Inspired by Tim Byron (www.livejournal.com/users/o_song), I will wank on about my top ten favourite albums of the year in backwards order.

09. My Morning Jacket – Z

Part of my enjoyment for this album was completely ruined the copy protection on this disc. It prevented it me from listening to it on my ipod, or at work through my computer. Which means until I finally decided to buy a newer, un-copy protected version (so yes I bought this album twice) it was pretty much December.

That all said, I’m thoroughly enjoying the album, and of all the albums on this list, I’m still getting to know this album, and still excited to get to know it. It’s a great air guitar album, and much more upbeat and less spooky than It Still Moves.

Wordless Chorus sounds like nothing else. The vocals are familiar, but that spooky atmosphere echo thing, the rhythm, it’s all weird, catchy, awesome. Personal highlight is What A Wonderful Man, which fits right in with classic southern rock, just pounds you down about 2 seconds in and doesn’t let up. Squealing classic rock riffs everywhere. And the middle bit…solo and drums only! The scream in the middle. How rock!

This is MMJ’s straightest album by far. With something like Off the Record, heck it’s bordering on pop. The album ends with the gentle Neil Young-esque (of course) Dondante, all seven and a half minutes of it, and it’s spooky and eerie and brilliant.

I have no idea what the band is singing. All I know is that they’ve taken what makes them different (the reverb, the south, the beards) from most bands, and focused it and made it great with this album. It’s a shorter album, more focussed. Less jamming overall.

It’s been a while now and it looks like this album has really broken their career wide open, but they are recording a DVD where they invited the crowd to dress up as goblins and such. Let’s hope that they have the moves to match the riffs.

Inspired by Tim Byron (www.livejournal.com/users/o_song), I will wank on about my top ten favourite albums of the year in backwards order.

10. Teenage Fanclub – Man-Made
PeMa Records

It’s not been a great year, personally, for new music. Let’s get that right off my chest, right off the bat. And though I love Teenage Fanclub, and this album is full of great songs, great moments, this review will be maybe a bit too critical for someone writing about their favourite albums of the year. Don’t even get me started on Nada Surf.

This is, by and large, a fine, fine record. The problem with it is, it’s only fine. It’s restrained, in a mature way, but as we’ll see later, maturity can still lead to drama. Where as other albums on this list are like big screen blockbusters, Man-Made, as the title somewhat implies, is the audio equivalent of a home movie. Pretty, touching, steady, no real highs, no real lows.

Most damningly, the mood of the album is mainly uplifting, they don’t make the album shine like Songs From Northern Britain (aside – god I love that album. Just thinking about it makes me excited).

Then again, this record is on this list for a reason. In fact, many of them. It’s All In My Mind, the Velvet Underground like opening track, works beautifully. A mantra, a hymn, to keeping one’s feet on the ground and taking things as they are. See how mature they are? Musically the album is more daring, more guitar driven, than Howdy. There’s a warm organ and fuzz guitar sound throughout the album – reminiscent of Jack Nitzsche or Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds instrumentals.. And of course, there are harmonies everywhere.

It’s best showcased on Born Under A Good Sign, a great garage rock song, should be covered by bands all over the world(‘s garages), a blissful recollection of a good and happy upbringing. What a strange idea. Along with Slow Fade, they haven’t written rockers this great since Grand Prix.

Of course there are love songs with Only With You topping the lot, followed by Flowing. Oh why are the song names so boring? Remember Norman 3? What did that mean?

Maybe this album is a bit uneven. It’s not easily called a ‘rock’ album, a ‘pop’ album, or a ‘ballads’ album. It’s the album’s downfall. We wanted a letter, we got a postcard. Then again it’s better than them breaking up. This being the first of hopefully many albums on their own label, and perhaps they will take full advantage of that creative control next time. It’s still a pleasant album, and well worth hearing.

At 8 O’clock I join the race
Put on things to obscure my face
The sun is hard and the streets are wet
And I make believe I’m not like the rest

The herd all walk with a shoulder sag
Some have matching laptop bags
I want to keep my milk moustache
To make believe I’m to like them

And if I feel I’m going crazy
Maybe it’s for the best

At 6 O’clock the cows come home
Herd into trains and squeeze our bones
And wait it out til mornings
May the circle remain unbroken

Maybe I’ve never actually been in love
That something and someone will come along
And prove me right

Quick!
Try not to think!
Put a finger to your lips
And death stare the voices in you head
And go shhhhh!!!

Who would you tell?
Who could you tell?
Open up your shirt and it all goes to hell
The part of you you call myself
Who would you tell?

Our hearts are made of red tape
I don’t know what it will take

by Cheap Trick

I’m the fool again
I fell in love with you again
I need to see you every day

In my dreams I’m awake
And I can see as clear as day

Did I tell this joke already?
You look like you don’t mind