1. On Days Like These – Matt Munro – Munro's beautiful reworking of an Italian pop song, plays over the opening titles of the overrated chase movie "The Italian Job" from 1969. The movie doesn't stand up, the song does. A sense of time having passed and a twinge of lost, "on days like these I wonder what became of you, maybe today you're singing songs with someone new". They should have used him on the Godfather soundtrack.
2. Power – Kanye West – I underated this when it was first released a coupla years ago. Not by much, but by enough. A page ripped out of Yeee's diary as his world, which began falling apart with the death of his Mom,. explodes. The "abomination of Obama nation" is surviving, although he was drinking earlier and now he's driving. By the end, the answers seem to have closed down to just one: "jumping ouy the window, letting everything go".
3. Red Nation – Game – This songs got some, Weezy never better and a philosopher as well: "Everyday's a gamble motherfucker, tough luck". Word.
4. Donald Trump – Mac Miller – Mac is the new Asher Roth. One great song (this one) and a crap album to peddle.
5. Sophia – Laura Marling – This sports her best chorus to date, a denounement waiting on judgement day.
6. Understand It All – Cloud Nothings – Was lo-fi, will be hi-fi.
7. Puzzle Pieces – Saint Motel – They are in town March 1st and I lost my tix somewhere
8. Train Under Water – Bright Eyes – One of the great nyc songs, reminds me of living in the Village in the early 1980s." Don't act strange, don't be a stranger…"
9. Let Me Feel you Shine – David Crowder Band – I'm working round to full review of the album, but can't find the time to give it the time it deserves.