Never imagined Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”—pushed by Netflix’s mega-hit Stranger Things and a flood of TikTok fan movies—to push the shy songstress again onto the pop charts. And didn’t anticipate Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood to re-emerge because the Smile. Or determine Todd Rundgren to ship an interesting album of duets. Or foresee comebacks from Tears for Fears (The Tipping Point), Bowie (the misplaced Toy album), or the Mars Volta (their eponymous return). Or robust reside albums from Liam Gallagher (Down by the River Thames), Regina Spektor (an official boot of her 2002 debut 11:11), Fleet Foxes (the finely crafted A Very Lonely Solstice), the Grateful Dead (three discs from the acclaimed Dick’s Picks collection) and the Pixies (Live at Brixton, a behemoth 8-LP field culled from the 2004 reunion tour). And classics! The Beatles’ Revolver remixed and remastered? Yes, please. Pink Floyd’s Animals in 5.1 encompass? Wow. CSN’s self-titled 1969 acoustic juggernaut? Sweet. A brand new Earth-friendly collaboration from Neil Young and Crazy Horse? Check. Cover tunes by Cowboy Junkies and Cat Power? Hell, yeah. And a 90s-rock revival from London Suede, Spoon, Built to Spill, and Death Cab for Cutie? Not unhealthy. Here are ten albums that put a smile on my face.
1. David Bowie: Brilliant Adventure 1992-2001. Parlophone/Iso.
2. The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention. XL.
3. Guided by Voices: Tremblers and Goggles by Rank. GbV Inc.
4. Alex G: God Save the Animals. Domino Records.
5. Todd Rundgren: Space Force. Cleopatra Records.
6. London Suede: Autofiction. BMG Records.
7. Elvis Costello & the Imposters: The Boy Named If. Capitol/EMI.
8. Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever. Loma Vista/Concord.
9. Cowboy Junkies: Songs of the Recollection. Proper.
10. Mark Knopfler: The Studio Albums 1996ñ2007. Warner/Rhino.
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