Albums of the Decade - 53. Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like a Levee (2016)

53. HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - HEART LIKE A LEVEE (2016) 

Almost went to see this band at xmas in 2016 but went to Lisbon instead and dreamed of being in Leeds. I went to Hamburg to a christmas market with a disco-ball and snowdrops flying, polished off a few mugs of mulled wine and then flew to Portugal. Felt like true jetsetter, instead of a trendsetter or a bedwetter.

This album is pure Jimmy Fuller in its capacity for a beautiful blonde beard, Worked with that guy in a call-center in 2008 and this goes out as a tribute to you Jimbeam.  You shaped my love of folk. That guy and the lean-ins on dates. The lunchtime pints. The gigs. The "yeah boy" - the yak and the sulk. The No 1 ' "Who's a bellend? / You are" - then he drenches me in a pint. "I like it!"

Jimmy's with a kid now and he's beautiful. Hope he grows up supporting West Ham too. Maybe he'll end up loving Leeds - I will buy him a Leeds bib when he's 18 and tell him it's the yak and the sulk and the smile going for a glass of milk or a pint. Heart Like a Levvee is "prismatic" as Uncut magazine said - I'll lean in to that.

Albums of 2016 - 48. HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - HEART LIKE A LEVEE

48. HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - HEART LIKE A LEVEE

There's a time and place, maybe even an era for every album and this sixth effort for this special little band sounds like it's shooting for all that and more. For example the title track:

Sing me a river
Go easy on me, I'm not doing too well
Do you hate me, honey
As much as I hate myself?...

...Standing in the wake with the sky still changing
What's it going to take to keep you missing the rambling rake with a heart of obsidian?
Standing in the wake with the sky still changing

These lyrics add up to a time of change and a sinking feeling happening in ones heart. I'm experiencing it myself as I'm about to move abroad yet again elsewhere. But what's exquisite is the roaring euphoria when M.C. Taylor sings the title lyric to the title track on the title album and everything comes together in the middle of the vena cava.

Records of 2014 - 45. Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers

45. HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - LATENESS OF DANCERS

45 is one of my favourite numbers. It's a Brimful of Asha. It's a bar in Taipei. Wasn't Winehouse 45? 45 screams out rock & roll to me. 45 is the amount of times I've gone to the bathroom in winter. It's the number of times if I high-fived you nine times. 45 deserves a good standing for this band. They're so good.

Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky. Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky.Hiss Golden Messenger. Pure folk. Nothing complex. Whisky..

45.