The post-2004 roundup of 2004 releases that I never heard in 2004, dammit

It's certainly possible that there will be more of these roundups to follow. Hell, I should probably do them for some other years too. So here they are -- albums I got around to hearing only after everyone and their brother made their top albums list.

The Necks -- Drive-by. Not two minutes into this album, the comparisons to the self-titled TV Victor album had begun to swirl in my mind. That's not much of a surprise, since it's not like my shelves are overflowing with imperceptibly shifting jazz-ambient albums with sparse instrumentation consisting of tracks that are more than one hour in length. With "Drive-By", there is a bit more variation -- even building to a climax of sorts in the last fifteen minutes -- but both albums work best when you essentially stop listening to them, pausing every so often to pay closer attention and wondering, "hey, wait a minute, has the bass really been missing for the past six minutes"?

Adem -- Homesongs. Sometimes, I see bands play live and enjoy them very much, but can't compel myself to visit the merch table and buy their music because I've got a nagging feeling that I won't enjoy their music at home. I had that feeling while watching Adem. Live, my ears can squeeze every last drop of guitar reverb, hear the pristine clarity of a glockenspiel, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a beer and a couple hundred other people, close my eyes, and hum along to caramel-like vocals. But at home, that music can't possibly jump from the speakers so vividly, and you find yourself listening to some blasé alt-country while staring at the grey skies outside.

Except that didn't happen this time.

Erlend Øye -- DJ Kicks. Technique-wise, this mix is nothing special -- in particular, Øye makes several fast cuts, not even bothering to beatmatch. I like my mixes to sound more like mixes than compilations, but Øye's intent is to combine his eclectic tastes with his casual, almost droll vocal style, and by that measure, this album is certainly a success. The clear peak is the chanting of the lyrics to "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" over the dark house of Royksopp. It's a combination that would make Morrissey plotz should he ever hear it, but Øye's deadpan delivery gives this segment of the mix a stoic beauty which works exceedingly well.

The Go! Team -- Thunder Lightning Strike. Three tracks in, and I was sure that the joke wouldn't last. Surely, the carnival atmosphere would grow tiresome as the album wore on. But against my intuition, I started enjoying it even more as the album progressed.

Still, there was no way I could continue to like anything that was so upbeat. The album was perhaps the happiest thing I'd ever heard. There's no way I'd be able to tolerate that. Impossible.

I'm pleased to report that my Go! Team sugar high has yet to wear off. This is no accident, the joke isn't getting any less funny, I've heard it too many times now. This album is brilliant. One of these days, I will dare myself to listen to "Everyone's a VIP to Someone" without cracking a smile. Many people liken this album to big beat, but I hear a zanier version of Manitoba's "Up In Flames".

Fiery Furnaces -- Blueberry Boat. This album just isn't happening for me. I've heard so much about how wild and unpredictable it is, but for the OCD freak in me has the Deerhoof album instead. All the Brian Wilson comparisons prepared me for an album bursting with multiple melodies colling on each track like on "SMiLE". That does happen, but the madcap effect isn't the same when they're stretched out across eight minutes instead of three. I was expecting more of a racket, but the ones hear are too few and far between, and hardly worth the wait.

The Streets -- A Grand Don't Come For Free. Normally, lyrics just wash over me for the first three or four listens, after which they finally start to sink in. However, knowing what I was in for with this album, I made the extra effort to pay close attention. My mind got a bit lost at times, as I reverted to my usual routine of hearing only the music, but I felt it was a good effort for me overall. This is a fascinating album, full of lyrical twists, off-kilter rhythms, and at times, remarkable poignancy ("Dry Your Eyes"). Also, the fact that I already knew how the story ends didn't diminish my enjoyment at all.

Gold Chains and Sue Cie -- When the World Was Our Friend. Regrettably, the tremendous vocal prescence from their live shows doesn't carry over to the album. The vocals are tamer and more buried in the mix. Fortunately, when you've got Vladislav Delay and AGF helping with said mix, it's going to sound thick and heavy, with plenty of punch. Between those two elements, let's call this one a draw.