My three favourite albums? What an awful question to propose to a person. Look, I've only been on this burning rock a mere 23 years but how in God's name is one supposed to choose **just** three. If someone I knew personally posed this question to me I'd actually be offended. To be frank, I don’t know, but I'll give it a bash, and whilst we’re putting this all out in the open, as I go to put pen to paper, I haven’t a notion of what I'll actually put down. There’s a vague idea, so let’s take it from there.
Australian psych-rock project Tame Impala is the brain-child of Mssr. Kevin Parker. Currents was Parkers third studio effort and proved to be a massive turning point for the group - Previous albums Innerspeaker & Lonerism set the foundations for the laid-back Aussies unique blend of stoner rock tinged with more relaxed, hip hop moments. Simply put, it’s infectious - 13 tracks filled with massive beats and the most hookish melodies - Let It Happen, The Less I Know The Better, and New Person, Same Old Mistakes to name but a few. Parker’s outfit returns on February 14th with new album ‘The Slow Rush’ - it's a strange feeling, I'm personally hugely excited for this new LP but also cautious. If all else fails, we still have this masterpiece to fall back on.
Mac DeMarco - 2 (2012)
This is a bit of a strange one - but the Canadians debut long-play is a personal favorite of mine - "Mac DeMarco AND Tame Impala? How many cuffs does this young fella have in his jeans and how big is his beanie" I hear you say, well the answer is one and secondly I don't wear hats.
Simply put, Mac DeMarco should have never been popular, but somehow he got there. His DIY approach to recording and touring is a breath of fresh air, and '2' is a brilliant album for these reasons, it’s simple, honest indie-rock with subtle jazz influences. Freaking Out The Neighborhood, Ode to Viceroy and My Kind of Woman are the standouts in a beautifully paced 31 minute LP. Time after time, I head back to this record, it is the blue-print on how to create a laid-back, enjoyable indie-pop LP. Well done Mac, you strange strange man.
A viciously 'un-cool' answer, but this was the first album I purchased (Various Dustin the Turkey CD's do not count). The emo-revival of the past year or so has brought this LP back to my attention again. This anti - war//George Bush rock-opera about angry, American suburban kids somehow catapulted Green Day to mainstream success, and to be fair to them, it utterly slaps. From the visceral intro of the titular track, the bellowing angst of Jesus of Suburbia to the relatively stoic Wake Me Up When September Ends this LP was the soundtrack to many angsty teenagers lives in the early 2000's and beyond. We also have front-man Billie Joe Armstrong for arguably making guy-liner and studded belts popular. Billie, we will never forgive you.
So, there you have it - Three albums that I would say are personal favorites of mine, but perhaps not my all time top 3 because in a world that is ever changing and evolving how is one to choose? Special mention has to be given to the likes of New Orders ‘Power, Corruption and Lies’, The Smiths ‘The Queen is Dead’ , IDLES 2019 tour-de force ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ and so many more that I can’t even name. Get listening friends.
These words belong to JJ Lee in Cork, Ireland.
