You're viewing all posts tagged with Wavvvves

My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010

#3 Wavves - King of the Beach

This is probably mu biggest surprise of the year. I’m generally skeptical of the whole ‘lo-fi’ thing, and Wavves always seemed like one of the more egregious examples - excessive (crazy excessive!), ugly digital distortion hiding a complete lack of memorable songs.

As it turns out, however, he can write songs. Dumb songs, I’ll grant, but sometimes in the mood for really dumb shit (hence why I like the Ramones so much). Getting Jay Reatard’s backing band was also a really good idea. This is insanely catchy surf-rock, played through a smoky haze. It’s not deep, but it’s honest. And yes, the guy still seems like a complete douchebag, but in a strange way that actually makes the music more enjoyable - his personality comes through in all of these songs. Am I praising him for doing the same thing I criticised Kanye for? Perhaps, but I think the aims of the two records are fundamentally different. Anyway, they’re both great.

My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010

#8 Best Coast - Crazy for You

Basically, this sounds like what we’d get if the dude from Wavves’ girlfriend decided to release her own album of reverb-drenched surf rock. Oh right, that is what happened [quality writing - I know]. Whilst I still think it pales in comparison to King of the Beach, it is, in its own right, a rather excellent album.

As with that aforementioned album, Crazy for You is all about two things: weed, and self-doubt. However, whilst Wavves guy’s self-doubt concentrates primarily on his own juvenility and inadequacy as a human being, Best Coast girl is all about relationship paranoia. There’s always some smarter, prettier girl to steal the boy away from her. Anyway, it’s great.

My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010

#10 Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing

Possibly my most surprising musical discovery of this year (with the likely exception of Wavves), Free Energy play pretty standard ’70s-style power pop of the Big Star variety. Nothing at all original, but so much fun. ‘Bang Pop’ gets stuck in my head like little else.

I guess I’m a little surprised that James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem, of course) produced this - it doesn’t really seem like his kind of thing. But his super crisp, detailed production suits the band perfectly. The first track even features a very prominent cowbell, like it’s 2003 all over again.

Best Coast Not as good as Wavves, frankly, but still one of the better albums of ‘10. Click for high-res photo

Best Coast

Not as good as Wavves, frankly, but still one of the better albums of ‘10.

1. I was once of the opinion that all of The Joshua Tree’s good songs were contained on its first side. Further listenings suggest that I was wrong - ‘In God’s Country’, ‘Trip Through Your Wires’, and in particular, ‘One Tree Hill’ are all excellent.

2. Why was ‘Post-Acid’ the first single released from Wavves’ King of the Beach? I find it rather forgettable.

3. ‘Devotion’, the duet between HURTS and Kylie Minogue, is just wonderful.

Odd that this former hype-magnet has received so little attention from the end-of-decade lists in vogue at the present. Given the inexplicable plaudits that have been piled upon groups such as Grizzly Bear and Wavves (ugh), it wouldn’t seem that The Beach Boys’ cheesy (not in a bad way) melodies are going out of fashion. Perhaps it’s a seasonal thing, considering it’s currently winter (I think!) in the northern hemisphere.

Odd that this former hype-magnet has received so little attention from the end-of-decade lists in vogue at the present. Given the inexplicable plaudits that have been piled upon groups such as Grizzly Bear and Wavves (ugh), it wouldn’t seem that The Beach Boys’ cheesy (not in a bad way) melodies are going out of fashion. Perhaps it’s a seasonal thing, considering it’s currently winter (I think!) in the northern hemisphere.

Shitgaze

So this is a thing now? It’s a shame when a genre’s name is far superior to any of the actual music it describes.