Best in Music: September 2006 Edition

Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye (Domino)

The departure of Johnny Dark, the founder and instrumentation inventor of Hamilton’s Junior Boys, has deserted vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Greenspan to supersede a critically successful debut. It would be hard enough to match Last Exit’s fanfare, but it’d be more so without Dark’s 2-step start-stop skitter, which the debut album pretty much revolved around. But, much to the surprise of JB fans, Greenspan rebounded gracefully from the duo’s severance, employed former engineer Matthew Didemus to replace Dark’s sound, polished his brand, and recorded a gorgeous synth-pop record in So This Is Goodbye. Without Dark’s contributions, Greenspan has fittingly placed his much-improved serene R&B vocals as the top layer amongst the pinging tones and brittle rhythms, making the tracks more melodically-involved. Greenspan’s whisper is perfect for the album’s melancholic theme, and since Goodbye is a collection of songs about the desolation that ensue from scarred relationships, his vibrant vocals abandoned in the spacious and minimalistic production enhances that point even further. Who exactly Greenspan is breaking up with in the sophomore album though is left ambiguous, whether with a lover or with Dark, but a magnificent record unquestionably emerged because of it.

[The Equalizer | First Time | In The Morning]

Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor (Atlantic)

Expectations have been immeasurable ever since a teaser verse in fellow Chicagoian, Kanye West’s “Touch The Sky” and an internet leak of this debut, Food & Liquor. Some has called Lupe Fiasco the “savior of hip-hop”, maybe simply for his unorthodox topics of choice—skateboard love stories and giant robot daydreams are refreshing subjects coming from a genre polluted with bravado, ice, blunts, and ho’s. Also, while the rest of mainstream rap is mostly focused on making songs with larger-than-life hooks, Lupe’s strictly creating verse-oriented tracks. With the understanding that time on a platform this big is scarce, Lupe doesn’t waste his words, each one efficiently aids him with his unparalleled storytelling. But you can’t change the game if you don’t have game yourself; luckily, Lupe Fiasco has plenty of it. He knows exactly which syllables to emphasize or elongate to meld it wonderfully with the diverse assortment of beats made from thrilling strings and keyboards. The verses are rich with internal rhymes and alliteration that are so effectively cultivated that there are flourishes when he can’t seem to stop dishing it out, and, frankly, you don’t really want him to. For hip-hop’s sake, here’s to hoping that he keeps going for a long time because a talent like this doesn’t comes along very frequently.

[Just Might Be OK | Kick, Push | Daydreamin']

Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid And I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador)

After 22 years of music making, it’s reasonable to say that New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo have dabbled with a variety of genres, ranging from jazz-inflicted melodic pop to atmospheric noise rock. But after their very homogenous—albeit, still listenable—2003 release, Summer Sun, many feared that the indie rock veterans are content to operate on a safe mode. So, the assertively titled follow-up I Am Not Afraid And I Will Beat Your Ass is the trio’s answer to those with doubts that they don’t have the drive, or youthful exuberance, to be diverse anymore. The 15 tracks consist of every style that Yo La Tengo has conquered in the past, from distortion-heavy guitar carnivals to entrancingly reflective ballads. Though wide-ranging, each song exudes a confidence that only seasoned professionals are able to flaunt. Over the years, eclecticism has been Yo La Tengo’s signature and to see them return to what they do best is a relief. The album is uninhibitedly all over the place; yet, somehow, they make it sound cohesive. It’s flawlessly assembled like a your favorite mixtape, which showcases music from bands in their record collection such as The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, and Sonic Youth. In essence, it’s the type of album music fans have dreamt they’d create: music made by music lovers for music lovers.

[Beanbag Chair | The Weakest Part | The Story Of Yo La Tengo]