Blues Traveler
Four
Choice of: Paul Crowley, Music Lead Writer
A bittersweet mood tinges the listening of any album a band recorded before losing a significant member. Nirvana's Nevermind, The Who's Who's Next and the Allman Brothers' Eat a Peach all remind us how great music can be, but they also remind us of the loss of Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon and Duane Allman. Since losing bassist Bobby Sheehan to a drug overdose and losing most of frontman John Popper to a Stairmaster, Blues Traveler's output has declined in quality and frequency--a decline which only brings into sharper relief the gem that was 1994's Four. The album mixes jam-band guitar and harmonica with melodic piano interludes and lyrics that make Popper's egoistic self-analysis worth a few listens. Four lasts particularly well due to the thematic cohesiveness of its lesser-known tracks. It's better than anything else Popper and company has done before or since.
Counting Crows
August and Everything After
Choice of: David Ward, Music Writer
Counting Crows' first and best album, August and Everything After, is poignant, poetic, melodic and sweet. From the gradual organ introduction of "Round Here" to the "change" finale of "A Murder of One," August is one of the best works of lyricism and musicianship to emerge from the now venerated canon of the early '90s. In "Anna Begins," lead singer Adam Duritz recounts losing his virginity, while his candid "Raining in Baltimore," stands out as a high point. Every word registers, every note penetrates. Every song is a gem. Duritz's uniquely controlled whine conveys emotion without being trite or sweet; all guitar work accentuates rather than overshadows the songs. August is an album that I've loved since childgood, one of those CDs in which just hearing the introduction to any of its songs conjures up memories. One of the best albums of any decade.
Ben Folds Five
Whatever and Ever Amen
Choice of: David Walter, Ediotr. Former Music Editor
Local boy Ben Folds has done just fine solo, but not too long ago it was Folds Five making mainstream-snubbing piano rock, and that's when I fell in love. 1997's Whatever and Ever Amen remains one of the trio's most celebrated successes, and it's never that hard to remember why. Folds and Co. wield irony and sardonic wit with surgical precision, making the album timelessly appropriate for anyone whose ever felt picked on ("One Angry Dwarf and Two Hundred Solemn Faces"), put down ("Song for the Dumped") or generally annoyed ("Steven's Last Night in Town"). The real gem of Amen, however, is the manner in which Mr. Folds handles his obsessive bouts with dysfunctional love. From the wrenching "Brick" to the equally haunting "Evaporated," Ben Folds Five has made many a young man employ the "I'm not crying, I just have dirt in my eye" defense. I say cry away; it's a classic.
No Doubt
Tragic Kingdom
Choice of: Hilary Lewis, Music Editor
Despite what music critics everywhere will lead you to believe, 1997 was a glorious year for music. Still trying to prove that they studied under the same guitar instructor as Kurt Cobain, musicians in now-forgotten foursomes churned out aggressive, intricate riffs complemented by heartfelt lyrics, and a little band from Anaheim, California finally showed the world that they could create brilliantly accessible, four-minute masterpieces. On their breakthrough album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt took their ska-pop beats and mixed them with a dose of alternative rock and the most developed lyrical conceits and turns of phrase music has seen in a long time. From the steel drums and horn riffs at the beginning of "Spiderwebs" to the disco-esque "You Can Do It" and the Disneyland-directed title track, No Doubt displays the creativity and enthusiasm only exhibited by a then-unknown band.
The Cardigans
Gran Turismo
Choice of: Robert Winterode, Music Lead Writer
In a convertible, Nina Persson barrels down the desert highway; she tosses a Felix the Cat doll to the road's mercy, slams into every other car and runs over one very unlucky guy. This is the scene for the "My Favorite Game" video, the first single off The Cardigans' fourth LP, Gran Turismo. Here, the group no longer trumpets '60s candyfloss like "Lovefool," the band's breakthrough hit, or lounge versions of Black Sabbath. It is a radical departure of form and atmosphere, a dark and not-so-dreary night in Stockholm, as this Swedish ice queen croons about wrecked relationships and lost love. The bittersweet electronic beats and distorted guitar set the stage for Persson's piercing vocals, and unlike most of trip-hop, the album's obvious influence, the songs are not quickly disposable; they may be hook-laden, but Persson's icy yet pained voice leaves an indelible impression on the listener.
The Shins
Oh, Inverted World
Choice of: Andrew Galanopoulos, Music Writer
Before their new album came out in 2003, the Shins' 2001 release Oh, Inverted World had been in my car stereo for over seven months. That's like three oil changes. It's an album that never gets old. Two years later, the chorus of "Girl on the Wing" still gives me goosebumps. A modern reincarnation of '60s pop-rock, the album is as much a tribute to Brian Wilson as it is to Syd Barrett or Nick Drake. Each track is an understated gem, building masterful melodies with jangling guitars, psychedelic keyboards and a lead singer (James Mercer) that is at once wildly dynamic and quietly personal. Upbeat tracks like "Know Your Onion" and "Girl Inform Me" are irresistibly catchy, while "The Past and Pending" is sweetly hypnotic. The effect of the album might be captured in its best track, "New Slang," a timeless song you hope will never get out of your head.
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