I heard two albums this week that should, after just a few listens, make the list I just posted. First is the recently released new Mountain Goats album, The Life Of The World To Come. I’ve long respected John Darnielle as a songwriter and live performer, but I haven’t really warmed to his studio work. This album changes that for two reasons; first, the production is airy and open, intimate and spacious at the same time; secondly, John’s control of his voice is masterful. As his career as gone on, his learned better the limits, strengths and weaknesses of his voice, and on The Life Of The World To Come he nails the proper approach on every track. He seems to trust his subtle lower register more than in my experience of his earlier work (I freely admit that my bias against his studio recordings has caused me to skip a listen to some of them, which I might have to rectify in light of this albums greatness). For a real review of themes and the album as a whole (as opposed to just my stating my fondness),, you can’t do much better than read Ian’s piece for Popmatters.
The second album is the upcoming Bob Dylan Christmas album, Christmas In The Heart. I loathe most Christmas music, being overproduced sentimental dreck, filled with chorale bombast and treacly production. Bob wins me over by making a late 40s/early 50s country swing album, like a radio show from a bygone era. I wish he had actually gone all the way there, by recording spoken interludes like he does for his “Theme Time Radio Hour” satellite radio show; his mix of anecdotes and music history really enhance those shows and would have done the same here. His voice is shot, but his earnest understatement on these Yuletide classics works; his smooth starting delivery descending into croaky roughness as the lines get long is charming (something he glossed over for Modern Times, recording each line as separate parts to mask the degradation). It sounds like he’s having fun, and it carries on to the listener. Can’t wait to get a copy when it comes out next week.