If you don’t share my affinity for listening to way too much “post-punk” (quotations used to mock) then you may not know that super producer/remixer extraordinaire Paul Epworth (aka Phones) has produced some of the finest work of the “genre” and is therefore responsible for 60% of every NME wet dream of the past 3 years. It may not be a good sign that the bands with his two most critically acclaimed albums (Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm and the Futureheads self-titled debut) have chosen to work with two different producers on their post-Epworth releases, but here are the best Epworth produced albums ordered worst to best.
Note: I actually love all of these albums (save the first one mentioned).
WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT KICK
I never got the fuss over “Love is a Number” in the first place and the rest of this is just trash. I happen to actually like the Bravery and even I think that this is a little much.
THE FUTUREHEADS THE FUTUREHEADS
This was an album that took me about six months to actually like. Despite the fact it has one of my favorite all-time riffs (“Decent Days and Nights”) and songs (“Hounds of Love” duh) this album isn’t as consistent as it could be. Much like Cam’ron, I like the Futureheads’ writing much better when I read it on paper then when I actually listen to it, but it is stellar nonetheless. Their decision to go for a more, ahem, “ambitious” sound on their second album turned out for the worst and usually after I listen to News & Tributes I’ll just turn on “Meantime” in hopes that they’ll one day again churn out such brilliance.
THE RAKES CAPTURE/RELEASE
A whole lot of people write these guys off as Franz Ferdinand Jr. but I think that the Rakes actually beat Franz at their own game. “Strasbourg” may be the “genre’s” finest moment as the Rakes were actually doing the whole “music for the working lad” way before Alex Turner though you looked good on the dance floor. I think this album got written off by critic types as “yet another post-punk release” when in actuality it carves its own niche in an admittedly crowded field. At least Rob Sheffield likes it.
MAXIMO PARK A CERTAIN TRIGGER
Much to my surprise (and dismay) this album got hated on by damn near everyone but Pitchfork because really, this is one of my favorite releases of the past two or three years. Paul Smith writes both deliciously great and somber love songs and has one of the best vocal deliveries in rock music. There are too many really, really great moments on this album to mention so I won’t get into how many times I’ve sung “The Coast is Always Changing” at the top of my lungs, but if you wrote these guys off too or didn’t really listen to what was being said on this album you’re an idiot.
BLOC PARTY SILENT ALARM
Being that I just gushed over the album above this one, you can imagine how much I actually love these guys. Not only was Silent Alarm my favorite album of last year, it’s one of my favorite albums ever. Like a lot of people I first fell in love with this band when heard “Banquet” on their self-titled EP, but to only mention how great that song is would really be a disservice to all other amazing tracks on this album. There is the 90 mph paranoia of “Like Eating Glass” and the heart-breakingly beautiful “This Modern Love” and so on and so forth. 10 years from now, I think this is the album out of this whole set (including Franz, Kaisers, Monkeys etc.) that actually stands the test of time.
P.S. Feel free to debate and curse each other out in the comment section like people do at other blogs.