Twin Shadow - CONFESS
Twin Shadow’s (AKA George Lewis Jr.) second album
CONFESS continues the same mid 80’s influenced direction as his first FORGET
with the only difference being higher production values meaning Casio sounding
keyboards and the Linn drum type percussion gives way to modern day mechanization. The result is less endearing less haunting than
the first but the songs are equally good.
When something is heard for the second time perhaps the novelty has worn
off a bit. That being said, while FORGET
was one of the best albums of 2010, CONFESS is also likely to make the best of
list for 2012.
The Crookes - HOLD FAST
The Crookes find themselves
in a similar situation. Their debut
album CHASING AFTER GHOSTS was one of the best albums of 2011. For the follow-up HOLD FAST, the songs are
less complex and have less atmosphere.
This is still a very good band and they seem very relaxed here. I’m looking forward to their next record.
Noel Gallagher - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
One release I missed from 2011
but sought out after an excellent performance at Coachella was the first solo
album by Noel Gallagher NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS. This is a superb record – Gallagher’s best record
since Oasis’s second album WHAT’S THE STORY, MORNING GLORY? And perhaps his best group of songs
ever. Exquisitely produced with lots of
strings and brass and big, big tunes such as Everybody’s on the Run, If I Had a
Gun, AKA....Broken Arrow, and Stop the Clocks.
Considering the quality of Oasis’s last couple of records before they
broke up and how good this record is, I frankly hope that Noel continues
on as a solo artist.
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