Shanies: Best Album

The first time I heard this album, I was killing time in a record shop in Ottawa. After falling in love with their first release, I was angry with myself for not being aware of the softmore effort. Upon throwing the disc into a player for the first time, the anger was completely lost in a hazy of musical euphoria. I listened to the entire album once, twice, three times... for days. I almost ran the risk of growing to hate this album because almost nothing else worked into my musical rotation for nearly two weeks.

I considered this album to be on par with the White Album. No shit. I hadn't seen a band do anything this complete in my entire life. This group had managed to make an entire album which flowed together as an amazing body of work, however also keep each song as a stand alone, amazing track which could it's self be yet another single for the album.

That group is The Raconteurs. The album is Consolers of the Lonely. I'll say that The Black Keys and Attack & Release would have likely won this award on any other year, however Consolers was simply too perfect as an album.

I could say things about this album which would take this blog into the length necessary for a thesis, but instead I'll say the most important thing I can: go listen to the album. I know you've probably had it playing in the background before, and you've likely heard the singles on the radio, but please... I implore you, sit down, with nothing else to do and, from start to finish, listen to what I consider one of the greatest albums of my living years.



-Just don't tell the Foo Fighters :-p