Looking Forward to Looking Back
I started writing somewhat free form year end lists a couple of years ago, recapping my own thoughts on the music of the year in an informal, personal style. Astutue readers may notice I skipped that tradition at the end of ‘07. I’m not exactly sure why. It just wasn’t a massively inspiring year for music in my opinion, and the thought of struggling to put together a few paragraphs of coherent thought on a subject that could basically be summed up by the word “meh” just didn’t appeal to me. Sure, there were the usual highlights (In Rainbows) and near misses (Volta), and old rediscoveries, but not enough to resemble an actual list.
So why am I writing this? Because this year is already way different.
There has already been a full list’s worth of inspiring, fascinating music, and there’s promise of even more on the way. I started off the year obsessed with the new Why? album, Alopecia, and it has yet to lose it’s quirky, neurotic charm. Re-arrange Us, by Mates of State, was released at the perfect time to become the soundtrack of my summer, and finds them expanding their sound to much grander dimensions, without losing any of it’s affectionate appeal. Then there’s Efterklang’s brilliant Parades, technically a 2007 release that I didn’t hear until recently. I’m still kicking myself for skipping their show at Nectar recently. Dosh put out a great new album that’s been in heavy rotation, and Daedelus has become some sort of pop chameleon on his latest record. I’m still digesting a glut of new music from Autechre (one album, one bonus remix album, and an hour and a half of downloadable remixes!), and a small serving of Joan of Arc songs (one album, but lyrically layered so deeply it feels like 4).
I’m actually looking forward to looking back on this year, especially with some of the promising upcoming releases that are impending (Mogwai, Ratatat, Venetian Snares, Beck?). 2008 has been exciting so far, and shows no sign of slowing down.
