Setting Sun's Music Review for 2005
By Andy N

I always hate writing lists for albums of the year, as my tastes are usually totally different from everybody else.

Although this does involve picking up mainly indie commercial albums by The Magic Numbers and Antony and the Johnsons, which are enjoyable, it also frequently involves reacting badly against mush by Coldplay, Athlete, Franz Ferdinand and whoever else the press may be raving about at that point. For me as editor / hack of Setting Sun ( http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo ) and guest writer for Angry Left Wing Mofo whenever the mood strikes, writing a list of favourite albums of the year is often impossible; such is the volume of music I listen to. For every album I often listen to / download / buy etc, there are usually about ten to fifteen albums that I have forgotten.

Frequently for me, the albums that I usually remember are the ones that are often a little unusual, or that I have picked up at gigs, through friends etc. This year certainly, highlights have included the official debut album by Macclesfield's Isobel Heyworth, Close Your Eyes, which found her beautifully sung/strummed, haunting melodies almost given a pop backing in places. This generally worked wonderfully, particularly on songs like “Best Dress On,” which almost made me weep the first time I heard it.

Other favourites for me from old favourites have included Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters)'s new album under the name of Sun Kil Moon called Tiny Cities . Now although his last official album, 2003's Ghosts of the Lost Highway , was a stunning, mostly Neil Young-ish folksy/rock album, this record worried me a little as I wasn't really looking forward to an album full of Modest Mouse covers. Modest Mouse for those not in the know are an American post punk band, with songs and arrangements that make me cringe frequently, but in skilled hands like Mark Kozelek who is famous for producing slow stripped songs, where the guitar and the drums almost feel like slow heartbeats, he very nearly pulls it off. Although the songs are not as strong as Ghosts , on tracks like the finale “Ocean Tastes Salty,” he really clicked with me.

The same also applied on a completely different record, the Brazilian Bebel Gilberto's new remix album, simply called Bebel Gilberto Remixed . I first heard of Bebel myself through a guy I used to work with at Creative Support back in 2003, and also my Brazilian penfriend “Cassia” both of which introduced me to her stunning album Tango Tempo , which was really Brazilian bossa nova music given a very rich and full modern backing. In a lot of ways it could sit comfortably next to the latest pop music that was coming out over here, expect it was much better.

Even more interesting however was the remix album that came with it, which often changed the songs around and did something very rare that you don't normally hear with remixes, it actually improved on the songs. This new album Bebel Gilberto Remixed is actually a remix album of her second album Bebel Gilberto , which although good I must admit I didn't enjoy as much as her debut. This remix album however, like with the Sun Kil Moon record, does contain some real corkers and several tracks which don't move me as much, shall we say. Highlights on the plus side have included “All Around” (Bombay Dub Orchestra Mix) which sounds like a traditional Indian band playing around with Dub, and the “Next To You” remix by Steve Hillage (System 7) which sounds like an out-take from Ozric Tentacles in places with Bebel on vocals.

I have also been listening to the last Nine Inch Nails album With Teeth which also made me think I was about 18 or 19 again and going crazy to “Head like a Hole” or “Terrible Lie.” Although the record is a good deal rockier than his last album or two, it also seemed to contain a pop element that went right back to the beginning of his career.

I've been tempted to contrast this with both Angry Left Wing Mofo and Setting Sun's long time favourite Mercurine's second album Waiting For Another Fall . This was a good deal darker and looser than their first album Music is Chemical , which possibly had something to do with the live drumming that existed throughout the bulk of the album.

I also really enjoyed the second George album A Week of Kindness , which seemed to carry a whole different mood to their first album. It took me not about a week's worth of listening before its gently hushed singing really hit me hard and has barely left my stereo since.

Other interesting discoveries have included the bootleg Elliott Smith album leaked onto the net, From a Basement on The Hill II , which is a worthy sequel to the powerful From a Basement to a Hill with it's thoughtful singing and dark country/rock backing, and certainly left me purring for more, and freeform noise from Kaffe Matthews (who I discovered through Robots and Electric Brains) with a terrifying piece of white noise called Recent Live Archive.

2005 has also being the year that ex-Whiskeytown singer Ryan Adams decided to release onto the world not one, not two but THREE new albums, of which the first two Cold Roses and Jackson City Nights , both have their moments but for me personally I prefer the third and last album 29 . It features only 9 tracks but almost every one is a winner, though don't go into it thinking you will hear a powerful, upbeat record as almost the full of this album is slow, mournful material, or as Ryan Adams has said himself, “Heavy stuff.”

I have also enjoyed the latest Sigur Rós CD Takk... Though I felt it missed the cold metallic beauty of 2002's ( ) some of the use of toy like schools on songs such as “Glósóli” took their music onto another level altogether.

Other CDs which I have enjoyed although not perhaps as much as their earlier output was the series of “Analord” EPs that Richard D James a.k.a. The Aphex Twin released under the name of AFX. Although I did not enjoy it anywhere near as much as his last official double album Druqs , which contained a breathtaking amount of variety, the Analord EPs reminded me way back to the start of his career when he used to scare the shit out of people with Digadoo.

The same also applied to the latest double album by Mr E a.k.a. The eels. Blinking Lights and Other Revelations came close to his Daisies of the Galaxy -era stuff with songs like “Old Shit / New Shit” or “Son of A Bitch” proving pretty addictive if you let them get under your skin properly.

Probably my favourite album of this year – though it came out at the end of last year and I didn't pick up until earlier this year, partly because I wasn't even aware of its actual existence – was High by Scotland 's The Blue Nile.

I first became aware of the Blue Nile through an ex-girlfriend from a bloody long time ago back when I was 17 or 18 and if my memory is correct was probably the first band or two I ever saw live in concert. At the time I loved the simple nature of their songs about basic human nature and life, which at night-time used to frequently make me curl up in a ball. After that the band didn't release their next album until 1995. I cannot remember the name of it, but thought it completely sucked and strayed too close into the territory of bad Phil Collins, which their second album Hats which I loved did sometimes stray into in a good way.

2004's High saw the band head back closer to the territory of Hats . Although perhaps missing the icy night time beauty of Hats , the songs like the title track and the finale “Stay Close” seemed to have a yearning and a soul that you rarely see in young bands.

Setting Sun of course has been busy this year with honourable mentions for the experimental sitar act Same Actor (who also produces stunning work under the name of “Hot Roddy”) with a charming self released album Figs . Bela Emerson, a fantastic experimental cello player from Brighton , has just released the “Scythe” EP (stunning for its subtly and sheer terrifying ability, often within the same breath) and a brutal live CD (both available through her website.) There was also the Elliott Smith-like L'Apparition, the Nick Cave-meets-Sigur Rós iLiKETRAiNS and the Spiritualised-meets-Beach Boys Napoleon IIIrd to name but just a couple of fantastic releases.

This has been in a marked contrast certainly for Setting Sun with the discovery of more world wide acts like the almost Enya–like Priscilla Hernandez of Spain, who has her own debut CD out in the early new year (2006) and the Brazilian cut and paste expect, Liz who has produced (all of which can be found through Archive on the internet) a staggering six albums, five of which make up a incredible sequence called “Liz Box”, which is a wonderful cut and paste epic, which takes dance music to a completely different level.

Also honourable mentions must go to Matt Elliott for his lovely Drinking Songs , in particular for the finale “The Maid We Messed”, which over its 21 minute length plays around with your head over all sorts of levels. People I have seen support Matt – Chris Cole a.k.a. Manyfingers and Yann a.k.a. Encre/Thee, Stranded Horse – have both produced stunning singles and albums and follow I guess a similar kind of experimental classical pattern, but completely different, which in a way sums up the nature of the music I have enjoyed this year.

As for 2006, like I said before I know Priscilla Hernandez has a new album out soon. I also know Matt Elliott has two new albums out shortly (one of which is under his old alias Third Eye Foundation) and his buddy Yann (Encre) has several new albums out or on the way. I am also expecting Chris Cole (Manyfingers) to surface with a new album soon.

I know Anthony Harding a.k.a. July Skies is currently working on a new album backed by several members of Epic 45 (who I believe are also working on new stuff.) I am also expecting (as seems to be a normal pattern) that a remix album of Nine Inch Nails' With Teeth will surface. I am also hopeful that there will be another Elliott Smith CD, as I have been told for his last album From a Basement on the Hill there were over 50 songs recorded.

I have also just read the Magic Numbers have another album out at the start of next year, which I believe is a lot darker than the first album and after the effect of this year, who knows what Ryan Adams will get up to next year. I know already he has recently been in the studio and recently recorded another 17 songs, although it would be nice to see an official release to some of his legendary unreleased albums like The Suicide Handbook or 48 Hours . But with the way 2005 was a year ago, it is a blank page, so God only knows what will happen….

But that's what I love about music and writing of course for Angry Left Wing Mofo and Setting Sun.

Feel free to visit:
Isobel Heyworth - http://www.isobelheyworth.com
Sun Kil Moon - http://www.sunkilmoon.com/
Bebel Gilberto - http://www.bebelgilberto.com
Nine Inch Nails - http://www.nin.com
Mercurine - http://www.mercurine.com
George - http://www.pickled-egg.co.uk/
Kaffe Matthews - http://annetteworks.com/
Ryan Adams - http://www.ryan-adams.com/
Sigur Rós - http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk
Aphex Twin - http://www.warprecords.com/
Eels - http://www.eelstheband.com
The Blue Nile - http://www.the-blue-nile .com/
Same Actor - http://www.hotroddy.com/
Bela Emerson - http://www.cellobela.com/
L'Apparition - http://www.myspace.com/lapparition
iLiKETRAiNS - http://www.iliketrains.co.uk/
Napoleon IIIrd - http://www.napoleoniiird.com/
Priscilla Hernandez - http://www.yidneth.com/
Matt Elliott - http://www.thirdeyefoundation.com/