The Best Albums of February 2011

Hey all!

As I sit here recovering from what was an overall boring Oscars show, I figured it was a perfect time to write out my top three albums for February 2011! It was another good month for music, but not quite as solid as January (that month of music is going to be hard to top). Anyway, here they are! I hope you enjoy!

1. "Smart Flesh" by The Low Anthem

The Low Anthem does several things superbly in this album. They tread the lines between folk music, indie rock, and classic rock with amazing precision. In addition to their clever lyrics, what really got me hooked on this album is their multi-faceted instrumentation, which occasionally includes a clarinet. I had never heard a clarinet used in contemporary music, and as a clarinet player myself, it sent shivers of "Wow my instrument CAN be cool!" down my spine. You can safely expect this album in a future post.

2. "Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars

What makes this album stands out is the male/female harmonies. Together, the vocalists of The Civil Wars craft an album that is so extremely delicate and so intimate that it's easy to simply float away into their songs. Along with sweet lyrics, simple and delicate instrumentation makes this album a light treat to listen to. It'd be safe to expect to see this album later as well.

3. "The Cold Still" by The Boxer Rebellion

I suppose it's probably safe to assume that many more of you have heard of this album than the previous two in this month's list. "The Cold Still" is an admirable heir to "Union," which catapulted the band to popularity with its epic and anthemic feel. The epic songs are in this album as well, but even more impressive and haunting is the dark, brooding songs that dominate the first half of the album. This album gets to you with its poignancy, and doesn't let you go for a while, throwing you through peaks and valleys. It's quite the musical ride. 

Hope you enjoy the music and I'll see you all on the other side of my essay due this week (no worries, it's only worth 30% of my grade... gulp). 

Andrew