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Billy Bragg – Mr. Love & Justice (Anti)
Beating 2002’s surprisingly unsatisfying England, Half English and 1996’s good but inconsistent William Bloke, this is more a successor to 1988’s beloved Worker’s Playtime, occasionally even approaching 1991’s all-time classic, Don’t Try This at Home. Hurrah! It’s a full reclaim of bounteous strengths in lightly seasoned folk-rock with touchingly personal soul influences, given Bragg’s gift for tantalizing lyrics sung in amazingly empathetic, Cockney-inflected, yet poignant singing.
Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell (deluxe edition) (Epitaph)
At least the 28-year punk legends’ revamped package is sleekly superior to its less-frills predecessor of last year. 2.0 serves a surfeit of goodies: seven acoustic tracks (four vintage chargers tamed, such as a newly beautiful “Sorrow,” plus three new tunes); two posters (one the teenaged band in 1980 on L.A.’s Vex stage); a desolate L.A. landscape booklet; and a separate DVD of a full concert for Las Vegas’s House of Blues (a real steal), plus footage of studio sessions and two videos.
Ray Davies – Working Man’s Cafe (New West)
Though it takes a few plays, the former (and future?) Kinks star’s trademark wit and plainspoken thoughts comes flying at you from the onset, before the tunes themselves work their way into your bone marrow.
Ron Sexsmith – Exit Strategy of the Soul (Yep Roc)
Another fine outing from the 17-year veteran and Canadian good-guy staple. Is he capable of making a bad record? We haven’t seen it yet in 10 LPs of melancholic pop craft imbued with his endless ruminations on romance.
Billie Holiday – Beautiful Ballads & Love Songs (Columbia/Legacy/SonyBMG)
This is more 1935-1941 magic; no one ever did “Summertime,” “Night or Day,” or “All of Me” better (not even Sinatra or Armstrong)—all so bittersweet, even in surrender. Ahhh.
Everest – Ghost Notes (Vapor)
This is the sort of mostly mid-tempo, rustic-hued, Americana-tinged organic/edgy guitar rock Vapor head Neil Young and older L.A. mates perfected 35-40 years ago—brought back with patient riffing majesty, timeless soul, and importantly, inspired singing from this much younger new band. From the acoustic-crisp folk-isms of “Trees,” “Taking on the Future,” and “Angry Storm” to the Wilco-fied bounce of “Into Your Soft Heart,” to the more urgent standout “Reload,” Everest requires no sherpa to navigate their ascension—just a pair of ears.
Rob Dickinson – Fresh Wine for the Horses (double CD) (Fontana/UNI)
Dickinson has renovated/rejuvenated his 2005 solo debut creation by adding a killer new, sea-saw-crashing, (literally) apocalyptic love song, “The End of the World,” rerecording and greatly improving a number of songs, and adding a sublime second disc of his older Catherine Wheel songs. Amazingly, those that bought 1.0 should now sell it—and put the fiver towards this thoroughly better rendering!!! (If you never bought it, now’s the time.)
Secret Shine – All of the Stars (Clairecords/Tonevendor)
Any one of these 10 shoegaze songs is a mini-love affair, full of Jamie Gingell’s Ian Masters-like innocence and ruby-lullaby melodies; those guitars, guitars, guitars (even some string-bending/whammy bar action); and sense of wonder AWOL these days. All is star-bound, indeed.
The Effigies – Reside (Criminal IQ)
This Chicago punk-turned-post-punk band’s also revived 1980s-punk/indie era contemporaries have already proven that bands could regain bygone inspiration on LP in the ‘00s. But by picking up on 1986, not 1981, thus seizing their own post-punk thread never continued, The Effigies have no modern stylistic peers. And like Ink, it will take several plays before the layers of Reside’s smarts and subtleties become as apparent as its strident authority.
For Against – Shade Side, Sunny Side (Words on Music)
This is just a fabulous work, one of the most unnerving and yet often resplendently gorgeous records I’ve heard in some time. Every time I play it, it unfolds new layers of feeling, unlocking new mysteries of the clash between head and heart, and digs in harder with the simple clarity of its musical force. Album of the year? So far it sure as hell is.
