Best albums of 2006 - Part 2

Time for the next entry in my Top 20 of 2006...

#10 The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes

Pastiche gets a bad rap in critical circles and its often justified. There really is no substitute for an innovative approach and quality that stands alone apart from any gimmicks. Good for the Pipettes, since their polka-dotted, synchronised-dancing shtick is just one of their good points. The three Pips and their boy backing band have got great tunes (try shifting 'Pull Shapes' or 'Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me' from your head) and truckloads of attitude. They're sassy, witty and engaging. And you'd need to break both your legs to avoid dancing.

#9 Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

Another self-mythologising, thrilling effort from Vancouver's perverse poet, Dan Bejar. Putting aside the cheesy, all-MIDI sounds of 2004's Your Blues but not its outrageous, convoluted storytelling, Bejar has given us a rollicking album of classic rock tunes and psychedelic freak-outs. The Bowie comparisons that have plagued Destroyer since day one seem increasingly irrelevant now that Bejar has established himself as a totally idiosyncratic performer. Here he cannibalises his own back-catalogue, pillages 40 years of rock history and earns himself his own drinking game. Try topping that, Thin White Duke.

#8 Marit Larsen - Under The Surface

Formerly half of Norwegian girl-pop duo M2M, Marit Larsen has turned her back on mediocrity – hopefully for good. This album was a completely left-field surprise for me and doesn’t seem to have captured much critical or popular attention. That's a crying shame, because there's a lot to love on this album. It's wilfully eclectic (mixing pop, indie rock and bluegrass with abandon), shamelessly catchy and utterly unique. Larsen's own personality shines through every song, investing them with heart and guts and magic. We're watching a future music sensation in mid-bloom.

#7 Gotye - Like Drawing Blood

Wally De Backer's cut 'n' paste opus has a little something for everyone. Formed from hundreds of budget-vinyl samples and De Backer's own gutsy vocals, Blood runs the gamut of blue-eyed soul, dubby trip-hop, grinding funk and old-school breaks. It all sounds so familiar and so new at the same time. You struggle to believe that this album hasn't been around your entire life.

#6 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette

Taking the same template as his previous Casiotone albums – cheap synthesizers, gruff vocals, urban angst – Owen Ashworth adds some thematic consistency to the mix. Families (absent, dysfunctional, disapproving) feature heavily in these musical vignettes of mid-twenties loneliness and hurt. Each track has the simple grace of haiku and the lo-fi melodies to embed them deep in your ear. These stories are heartbreaking, funny and very, very human.

#5 Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

While sporting some of the best pop singles in recent history, these French 80s revivalists' first two albums didn't quite have the evenness to be great LPs. Phoenix seem to have finally cracked the code, because It's Never Been Like That is a short, sharp pop treasure. There's no fluff, no frills. Just tune after tune of terrific pop-rock with loads of Gallic attitude. Imagine the first Strokes album with slicker production and a heavy Wham! influence and you might be close.

#4 Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time

These Seattle folk-rockers have had to work hard to overcome the perception that they're cheap rip-offs of the Shins or My Morning Jacket. They've ultimately triumphed on the strength of the ten tracks on offer here. The consistency of quality puts you in mind of Neil Young or Creedence Clearwater Revival at their peak. And just as those guys were Canadian and Californian hippies playing the music of the Heartland, these Grunge Staters inject their own indie sensibility into bluesy, flannel-shirted rock. The result is a thrilling road trip through Band of Horses' alternative Americana.

#3 Bluebottle Kiss - Doubt Seeds

After more than a decade as stalwarts of the Australian rock scene, Bluebottle Kiss made the brave decision to put out a double album – a summation of all their influences over two CDs. The gamble has paid off, although it’s a challenging listen. The energy of BBK's live shows can be heard as the band hurtle their way through their own stew of the Stooges, Sonic Youth, Afghan Whigs, Neil Young, Midnight Oil and Miles Davis. Jamie Hutchings is as compelling as ever, howling out his frustration and astonishment at the world around him. Few albums are ever this ambitious – even fewer pull it off.

#2 Thursday - A City By The Light Divided

The pin-up boys of 'screamo' have taken on a big challenge with their latest long player – a monumental rock record that would cover themes of urban decay, war, social fragmentation, love and loss. They're equal to the challenge and this is likely to be their masterpiece. Producer Dave Fridmann continues his project of revitalising veteran bands, giving the album an amazing sheen and intensity. The wall-of-sound is almost unrelenting, hammering away at your consciousness until you are powerless to resist. If you can be unmoved by the soft-loud beauty of the flawless second side, you are made of strong stuff.

#1 Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of The Country

Scotland's other twee pop band get out of their country (to Sweden) and make a joyous, bittersweet kiss of a record. Tracyanne Campbell, now on sole vocal duties, sings her heart out over some of the best jangly pop music ever committed to tape. Jari Haapalainen's string-soaked production recalls every great Phil Spector record ever made. Yet it's Campbell's performance that is the show-stopper here. Her lyrics are clever and wry without being precious and her vocals are quirky, off-beat and affecting. Every song is laced with a combination of regret, caution and resignation, even in the midst of happiness. These are complex emotions to convey, by Campbell does it effortlessly. Finally – a pop record for grown-ups.

Categories: Indie
Tags: best-of-lists; albums-2006