Morrissey - You are the Quarry

The sharp-witted Brit-pop icon takes shots at the United States and England, respectively, on the biting "America Is Not the World" and the bold "Irish Blood, English Heart." Unsurprisingly, the rest of the album doesn't shy away from frustration-fueled topics ("I Have Forgiven Jesus," "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores"), revealing that the former Smiths singer hasn't missed a step lyrically or vocally in the seven years since 1997's Maladjusted. Enhanced by the guitars of longtime collaborators Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, the sound here is vintage Morrissey, though a few tracks bear the energetic influence of Quarry's punk-pop-inclined producer. Standout songs include the gorgeous, dreamy "I'm Not Sorry" and "First of the Gang to Die," a love letter to his unlikely Latino fan base in Los Angeles. While the record clearly marks a new phase for the beloved crooner, it also reminds listeners of why they grew to love him in the first place.
(RS)

Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

There's nobody named Belle or Sebastian in this Scottish septet, but that's just part of the self-effacing mythology with which the band has surrounded itself. Their low profile in the media and even on their own albums (no personnel or songwriting credits) is in keeping with the shy-boy aesthetic promulgated on this, their debut album. While the influence of lovable British wimps like Nick Drake, The Smiths and Al Stewart (!) and fellow Scot Donovan can be heard throughout, the band has an identity and highly developed sense of songcraft all its own. Led by Stuart Murdoch, Belle and Sebastian offer up a largely acoustic folk-pop sound with deep roots in the '60s. Their guitar-and-piano arrangements are often filled out by luxurious trumpets and strings, but the clever, sardonic lyrics keep things from ever getting too mushy. The bright, irresistible pop melodies stand in sharp contrast to decidedly downbeat lyrics that recall Morrissey at his sharpest. Timeless, gorgeous and just cool enough to avoid a mainstream breakthrough.
(RS)

The Subways - Young For Eternity

England's the Subways mine the indie punk-pop sound as well as any of their mid-2000s contemporaries. The trio--composed of brothers Billy Lunn (guitar/vocals) and Josh Morgan (drums), with childhood friend Charlotte Cooper on bass--marry a brash, punk-inspired edge with melodic hooks on their 2006 debut Young For Eternity. The album's title is appropriate for encapsulating tunes such as "Rock & Roll Queen" and "Oh Yeah," which telegraph the feeling of being a 17-year-old rock & roller with their crunching riffs and thunderous rhythms. But the Subways balance their reckless abandon with a keen sense of melody, as heard on the retro-flavored, acoustic guitar-based "Mary." In fact, much of Young For Eternity sounds like a catalogue of youth trends from the '60s, '70s, and '90s--with sunshine pop, glam, punk, grunge, and garage revival all blended into one exuberant package.
(RS)

TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

On its 2006 album, Return To Cookie Mountain, the Brooklyn-based post-punk group TV on the Radio manages that rare feat of becoming more adventurous and accessible at the same time. While this record isn't a major departure from its eclectic predecessor (the lauded Desprate Youth, Bloody thirsty Babes), it is notably more cohesive, and even boasts a guest appearance by David Bowie, who slinks into backing vocals on the R&B-tinged "Province." By combining unpolished loops and stuttering beats with shoegazing guitar textures, the ensemble creates an utterly unique sound, particularly when the deep, expressive voice of Tunde Adebimpe and the falsetto singing of Kyp Malone fall into harmony, as on the hypnotic "I Was a Lover." Given that the band's first outing was the self-released, Radiohead-referencing Ok Calculator, it's wholly appropriate that with Return To Cookie Mountain, TV on the Radio has crafted an edgy, soulful counterpart to "Kid A".
(RS)

Liars - Drum's not dead - 2006

A concept album based on fictional characters named Mt. Heart Attack and Drum, this mesmerizing record is the result of the art-rock ensemble Liars, formerly of Brooklyn, taking up residence in Berlin after the release of the critically divisive theywere wrobg, so we drowned. Although drum's not dead does rely heavily on pummeling percussion and chanted vocals, the undoubtedly challenging outing is quite nuanced and dynamic, with many of the mt. Heart Attack tracks (particularly "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack") conveying a compulsive energy, and the Drum-related compositions (see the droning "Hold You, Drum") conjuring up a meditative dreaminess. The CD is accompanied by a DVD that presents three short films (two of which are directed by band members), each one following the arc of this fascinatingly strange excursion.
(RS)

Joanna Newsom - Ys

If the debut album from Joanna Newsom, 2004's The Milk-Eyed Mender, suggested there was no-one in music quite like this elfin San Franciscan harpist, its follow-up Ys sees that gulf of difference become a universe of possibilities. Recorded by veteran engineer Steve Albini, with strings from Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks and vocal contributions from Newsom's current beau, Bill Callahan of alternative country miserabilists Smog, Ys is an altogether bigger, broader, more fantastical and more ambitious offering than its predecessor. Only five tracks long, songs unfurl into grandiose narratives embossed with trumpet, violins, oboe, and French horn. But what's truly impressive is Newsom's extraordinary sense of command. On "Emily", cutesy observations of birds taking flight ("the meadowlark and the chim-cho-ree") blossom out into tales of falling meteorites, muddy-mouthed baboons and nautical adventures. Meanwhile, on the extraordinary "Only Skin" (which approaches 20 minutes in length) Newsom's voice and plucked harp flourish in strange, complimentary patterns, her voice at times born up on dramatic trumpets and cooing oboes, or for one passage, shadowed by Callahan's cobwebbed croak. It is testing in length, difficult to dip into, and not for those allergic to flights of fancy -- but Ys is a magnificent achievement, one you suspect no one else on this planet could mimic, let alone challenge.
(RS)

Beach House - Beach House

Indie rock has plenty of bands specializing in moody, low-key music heavy on dark, delicate atmospheres, but one would never know it from listening to the debut from Baltimore duo Beach House. That’s because instrumentalist Alex Scally and vocalist Victoria Legrand deliver a sound that is wholly fresh and enchanting, even when its references (Nico, Mazzy Star, Cat Power) are apparent. Throughout ‘Beach House’, swelling organ, lightly brushed drums, and a constellation of processed guitar sounds build a sonic galaxy through which float Legrand’s hushed, lovely vocals–creating an effect that is wistful and charming.
This album is one of the most amazing albums in 2006.
(RS)