What is there to say about Wolves in the Throne Room's second album, except that it's the most elegant black metal release since Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse? Each song achieves an atmosphere that is nothing short of perfect and an improvement in almost every way on the band's debut. Furious black metal sections give way to calmly dense post-metal sections with gorgeous female vocals, never once sacrificing beauty or emotion. With fantastic production, Two Hunters represents a very natural step forward for the best American band currently making black metal.
I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots
Ghosts Will Come and Kiss Our Eyes is the second full-length from Godspeed You! Black Emperor side project [l]Hrsta[/l]. Combining some of GY!BE's depressing tones and dirge-like tempos with a more subtle, almost ambient approach to songwriting. Not unlike fellow GY!BE sideproject [l]Set Fire to Flames[/l], Hrsta employ a very organic approach to the creation of their music and the result is a very subtle, eerie journey through soundscapes generally featuring guitar, vocals and organs as the main instruments. The album's closer, a cover of the Bee Gees' "Holiday" is an uplifting conclusion, in the creepiest possible way.
While they probably haven't made the album of their career just yet, there's very little complain about with The Mint Chicks' performance on Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!. Unlike the Minties' previous full-length, CYDN is a much more well-rounded effort that harnesses their punk attitude into tastefully aggressive tunes like "Ockham's Razor" rather than outright spasms like "Nothing is a Switch". There are plenty of lighter moments also to be had, such as the relentlessly catchy "Sleeping During the Day" and the love song title track. In short, Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! is a pop album with plenty of great songs, fantastic hooks and badass attitude.
Heavily processed vocals, super-tight drumming, crazy outbursts of technicality and furturistic effects all play a role in this highly unique New York supergroup. Featuring ex-members of Don Caballero, Helmet and Lynx, Mirrored takes the math rock template of Battles' EPs and fuses them with intensely catchy pop hooks and influence from countless other genres. If you're reading this, you've probably already heard it, but if not, do yourself a favour and check out what is surely one of the decade's most original releases.
Split into three discs; Brawlers (gritty blues), Bawlers (ballads) and Bastards (experimental tracks), Orphans represents some of the very best work of Tom Waits' career. Orphans combines Waits' cigarette-stained voice, his brilliant and astoundingly delightful songwriting and the diversity that has defined his career over the years. Somehow managing to be an entirely consistent release over the course of 56 tracks, Orphans cements Tom Waits' status as one of the greatest songwriters and creative artists of all time.
Recorded on a hospital bed, Donuts represents some of the best solo work of legendary hip-hop producer J Dilla. Released a mere three days before his passing, Donuts is 31 tracks (all but one of which are under 2 minutes long) of short, sharp and extremely fun hip-hop. Recommended for fans everything hip-hop, Donuts is undoubtedly one of the finest records in its genre to be released this decade.
Joanna Newsom is truly an artist like no other. Existing in the realm of "freak folk" alongside artists like Devendra Banhart, Newsom's choice to use the harp as her main instrument (not to mention her unique vocal style) sets her apart completely. Ys is the follow-up to 2004's The Milk Eyed Mender and shows an enormous leap in terms of songwriting and arrangement. While her first record consisted of short folk songs, Ys' songs all approach (and sometimes exceed) the 10 minute mark. Featuring orchestration by Van Dyke Parks on 4 of its 5 songs, Ys shows enormous progression that even Newsom's most loyal fans could never have anticipated.
Where the majority of post-rock bands can make dramatic dynamic changes and standard major keys sound old and stale, post-hardcore band Envy fuse post-rock with hardcore/screamo to create a sound that lies somewhere in between Mogwai and Saetia. While the result isn't anything wildly original, it's fresh and the listener can't help but feel that no one has ever implemented the cliches of the genre quite as well as Envy manage to on Insomniac Doze.
Like all of the greatest albums, Alligator is one of those records that works beautifully as a unit, yet still has 4 or 5 near-perfect standout tracks. The third full-length from New York band The National, Alligator is 13 tracks of varied, clever and emotional indie-rock. Highlights include the melodic opener "Secret Meeting", the anthemic "Lit Up", the soft and subtle "Daughters of the Soho Riots", the furious uptempo track "Abel" and the gorgeous "The Geese of Beverly Road", which features orchestral arrangements. Quite possibly the best album of 2005, Alligator comes painfully close to perfection.
Having released six albums in the space of four years, Devendra Banhart has established himself as one of the most prolific songwriters in the indie folk genre in a very short amount of time. Cripple Crow is his most recent full-length LP and it comes after 2004's release of companion albums Rejoicing in the Hands and Ni?ojo. Though not an overwhelmingly consistant record, Cripple Crow's 22 tracks are an eclectic, warm and soothing listen.
Stripped down acoustic passages, poetic lyrics, atmospherics and intense post-hardcore all play a part in mewithoutYou's third full-length, Brother, Sister. Though the band manage to play some very interesting music with this release, it is all for the purpose of backing Aaron Weiss' passionate half-sung, half-spoken vocal attack. Titled in reference to the work of St. Francis of Assisi, Brother, Sister is a religious album, but if that isn't a turn-off for you, you owe it to yourself to check out one of the best and more original post-hardcore albums of 2006.
Perhaps Boris' most accessible album to date, Pink takes the band in a much more melodic direction than their previous records. Despite opening with a dense but beautiful track ("Farewell") akin to Mogwai or Jesu, the majority of the songs on offer are fast, fuzzed out stoner rock tracks. Featuring bluesy solos, intense vocals and ridiculously heavy production, fans of Queens of the Stone Age, The Bronx or the Melvins would do well to give Pink a try. Fans of the post-metal sound would also find a number of songs to enjoy with the aforementioned "Farewell", as well as "Blackout", the gorgeous ambient track "My Machine" and the album's enormously epic closer "Just Abandoned Myself". Whatever your preference, Pink's crushing heaviness will make a worthwhile addition to your collection.
On their second full-length, These Arms Are Snakes combine the abrasive post-hardcore of bands such as Drive Like Jehu with stop/start post-punk grooves and cold, moody synth sounds. Featuring ex-members of Botch and Kill Sadie, These Arms Are Snakes are a talented bunch, capable of more than your average post-hardcore group. Vicious, noisy and occasionally epic, Easter is full of angry shouting, complex riffing, electronic textures and varied dynamics. Highly recommended for fans of Fugazi, Scratch Acid and The Blood Brothers.
