14 - Papercuts : Fading Parade
In 2011, I've reviewed their album, spoken to Jason Quever and shared my thoughts on a live show (all for The Line Of Best Fit) so it's perhaps not a surprise to see Papercuts make an appearance in my end of year list. Fading Parade is a fine example of fuzzy, dreamy, indie pop music about breaking up, girls and stuff. You can file alongside Galaxie 500, Beach Boys (and House) and The Clientele - charming stuff, with a real pop heart.
13 - Wilco : The Whole Love
Following a couple of albums that really didn't live up to the name of Wilco, Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the fine, fine musicians in the band regrouped and found a bit of passion. The Whole Love proved to be a mix of the band's YHF and A Ghost Is Born experimentalism and the country pop of Being There. Showing once again why the band are more innovative and interesting than most of their alt. rock classmates, the record was bookended by the finest examples of the two sides of Wilco. Opener 'Art of Almost' revisited the Krautrock moments of Ghost and was a pounding epic, whilst closing track 'One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)' was a 12minute gentle acoustic meditation on religion, containing Tweedy's knack for a melody, and his always intriguing lyrics. In between these, just little nuggets of pop, country and rock...business as usual, then. Live, they were bloody amazing.
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