The Greatest Albums of 2006

#1

Mew's

And the Glass Handed Kites

In 2006 hundreds of new albums were released. Gabe and I reviewed 7 of the best, covering legends like Bob Dylan and Thom Yorke, while praising newer groups like TV on the Radio and Gnarls Barkley. But now that Beck, Yorke and the rest are down, one question remains: who is number one?

The answer my friends…is Mew

The finest album of 2006, And the Glass Handed Kites, was actually released in 2005. Yes, Mew handed over their latest work to the European public two years ago! It wasn’t until just last year that the United States saw this release. So, because it dropped in 2006, Gabe and I both decided we’re counting it as part of the roster. Yes, And the Glass Handed Kites, being denied a shot at 2005, gets a payback with 2006.
And yet, it would have totally dominated 2005 just as it has dominated 2006. The album is so tremendous that it would have slid into the number one spot. That’s why it wins easily in 2006. Last year was in many ways a lackluster year for music. Sure, we’ve spent the past several posts praising specific works, but there were only eight albums worthy of recognition. In a dull, tepid year, Mew was a bright spot.
Engineered to sound like a sonic thunderstorm, And the Glass Handed Kites kicks off with some of the harshest guitars and crashing drums you’ll ever hear. Piano keys gently blink in and out like runway lights amid a soundscape of overpowering electric guitars. It is through this rock fog that we hear the feminine voice of Jonas Bjerre, crooning us to shore like a lighthouse in rainy weather.
In creating this massive sound and then aligning it with Bjerre’s crooning, cheesed-out lyrics, Mew manages to do two things:

1) They poise themselves as unbelievable rock gods asking for your very submission…

2) …And make such theatrics completely heart-warming by singing with absolute, wide-eyed earnestness.

Mew only wants to be your personal heroes.

In 2006, there were musicians that dispelled the war in Iraq, questioned their love life and outright told you they didn’t want to be your hero. That’s why, when Bjerre asks on “The Zookeeper’s Boy”, “Are you my lady, are you?” you’ll want to answer, “yes”.
So many artists play themselves down in an attempt at humility, but they never completely achieve it. In fact, it rings hollow. That’s what makes Mew so funny and yet so touching with this album: they’ve found musical humility in the same way Kiss might take to the stage. They outright tell you “we’re going to rock you beyond belief”…and then they do it.
What’s also remarkable about this album is how no single track deserves to be skipped. Each song transitions right into the next, creating one massive song that doesn’t end until the album is over. That in itself qualifies it as the finest album of 2006. Previous albums always had a song or two that didn’t really deserve to be there. On And the Glass Handed Kites, no song is dispensable. You’ve got to listen to the whole album to get the full effect. Not since Failure’s Fantastic Planet has such grandiosity paid off so well.

In 2006, hundreds of albums were released. They all wanted a taste of your wallet. And the Glass Handed Kites only wanted a taste of your awe.

Here’s to you Mew. Cheers.

I want to rock your Danish.
Brock, why no album cover? Is it because it was one of the worst album covers ever?

Mew is a band from Denmark. And the Glass Handed Kites unleashes songs ranging from "rocking your nether regions" to "massaging your jazz ballet love loins."

The instrumental, "Circuitry of the Wolf," opens up the album having you thinking that you're in for a major rock storm. But then it blends into "Chinaberry Tree," although it still rocks along with a thumping bass line, Jonas Bjerre delivers vocals that have you meditating in the higher plane. And before long, you realize you're journeying through a forest of progressive rock. It's a term that gets thrown around, but Mew definitely utilizes elements of Classical and Jazz, rocking songs in the symphonic sense.

"Why Are You Looking Grave?" surprises you with guest vocals from J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. His vocals provide a very interesting contrast. The story is that the newly reunited Dinosaur Jr. happened to be playing in the city they were recording their album and asked J if he'd lay down some vox. He agreed, much to my delight.

"Apocalypso" blends into "Special," and "Special" into "The Zookeeper's Boy." This makes for a rockasmic trinity. "Special" so happens to be a favorite of Zoe's. She'll even request it at times.

Then there are quiet, whispery, poetic lullabies, that sometimes explode into louder parts, like "A Dark Design."

As Brock mentioned, Mew often has quirky lyrics/titles, like "Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)," where they begin with the solemn pronouncement "we are the defenders of jazz ballet." Good for them. Perhaps this serves as a reminder to not take them too seriously, as many prog rock bands of the '60s and '70s, came across as pretentious. Yes, maybe? Don't get me wrong, though, I like Yes.

The only gripe I have with this album, is the mix. Most of the album seems to be lacking in the lower spectrum of the frequency band. For example, "The Zookeeper's Boy" was the first song I heard, via a download. When I first played it, I had to check and make sure the bass wasn't turned down. And you get that feeling on a few more songs. More than likely they did this by design, perhaps not wanting thumping bass to drown out higher details, as most people tend to over do it on the bass. But I think it's missing too much and is a distraction. Other than that, it's numero uno.

Do yourself a favor and get some Danish rock. Brock and I plan to catch them in L.A. next month. Can't wait.