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 - 82. The National - High Violet

82. THE NATIONAL - HIGH VIOLET 

Controversial winners of the list from the last decade with Boxer, ahead of Kid A, though that's debatable now, The National brought this record out at the top of the decade. It also, like Boxer, came at a really critical part of my life, as I upped sticks and went to study an intensive teacher-training course in Budapest for a month, in May 2010.

Songs like "Terrible Love," "Sorrow" and "England" were massively flooding me with affectation, as I was walking the streets of the brand new Central European city with coffees, beers and palinkas. Studying and not studying. Falling in and out of love. Coming to terms with my mid-twenties and feeling lost and found.

As one decade ends and another is set to begin, this band remain a special entity. They have evolved into a spellbinding institution, one that explores, delves deeper and enthralls. A full-bodied evolution after Boxer; this band are the crème de la creme. Stirred, not shaken plz.

albums of 2012 - 4. Grizzly Bear - Shields

4. GRIZZLY BEAR - SHIELDS
 Album number 4 for 'the bear' and this songwriting got so refined that the richness and eloquence radiated everywhere. The sheer quality of playing here stands up to any band on the planet. At the time of writing, it's been a few months since I listened to this but closer "Sun In Your Eyes" is a perfect illustrator as to how some of the dusky parts can be manipulated later with glisten shining through.

New Yorl City has an extremely special place in my heart and bands like The National, The Strokes, TV on the Radio, Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear show how perhaps it has been the best city in the world for indie music over the last few years. Oh yeah, I shouldn't discount Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Man, grab this motherfucker - it's worth your time.

Albums of 2012 - 7. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

7. DIRTY PROJECTORS - SWING LO MAGELLAN

Albums that polarize opinion are cool in my book. I saw this band in Brighton in 2009 at the time of Bitte Orca and they blew my mind with the sheer bend on the guitar and the vocals of Amber and Haley. It's like when mermaids cry. Massively otherworldly.

David Longstreth is cool too. pPople will say it's his band but oh! you can hear! ideas! Others' ideas heres too. David, Amber and Haley, oh how I idolize you. What are you? You must be from NYC? Hey peeps! Classic songwrting with an avant-spin for a dickhead that wants something different.

Records of 2010 - 02 - The National - High Violet

Records of 2010 - 02 - The National - High Violet

• Owen Brown

  is still listening to the rich and classy High Violet all the time

  07 June at 01:21 · · Comment