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.
17. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
Now, if you're thinking somewhere along the line of "why?", then my definite response to that would be "why not". This Danish dream pop innovator has got to be one of the more under-appreciated acts in recent memory, mainly because they have helped created a new genre (albeit). Although their output so far throughout the last decade may have been somewhat a little patchy, to say the least, they however managed to get it right (and in fact brilliantly right) with this one, And the Glass Handed Kites.
What set this record apart from their other releases is the bravery that can be heard permeating throughout the album; living up to their status as an innovative band, they broke new ground (or new frontier) with sounds that can only be described as adventurous and thrilling. Adventurous can best be described by the opening track "Circuitry of the Wolf". It's a groove heavy number with a pounding drumbeat, attacking the old notion of Mew being a soft pop band out through the window like a lion that pouncing on its prey - they are now an entirely new cat. They are no longer meek and innocent and beautiful and demure, but confident and savage and raw and, uh well, adventurous.
That transformation was then followed by the blooming second track "Chinaberry Tree". After the senseless beating on the opener, they smoothen things out by calming down the pace with this languid number, allowing an almost one minute of absolute bliss before picking up the pace once again with the ragged "Why Are You Looking Grave?". For fans of the old Mew who are clamoring for the charming blistery ballads this quartet is very good at, such as "Symmetry", they have "White Lips Kissed" and "Louise Louisa" covering that ground. If you're looking for the sparse charm of "Wherever", they have "A Dark Design" to complement that. If you're looking for something odd-ish like "I Should Have Been a Tsin-Tsi (For You)", there is "The Seething Rain Weeps For You (Uda Pruda)". However, irregardless of all the trip down the memory lane, because this album cover on so many new ground and unchartered territory that it makes the existence of a few old numbers forgivable.
The dance-y number "Special", the space-y "Apocalypso", the operatic "Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)" completes an entirely new listening experience. What makes this album so special is because it showcases the true talent of this Danish quartet and also reminds us that they are not just some band with really fancy songs, but also a true innovator. It serves as a milestone, a landmark that says Mew should not ever be forgotten.
*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.
17. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
Now, if you're thinking somewhere along the line of "why?", then my definite response to that would be "why not". This Danish dream pop innovator has got to be one of the more under-appreciated acts in recent memory, mainly because they have helped created a new genre (albeit). Although their output so far throughout the last decade may have been somewhat a little patchy, to say the least, they however managed to get it right (and in fact brilliantly right) with this one, And the Glass Handed Kites.
What set this record apart from their other releases is the bravery that can be heard permeating throughout the album; living up to their status as an innovative band, they broke new ground (or new frontier) with sounds that can only be described as adventurous and thrilling. Adventurous can best be described by the opening track "Circuitry of the Wolf". It's a groove heavy number with a pounding drumbeat, attacking the old notion of Mew being a soft pop band out through the window like a lion that pouncing on its prey - they are now an entirely new cat. They are no longer meek and innocent and beautiful and demure, but confident and savage and raw and, uh well, adventurous.
That transformation was then followed by the blooming second track "Chinaberry Tree". After the senseless beating on the opener, they smoothen things out by calming down the pace with this languid number, allowing an almost one minute of absolute bliss before picking up the pace once again with the ragged "Why Are You Looking Grave?". For fans of the old Mew who are clamoring for the charming blistery ballads this quartet is very good at, such as "Symmetry", they have "White Lips Kissed" and "Louise Louisa" covering that ground. If you're looking for the sparse charm of "Wherever", they have "A Dark Design" to complement that. If you're looking for something odd-ish like "I Should Have Been a Tsin-Tsi (For You)", there is "The Seething Rain Weeps For You (Uda Pruda)". However, irregardless of all the trip down the memory lane, because this album cover on so many new ground and unchartered territory that it makes the existence of a few old numbers forgivable.
The dance-y number "Special", the space-y "Apocalypso", the operatic "Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)" completes an entirely new listening experience. What makes this album so special is because it showcases the true talent of this Danish quartet and also reminds us that they are not just some band with really fancy songs, but also a true innovator. It serves as a milestone, a landmark that says Mew should not ever be forgotten.
Labels: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009), mew
posted by Hafeez at 8:22 PM
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