Looking Back: pt. 1 of many

So part of the point of this whole blog is to not only tune you in to new music, but to return to great albums that came out a while ago. I think a lot of music magazines ignore this part: an album comes out, they review it, and then forget about it. If you really like an artist, though, their back catalog is just as important as their new work. In that spirit, I thought I'd review a few beloved albums that have stuck with me through the years, starting with the best of 2009: Phoenix's breakout smash Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (5/25 on V2) and Grizzly Bear's sublime Veckatimest (5/26 on Warp), fatefully released just one day apart. They arrived amidst tough competition - The xx's self-titled debut, Bitte Orca, Merriweather Post Pavilion and Girls' sublime Album - but their staying power still has me cranking them today.

1. "Lisztomania" - 4:02

2. "1901" - 3:13

3. "Fences" - 3:45

4. "Love Like a Sunset Part I" - 5:39

5. "Love Like a Sunset Part II" - 1:57

6. "Lasso" - 2:48

7. "Rome" - 4:38

8. "Countdown" - 3:57

9. "Girlfriend" - 3:24

10. "Armistice" - 3:05

This record came out just as the recession hit in the U.S., and while its lush, sparkling instrumentation  couldn't revive the floundering economy, it certainly brought a band that had previously been obscure in the states into the limelight. Despite their 3 previous albums, which are quite good (check out "Too Young" from their 2000 debut United), Phoenix never garnered anything but underground success in the states. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix seemed an unlikely candidate for the universal acclaim it received, but we can recognize a gem when we see one.

Image credit: heyreverb.com

Clocking in at a brief 36 minutes, W.A.P.'s mellow, synth-driven groove never feels dull or finds a comfortable place to rest on its laurels. Opener "Lisztomania" is a paean to Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, and its mix of vintage keyboards, syncopated drum rhythms and chiming, sunny guitars is infectious. The rise to success and imminent fame that the song describes is a beautiful foreshadowing of what would happen to Phoenix. 

Other standouts include the bouncy  hit "1901", a staple of summer soundtracks and trendy clubs alike; "Rome", a soft-rock breeze that compares a burgeoning relationship to the great Empire, and "Armistice", a harpsichord-fueled closer that waves the listener out with a burst of spotlessly clean guitar. 

The quintet took home a Grammy for Best Alternative Album at the 2010 awards and proved that the French do more than wear berets and eat baguettes: they make indie rock in the finest tradition.

*Fun Fact: The band's singer, Thomas Mars, is married to Sofia Coppola of Godfather fame. 

Sounds like: an older, wiser incarnation of Foals, complete with mystifying lyrics and plenty of harmonics

*  *  *

1. "Southern Point" - 5:03

2. "Two Weeks" - 4:03

3. "All We Ask" - 5:22

4. "Fine For Now" - 5:31

5. "Cheerleader" - 4:54

6. "Dory" - 4:26

7. "Ready, Able" - 4:17

8. "About Face" - 3:22

9. "Hold Still" - 2:25

10. "While You Wait for the Others" - 4:30

11. "I Live With You" - 4:58

12.  "Foreground" - 3:35

This is, without a doubt, one of the best albums that will be made during my lifetime. It's a solid 52 minutes of deftly crafted alternative rock, with hints of melodic pop and classical technique. Even if Veckatimest had faults, I wouldn't be able to give an objective review; these are not hip indie singles, but warm, constantly surprising songs to live by.

Some of the vocal harmonies and motifs are reminiscent of Department of Eagles, Daniel Rossen's earlier project with Fred Nicolaus (stream tracks from their phenomenal 2008 release In Ear Park and watch the World War I-themed video for "No One Does It Like You" here), but they never feel derivative. Part of Grizzly Bear's appeal is that their music doesn't sound like anyone else's; at times, it doesn't even sound like it comes from this planet.

Overall, the record is incredibly cohesive - I had trouble distinguishing where one track ended and the next began the first few times I heard it - and every track is treated with love, from the folksy ambiance of opener "Southern Point" to the climactic clatter of "I Live With You": at once fluttery and menacing, it could easily stand as a commentary on the gay rights movement: "you brought us this far/ we'll do what we can/ they'll try, they'll try/ to keep us apart". "Two Weeks" is a timeless pop confection wrapped in Wurlitzer swirls and a glorious, overdubbed choir of backing vocals by Beach House's Victoria Legrand; "Dory" is a four-minute study in weightless, ghostly instrumentation and soft-focus harmonies; and in "While You Wait for the Others", my favorite track,  rubber-band guitar snarls frame gorgeous moments of stillness. The last minute or so is an echoing breakdown, as close to swagger as Grizzly Bear gets. 

If this album sounds like ear candy for the sonically sophisticated, it's because that's exactly what it is. The songs are deceptively simple and catchier than you'd think - but it's the production, courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor, that pulls you back again with its deep, immersive sound. The more times you listen to this album, the more aural tricks and moments of joy you will discover hidden within. It only gets better with time.

Sounds like: if Department of Eagles did a movie score with an orchestra and a full girls' choir