Ten Silver Drops Indeed

Holy crap! I'm on my second go-round of the new Secret Machines album, Ten Silver Drops, and it is, in a word, amazing. I nearly listened to Lightning Blue Eyes three or four times in a row, but to get the full experience it's best to listen to the whole album at once.

I can't get over how good this is! Definitely the album of the year (and also one of only a few I will purchase this year, so feel free to discount my opinion). It's so weird that this album is so different from Now Here is Nowhere. In NHiN, everything sounds so precise and distinct, the drums, the keys, the guitars, and on TSD it is all over the place. Not in a bad way mind you, it just seems like they are filling up the entire frequency spectrum, all the way from 20 right up to 20k Hz.




Oh, by the way, in the last week I have purchased 8 CDs, which is pretty significant because that's usually about the number I buy in an entire year. Well, anyway, here's a run down of the stuff I got. A bonus List Tuesday for you.

1. Coldplay - Parachutes: Coldplay's first album, which I think is really good for some reason. I don't really know why I like it. The musicianship is mediocre, the songwriting is sappy, but somehow it all works. X&Y, however, does not.



2. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head: Basically, it's similar to Parachutes, but better. Both of these albums I already knew since I had illegally downloaded them, but I felt guilty so I bought them used. Which doesn't really make sense, does it? I mean, I paid money, but the only people who got money off of me were the owners of the used record store. Coldplay didn't get nothin'. Seems weird that buying used is better than downloading since it's only other people who make money off the artists' work. Oh well.



3. The Shins - Oh, Inverted World: I love The Shins second album, Chutes Too Narrow, so I decided to check out this one. I'd downloaded a few of the songs, but most I hadn't heard before. It's not quite as good as CTN, but I still like it. Except for this one song that has a ride cymbal crashing away and dominating the whole song. It's almost unlistenable on head phones that amplify the upper registers. Oh yeah, this one was used, too.



4. Jack Johnson - Songs from Curious George The Movie: What can I say, it's a Jack Johnson album. It sounds just like his other ones, which, if you like his other ones, is good. If you don't, it may make you want to shoot yourself in the head. The only disappointing thing about this one is that G. Love is featured on several songs. Normally, having G. Love should crank the awesomeness up at least 3 notches, but not here. If I didn't know G. Love was playing on those tracks, you would never guess it featured anyone but Jack.



5. Radiohead - OK Computer: Hands down, the single greatest rock album of the last decade, maybe more. I would put it up there with Let it Be, Led Zeppelin II and Dark Side of the Moon. If you don't know this album, you really should, it's that good. This was another that I had illegally stolen quite a while ago, and finally got around to buying (used of course). It's too bad that this album was so good that Radiohead have been given carte blanche to do whatever they want and have it called great though. Amnesiac sucks, and Kid A is only moderately listenable. I haven't even tried to Hail to the Thief...



6. Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler - All the Roadrunning: I haven't listened to this (what? I just bought it a few hours ago, and the time in between has been filled with lunch and The Secret Machines) but how can it not be good? I mean, it has Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler! If you don't know who Mark Knopfler is, he is the guitar genius behind the Dire Straits and is responsible for the best guitar solo in the history of music (sorry Mr. Page): the one from The Sultans of Swing. He is probably the second best guitar player of his generation. The best is Danny Gatton (RIP).



7. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome, The Pete Seeger Sessions: Haven't heard this one yet either. It's Bruce Springsteen with the Pete Seeger band playing old-school traditional songs, including Froggie went a Courtin'. You just know it's going to be sweet. Maybe the brickwife has listened to it. You can ask her if you really want to know.

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