TOP OF THE YEAR: Harpswell Sound, Let's Go Anyway. |
Last year I hinted that I’d have to expand my rankings after two years of Top 20s. Well, here you go. The Top 30. Am I splitting hairs when I’m putting one record at 26 and another at 27? Hell, I might even be throwing darts. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an entertaining exercise.For the second year in a row, qualifying albums were down just a bit from 52 in 2004, to 48 in 2005, to 46 here in 2006. However, “qualifying” has changed just a tad. It still requires the record be a full-length studio effort, all by one artist or band. This year, however, I’m excluding Portsmouth releases. So all of these discs are from within the Maine borders, and mostly from Portland. I do still require proper packaging (no CDRs or online-only releases), and that these be available for purchase by the general public either through online distribution or a retail establishment. Maybe that requirement will be lifted next year. Remember, all live albums and EPs are disqualified from consideration, but the EP list is stellar this year, so pay close attention to the sidebar.
I understand that there may be some qualifying releases that I haven’t listened to. If so, it’s not for want of trying. If you think you’ve been ignored, send me an e-mail. I reply to everyone.
As has been the case for four years now, albums are ranked by originality, musicianship, how long something from the disc lasts in my head, the number of plays they got on the iPod, and whether or not they contain a truly outstanding song. Congratulations to Tree By Leaf, Loverless, Pete Kilpatrick, and Subject Bias for two straight years on the list. Extra special congratulations to Headstart! for an unprecedented three straight years on my end-of-year list.
Please note that international star Ray LaMontagne is on this list, but is not at the top, as he was in 2004. Also note that I’ve yet again included pithy comments. Didn’t want to disappoint.
1. HARPSWELL SOUND, Let’s Go Anyway — Built for teary-eyed singalongs by high-school sweethearts heading off to different colleges in the cars their daddies bought them.
2. RAY LAMONTAGNE, Till the Sun Turns Black — A haunting and desperate exploration of the depths of human emotion. With strings.
3. AS FAST AS, Open Letter to the Damned — Though some of this was a rehashing, “Special” and “Florida Sunshine” have been in my head for six months straight.
4. GRUPO ESPERANZA, Bread & Butter — It’s not hard to understand what’s made this band so popular after shaking your ass through this debut release.
5. MOSES ATWOOD,Moses Atwood — He’s not the only one channeling old-timey juju, but his ripples right through me.
6. DOMINIC AND THE LUCID, Waging the Wage — Channeling the energy of a live show and taking all the right chances.
7. WELLS, GABOURY, AND GROVER, The Garden Above — Okay, so they’re not playing new songs, but they’re playing them in new ways. Jazz lives.
8. VERTIGOD, Victory in Silence — Heavy, but not too heavy. Smart, but not too smart.
