of February 2008
The Wheel's Still In Spin's Best Albums Of March 2008
The Wheel's Still In Spin's Best Albums Of April 2008

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