LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)
*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.
23. My Vitriol - Finelines (2000)
It actually came as a bit of surprise to me that it has been a decade now since UK's My Vitriol last released a proper studio album, their debut Finelines. However, not surprising is the fact that the album has yet to sound old and dated - such is the irresistible nature of the quartet that has provided the long-staying attraction towards them. Even after going through a very long hiatus, a (sort of) comeback in 2007 prompted sold-out shows across various venues in London.
One may be tempted to accuse such occurrence as an isolated case where, factually speaking, it's only a handful of hardcore fans clamoring for the long-awaited return of their favorite rock band. And having the band being pigeonholed under the stupid name Nu Gaze, a sort of revivalism of the Shoegazing movement of the early 90's, did not help matter either since, as how history might have taught all of us, Shoegazing was a short-lived phenomenon that hardly registered even a tiny speck of dot in the vast ocean of the music industry, while all the pioneering bands (and there are not many of them) have either moved to greener pastures, or have ceased to exist altogether. So, in retrospect what we have here is essentially a British band playing in a niche market, appealing to a select crowd of an already select crowd of rock fans. How could possibly their debut (and should I stress, their only output so far) be among the crowning jewel of the Aughts?
For one, consider the fact that many music critics and 'experts' have got their analysis incorrect in tagging My Vitriol's music. It's not really a revival of the Godforsaken Shoegazing genre, despite the occasional bursts of wall of distorted noise here and there. The languid pace, the hazy production quality, the dreamy soundscape, the spaced out singing ("Under the Wheels" came to mind), then it all came crashing with lots of feedback see sawing erratically back and forth that shreds your ear drum - it's a classic Shoegazing standard operation procedure. But what is also apparent is the pop sensibilities in Som Wardner's writing - My Vitriol's is a healthy and intelligent culmination of two opposing entities that got mixed together to make one, unified glorious rock and roll material only surpassed by the singing of angels in Heaven. They do not abandon mass appeal completely in their quest to rock stardom, and yet at the same time did not sell their soul to the devil and become sell-outs that rock fans despised. It is genuinely a fresh and entertaining record throughout. It has enough hooks in the melody to have fans at any concert to sing along, and a good dose of guitar licks that will make guitar nerds weep in sheer excitement. This album should have been placed way higher in this list but I'm not going to do that, because like millions of other My Vitriol fans worldwide, I'm still faithfully waiting for their follow up with bated breath.
*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.
23. My Vitriol - Finelines (2000)
It actually came as a bit of surprise to me that it has been a decade now since UK's My Vitriol last released a proper studio album, their debut Finelines. However, not surprising is the fact that the album has yet to sound old and dated - such is the irresistible nature of the quartet that has provided the long-staying attraction towards them. Even after going through a very long hiatus, a (sort of) comeback in 2007 prompted sold-out shows across various venues in London.
One may be tempted to accuse such occurrence as an isolated case where, factually speaking, it's only a handful of hardcore fans clamoring for the long-awaited return of their favorite rock band. And having the band being pigeonholed under the stupid name Nu Gaze, a sort of revivalism of the Shoegazing movement of the early 90's, did not help matter either since, as how history might have taught all of us, Shoegazing was a short-lived phenomenon that hardly registered even a tiny speck of dot in the vast ocean of the music industry, while all the pioneering bands (and there are not many of them) have either moved to greener pastures, or have ceased to exist altogether. So, in retrospect what we have here is essentially a British band playing in a niche market, appealing to a select crowd of an already select crowd of rock fans. How could possibly their debut (and should I stress, their only output so far) be among the crowning jewel of the Aughts?
For one, consider the fact that many music critics and 'experts' have got their analysis incorrect in tagging My Vitriol's music. It's not really a revival of the Godforsaken Shoegazing genre, despite the occasional bursts of wall of distorted noise here and there. The languid pace, the hazy production quality, the dreamy soundscape, the spaced out singing ("Under the Wheels" came to mind), then it all came crashing with lots of feedback see sawing erratically back and forth that shreds your ear drum - it's a classic Shoegazing standard operation procedure. But what is also apparent is the pop sensibilities in Som Wardner's writing - My Vitriol's is a healthy and intelligent culmination of two opposing entities that got mixed together to make one, unified glorious rock and roll material only surpassed by the singing of angels in Heaven. They do not abandon mass appeal completely in their quest to rock stardom, and yet at the same time did not sell their soul to the devil and become sell-outs that rock fans despised. It is genuinely a fresh and entertaining record throughout. It has enough hooks in the melody to have fans at any concert to sing along, and a good dose of guitar licks that will make guitar nerds weep in sheer excitement. This album should have been placed way higher in this list but I'm not going to do that, because like millions of other My Vitriol fans worldwide, I'm still faithfully waiting for their follow up with bated breath.
Labels: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009), my vitriol
posted by Hafeez at 7:10 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home