Best Of The Year at BPFE

It’s been a funny ol’ year for listening to stuff at BPFE. Thanks to the discovery of a number of exciting blogs, I’m afraid my consumption of brand new music has taken a back seat to rediscovering some classics and some obscurities. I’ve loved every minute, but I’d be hard pushed to come up with a list of 10 albums that have blown me away. Instead, here are three:

Matthew Sweet: ‘Modern Art’

I have no idea why this wasn’t praised to the skies on its release. It’s a superb album with some of Sweets best melodies and some great ensemble playing. Expectations are always high when MS releases an album and for many people, he’s still in the shadow of ‘Girlfriend’ which (IMHO) is insane. There are some great songs on here and it’s nowhere near as ‘Avant-garde’ as I’d been led to believe. Lots of scrumptious, tight, Pop Rock gems, as well as Mr Sweet stretching himself out a little. If you bought this, listened to it once and then tossed it in the ‘trade’ pile, dig it out and try again. It ain’t his most immediate work, but it’s up there with his best.

'Oh Oldendaze!' from 'Modern Art'

Captain Wilberforce: ‘Ghost Written Confessions’

One day, Simon Bristoll will be a huge star and you can say ‘I told you so’ to anyone who will listen. This is his third full length album and has that ‘third album feel’ too – you know – a little bit different to the previous two, possibly reaching for something else, a la ‘Big Star Third’ or ‘Fables of the Reconstruction’.  It’s not as PowerPop as his last, frankly awesome release ‘Everyone Loves a Villain’, but the songs are marvellous – lot’s of detail, always interesting lyrics and memorable tunes. I’ve waxed lyrical before, and I probably will again, but this guy is probably the best Pop Rock writer you’ve never heard of. PLEASE buy it and make him rich.

'The Day Your Mouth Stood Still' from 'Ghost Written Confessions'

Three Minute Tease: ‘Three Minute Tease’

Anton Barbeau with the rhythm section from The Soft Boys. You cannot imagine how excited I was when I heard about this. Too good to be true? No. It’s better than that. Finally, a supergroup that doesn’t suck. I’m not sure if this has a physical release yet, but trust me, it’s breathtaking. Well, of course it is – it’s Anton Barbeau with the rhythm section from The Soft Boys...

'Love Is Onion' Live from 'Three Minute Tease'

Captain Wilberforce

Simon Bristoll has been quietly cranking out classic pop tunes under the flag of Captain Wilberforce for seven years. Starting off with the low key ‘Dreams of Educated Fleas’ EP, he graduated to ‘Mindfilming’ his first, frankly stunning, full length release. ‘Everybody Loves A Villain’ followed in 2009 and blew every other PowerPop release of that year right out of the water. And after a long wait, he’s just gifted us ‘Ghost Written Confessions’. You don’t have to be a genius to release that this too, is a great album.

The fact that you’re sitting there scratching your head and saying ‘Who or what is a Captain Wilberforce’ makes me a little sad, so this is your chance to atone for not knowing…. ‘Ghost Written Confessions’ is probably going to be THE album of 2011, unless something truly exceptional comes along, so get in quick for all those RockSnob bragging points. Mr Bristoll combines the pop smarts of Brendan Benson, a heavy dash of Jason Falkner with a smidge of Utopia at their poppiest. Now doesn’t that sound yummy? On this album, he’s added a darker colour or two to the palette and has broadened out the sound somewhat. It’s also the first where he’s used a band – previous releases have featured him doing a ‘Todd R + Drummer’ thing. It’s a great piece of work. You can get it here:

http://captainwilberforce.wordpress.com/

And here’s a little sample – the lovely (and very Todd-esque) ‘Get Hurt’. Try it…you’ll bloody love it.