Albums of the Decade - 21. The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

 21. THE NATIONAL TROUBLE WILL FIND ME (2013) 

When I was studying to be a teacher in Budapest, the prequel to this album -  High Violet  - came out and I was mesmerised; at 26 years old I felt the songs directly mirrored my ascent into my prime.

When Trouble Will Find Me came out at 29 I felt I was continuing my ascent, but maybe was on the cusp of falling apart, living in Taiwan, before my new ascent a bit later; like the title of the album confirms - this band kind of bookmark my time alert -  and there's nothing more to say,

There are so many fucking avenues to go down with this chestnut. You can roast them - one avenue. You can reverse-griddle them; another. You can put on your combat boots and fry me a night out - one option. Or act all circumspect and leave me stranded in the hypermarket, holding my boxes alone - another.

Albums of the Decade - 26. Justin Hopper & Sharron Kraus with The Belbury Poly - Chanctonbury Rings (2019)

 26. JUSTIN HOPPER & SHARRON KRAS, WITH THE BELBURY POLY - CHANCTONBURY RINGS (2019)

A spoken word and poetry record about the changing of the seasons, that sits really well on top of The Belbury Poly's 8-bit style electronica. This LP carries a bewitching, pagan kind of spook, that narrates an American character's nostalgia for his lost grandmother and experiences a sighting of her among the chalk rings - that may have been left there by mystical beings.

The fact that in this digital age I was digging the samples of even Morris dancing - a British pecularity in of itself, was remarkable, given the range of scope of albums on this list - proving that nothing is left spare, surplus to requirements, even something like Elton Johns "Candle In The Wind," though that's a moot point. 

Albums of the Decade - 27. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride (2019)

 27. VAMPIRE WEEKEEND - FATHER OF THE BRIDE (2019) 

I did a vlog a few years ago about why Vampire Weekend are the best band of a generation and that opinion still holds forth. Their fourth opus - a double disc extravaganza! - a concept album about the pecularities of marriage - definitely gets a drivetime, Fleetwood-Mac do-over and nothing is conceded, only added to, despite this reckoning.

I went jogging yesterday, December 1st, and it felt great playing this full-bodied record on the first day of advent, as the snow glistened off the Eastern European rooftops. "...off..." is enough in that last sentence, not sure why Americans say "off of..." - luckily Vampire Weekend don't make such clunky songs.

The band have had three albums appear on this albums of the decade list now, and that's surely a reason for them to celebrate among themselves, doesn't matter if it's distancing or a glass of hot wine in a small group; I'm all good.

Albums of the Decade - 35. Kind Midas Sound - Solitude (2019)

 35. KING MIDAS SOUND - SOLITUDE (2019)

This would've been perfect for the pandemia of 2020, but nevertheless, contrarily on the other hand -  and anyone who's been through a break-up will feel the bare-bones poetry spoken over spare, instrumental soundscapes and dub.

This album was an ogre; a brutal sense of discordance and disassociaton - the feeling when you're flummoxed when they're gone, when you can't eat, but you force-feed yourself and you bring it up anyway; the details are raw and the truth of falling out of love is as valid as the on-boarding process - a utensil in it's own right.

Listening to Solitude is best done in exactly this context; I wouldn't bang this on at a dinner party - unless you are a fan of an atmosphere of grizzle come swiftly and I know you're not a big fan of that as you're speading posh lard on your rye bread, doing vodkas and eyeing up caviar.

Albums of the Decade - 44. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City (2013)

44.VAMPIRE WEEKEND - MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY (2013)

Christmas is inspiring me to bring this album to the fore. Back in 2013, when I worked at a kindergarten, I taught K1, the youngest group at the school. We had to put on a winter performance in an ampitheater to the parents and I went for The Snowman, a timeless animation, but in mine I featured a silly penguin so the kids could do a stupid dance.
And from thereonin, in a posh university came a day with a flaming hangover - but my Canadian boss played Modern Vampires Of The City between the intervals and before the opener, as the parents were arriving - and, suddenly, christmas hit. The timelessness of this album is just timeless. It's the bands third album and certainly hitting "maturity" - there's less gimmicks, about 7 life-affirming tracks - it would be the best album of all time if it had 12/12 - those 7 are that good - but for me this is all about the memory of that kindergarten show we pulled off like whoa.

Albums of the year - 27. TINDERSTICKS - THE WAITING ROOM

27. TINDERSTICKS - THE WAITING ROOM 

A special band who produce albums that you can just sink into. And I'm pretty sure that I've said it a few times this year already about other records, but who gives a shizzle when it's just a turn of phrase? "How He Entered" combines poetry with brass and piano; it's sumptuous. "Hey Lucinda" is a beautiful duet concerned with asking someone out; it's alluring. The title-track is devastating. It's all here.

Interestingly the exclamation in the track "We Are Dreamers!" brings the penultimate punch before the downbeat finale of "Like Only Lovers Can"drifts the album away. This album has been perfect in this particular sitting, as with the last entry Purple Pilgrims - it's freezing cold outside and it's time to get warm. I'm such a mad-head to go running in it.

Went running in it, felt great. Last nights wine still lingers on in the pit of the stomach though but booze certainly plays a part in the makeup of The Waiting Room so I wouldn't worry about it. This album may have a soothing aesthetic but the narrative has the full spectrum of emotion and is all the better for it.

Albums of 2016 - 31. LEONARD COHEN - YOU WANT IT DARKER

31. LEONARD COHEN - YOU WANT IT DARKER

A bad year for deaths. Prince, Muhammad Ali, Terry Wogan, Gene Wilder, David Bowie and now this. Seems that Cohen, in his early 80's, was getting ready to go. The album is very sad and bleak and wintry and full of croon.

The guy wrote everything, sang, painted and more in his lifetime. Once in a second-hand bookshop, I was looking around and there were loads of dusty old paperbacks for sale, some for less than a pound but I wasn't keen as they were tat / trash / codswallop. Then, I saw a hardback copy Beautiful Losers, his second and final novel from 1966!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And so I bought it for nearly 16 quid I think.

I just think that there is a time and a place for everything. I am late on the bandwagon once again like for a lot of things. Whether fourteen albums or two novels or a few decades of poetry, it is apparent that is his epitaph and should be treasured and by God will it be. It will be.

Albums of 2012 - 24. Tindersticks - The Something Rain

24. TINDERSTICKS - THE SOMETHING RAIN

One legendary band follows another on this list. For those not in the know: (wiki:)

Musical style

Their sound is characterised by orchestral backing, lounge jazz, and soul; the orchestrations of multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe (who left the band in 2006) and the baritone of lead vocalist Stuart A. Staples are the band's hallmarks.^[6] Tindersticks augment their instrumentation with Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet,bassoon, Hammond organ, and many more.

I saw Tindersticks in Reykjavik, 2008. That night was special. The instrumentation and the deep voice of the lead singer was comforting as the Icelandic air was starting to get cool in late September. My good friends were there and everyone, including myself was new to the band. But Tindersticks have this ability to warm you up and soothe. 

If you spin this ninth album of theirs, you'll hear that they open up with a funny, yet epic monologue in "Chocolate" and ends in a sweet twinkly instrumental of "Goodbye Joe," and sandwiched in-between are 7 sumptous tracks with well-written lyrics and that voice that for some reason reminds me of rubies. Just image association!