Albums of 2003

Albums of the Year

1. Macrocosmica – Art of the Black Earth
2. Aereogramme – Sleep and Release
3. Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses (s/t)
4. The Gathering – Souvenirs
5. Audiotransparent – Audiotransparent (s/t)
6. Hamell on Trial – Tough Love
7. Tujiko Noriko – From Tokyo to Naiagara
8. Pretty Girls Make Graves – The New Romance
9. Scout Niblett – I Am
10. The Thermals – More Parts Per Million
11. Kristin Hersh – The Grotto
12. James Orr Complex – Chori’s Bundle
13. The Swords Project – Entertainment is Over If You Want It
14. Seesaw – Violent Elegance
15. Cat Power - You Are Free

1. Macrocosmica

Since I first got this album back in April, it has almost always been the sure-fire album of the year. Why? I just cannot listen to this collection of songs without turning it up as loud as I can and feeling every word and every note pulse through my body. It’s the binary encapsulation of purified energy, and I love this album from start to finish. Imagine combining the atmosphere of In Utero with the riffs of Black Sabbath, and then mixing in some Sonic Youth noise terrorism; each song bursting with life and viciously dark emotion. It’s been with me in cars, trains, planes, and my of course my home, and it just never loses its edge.

2003 is when Scotland realized just how powerful and entertaining this band who had been sitting on the fringes for five years really are. 2004 is when the rest of the world owes itself to find out.

:: Totem D ::
:: V is for Vendetta ::
:: Spira Solaris ::
:: Review ::

2. Aereogramme

In terms of debut releases, A Story In White was already an excellent demonstration of the capabilities of Aereogramme. Well, I would have to argue that Sleep and Release is equally as good if not better, and it’s another album that has lived with me throughout the whole year. From the pounding bass of ‘Indescretion #243’, to the vulnerability of ‘In Gratitude’, and to the twisted brutality that is the ending of ‘Wood’, the album as a whole is a superb piece of work in terms of musicianship, performance and songwriting. It’s especially pleasing, although, not at all deliberate that the top two records of my year are from Scottish artists.

:: Wood ::
:: Interview ::

3. Throwing Muses

In another year, Throwing Muses would have claimed the top spot in this list much more easily. Backed with my five-year history of admiration and obsession with their music, I felt a lot of anticipation for this release happening nearly six years after they had disbanded. Well, it didn’t disappoint, containing a raw sound and sharp songwriting, mixing complexity with the simplest forms, just as you would expect from Kristin Hersh. At points it shows more in common with Throwing Muses circa. 1987, then at others it reaps the influences of Kristin Hersh’s healthy solo career. Either way there are some fantastic songs on it like ‘Half Blast’, ‘Civil Disobedience’ and my personal favourite ‘Speed and Sleep’. Even the guest vocals of Tanya Donelly add something in parts, and there was me worrying she would ruin it. It’s just a shame this record hasn’t really received the accolades and sales that it deserves.

:: Portia ::
:: Review ::

4. The Gathering

I can never shake the feeling that many Dutch music fans can’t respect The Gathering and will always see them as the same band from the mid-‘90s that they laughed at. The history of the Gathering has taken many different roads along the way, though, and if anything Souvenirs is the best so far. To me, it’s a masterpiece of progressive/post-rock, and I’ve always felt it was a very brave album to record and release on their new label. Their audiences still fill out with a lot of metal/goth fans that have grown along with the band, but there’s not as much attention coming from the other directions, with most people being too afraid to reassess their opinions. It’s a shame in that respect, but musically I couldn’t have hoped for more from Souvenirs.

:: No audio available ::

5. Audiotransparent

Audiotransparent almost made a late claim for number four spot with the sheer persistence of lovely music. They came into my life out of nowhere and just dominated my time no matter if I was on a train watching the world go past or listening at home. Again, this album is so good that it could have been even higher in a different year, and in terms of it being a debut album by a young group from Groningen, it’s just completely stunning from start to end. The atmosphere, the melodies, the orchestration, and just delicious songwriting have made this album fit the last quarter of the year perfectly. No fan of Dutch music should be without a copy of this album and hopefully the rest of the world can try it out next year.

:: Lowhigh ::
:: Review ::

6. Hamell on Trial

If anything, I was perhaps a little relieved to be able to include Hamell on Trial on this list. The man is as talented as he is vitriolic, and his live shows should never be missed. On record it’s a slightly different vibe, though. Fortunately, Tough Love is full of energy, wit, tenderness, and great rock ‘n’ roll. In the year that Johnny Cash left the Earth, the music world needs the presence of people like Ed Hamell, who have the ability to turn an acoustic guitar into a deadly weapon and one voice into a thousand.

:: Hot God ::
:: Review ::

7. Tujiko Noriko

I’ve been living with From Tokyo to Naiagara for two months, and at the time of writing this I still have no clue what it is about. There probably is a Japanese-English translation existing somewhere on the Internet, but to be honest, I just don’t feel like I need it. The album is just so wonderful to listen to, with layer after layer of delicate sounds overlapping and just caressing you, and that says everything you need to know. I have noticed that in some places she’s been heralded as a successor to Björk but From Tokyo… is a much warmer experience than those comparisons would make you believe. So out of what was really just my random curiosity has emerged this album, which didn’t only sound completely lovely, but on some occasions is the only album I can ever face listening to.

:: No audio available ::
:: Review ::

8. Pretty Girls Make Graves

One of the things that I was lacking in 2003 was the presence of a band like Sleater-Kinney, performing jagged guitar rock with combating female vocals. Then Pretty Girls Make Graves came along and I felt like the hole had finally been filled. They may not come from the same place or share exactly the same agenda, but the style was just right for me, and The New Romance was also another album with an abundance of clarity and energy. All it ever takes is for me to push play on ‘Something Bigger, Something Brighter’ and that’s me sold on it all over again.

:: Something Bigger, Something Brighter ::
:: All Medicated Geniuses ::
:: Review ::
:: Interview ::

9. Scout Niblett

Of this list, it’s probably true that Scout Niblett is one of the more challenging pieces of work. I Am is great fun, though. Throw yourself in first with ‘Drummer Boy’ and wait for it to explode. It may give you a false representation of the album but it will make you come back for more and more. By which time you’ll be in love with the rest of it, drumming and singing along with Scout. Wearing a blonde wig is optional but recommended in my case.

:: Miss In Love With Her Own Fate ::
:: Review ::
:: Interview ::

10. The Thermals

As summer turned to autumn, and autumn has turned to winter, The Thermals have been pushed further and further down my list as I come across new bands and new albums. I just couldn’t eliminate them from my top ten, though, because More Parts Per Million has been another album that consistently made me happy every time I listen to it. Around March, I was talking to a random DJ online from some college in California, and he told me I had to download this 4-track promo from The Thermals. So I did and frankly forgot about it again. Then I began hearing ‘No Culture Icons’ played before concerts and it finally started to click. Of course, The Thermals eventually became a minor sensation in the Netherlands. I’ve no idea if their second album can hold the same level of interest, and I still get annoyed whenever they are compared to The Strokes, but either way More Parts Per Million is just an incredibly fun, short burst of music and deserves some recognition. It won’t even take you half an hour, so it’s not like you’ve got anything to lose.

:: No Culture Icons (download from page) ::
:: Review ::

Steven McCarron

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