Polaris Shortlist - Thoughts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaris_Prize
So here’s the list, for those of you who haven’t seen it yet (with asterisks to indicate the records I’ve heard…I’m planning on picking up most of the others when my eMusic subscription rolls around in a couple of days):
*Black Mountain – In The Future
*Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue
Basia Bulat – Oh, My Darling
*Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War
Caribou – Andorra
*Shad – The Old Prince
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
*Two Hours Traffic – Little Jabs
Holy Fuck – LP
*The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
Still a decent Montreal showing, two artists (Plants and Animals & Stars) down from an astounding 5 of 10 last year. One hip-hop act (Shad, with what for me was one of the best records in the genre since 2000), no francophone records (there were none last year either, but 2006’s list had the Malajube record). I’d have loved to see the Tricot Machine record on the list…in my opinion it’s better than Reunion Tour, at least.
So, who do I think is gonna take home the 20K? I’d bet on Plants & Animals, though I don’t think it’s the best record on the list, I do think it might have the broadest appeal among the judges. It’s rock, it’s experimental, it’s got nice texture, and a lot of variety. The last two winners (Final Fantasy in ‘06 and Patrick Watson in ‘07) don’t give us much basis to establish a pattern with, but they are both sonically rich, slightly experimental (more so in the case of Final Fantasy), rock albums. I think Caribou and Holy Fuck also have a good chance, again because they’re more experimental.
And who would I give the money to? Shad. Hands down. Now, a lot of people are gonna groan and say: “Of course Louis likes the hip-hop record”. But that’s the thing. Usually I don’t. Hip-hop has never been very good at putting out great albums. Even the classics are tough to listen to beginning to end. They’re full of skits, they’re inconsistent, and they don’t hold a candle to the truly great rock albums. Listening to hip-hop is a constant exercise in editing, skipping tracks, and putting together mixtapes of songs that don’t suck. But Shad’s The Old Prince is a phenomenal record, beginning to end. There’s not a single bad track, and only one that sort of breaks the mood (The Old Prince Still Lives At Home, the comedic one about not having any money), but it’s so brilliant you don’t mind.
For a quick overview of the other ones I’ve heard: the Black Mountain album is very, very good. It’s pure retro, 70’s stoner rock (Zeppelin, Stones, and Sabbath shine through clear as day), but it’s extremely well-executed. Because it doesn’t offer much new, I don’t think it has a chance of winning, but I’d still recommend checking it out. The Stars album is also excellent, probably the one on the list I’ve listened to the most times. At first listen there are only one or two songs that stand out, but it’s one of those records where every song is a sleeper hit, that you discover three months later, and fall in love with.
The Weakerthans record is, simply put, weaker than anything they’ve put out so far (har har). By no means is it a great record, nowhere near the level of some of the other albums on this list. The Two Hours Traffic record may not be great either, but it’s definitely a lot of fun, kind of coming from the same place as the Joel Plaskett record was last year: very traditional rock, done playfully, making for great summer listening.
I very much like the few songs I’ve heard from the Basia Bulat and the Holy Fuck records, and definitely look forward to hearing the full records.
I’ve only heard one Caribou song, and I thought it was pretty meh, the same sort of Brian-Wilsonism that was done better by last year’s Miracle Fortress record. But it was just one song, and I promise I’ll listen to the whole record. I’ve also only heard one Kathleen Edwards song, and can’t really make a judgment of it. I didn’t much like it, but would really need to find out how much lyrical and sonic diversity there is on the record before I weigh in.
What should have been on the list? The New Pornographers’ Challengers was a spectacular record, just pure awesome. Most people liked the Wintersleep album more than I did, but I’d still have given it a spot up there. And, as I said, Tricot Machine would have been fun, especially since there isn’t any other francophone record on there.
Have you heard these records? Do you have a favourite? Do you want to try to defend Reunion Tour? Have at it.
