Top 31 of 2006: #31

Camera Obscura: "Let's Get Out of this Country"
Released: June 6, 2006

Just for a moment, pretend that you're in Scotland in the 1960s. You are bored as hell and deperately searching for something to ease your stimulation-starved mind. Your friend stops by your house and tells you to get in his car. The two of you are going to see this really groovy band! Then you get to the venue and find Camera Obscura, solemnly rocking out in their button-up sweaters with organs and 3-part harmonies. It's a situation that is entirely impossible, but one listen to Camera Obscura's 2006 release, "Let's Get Out of this Country" will have you believing in miracles! Their sound is straight out of the sixties, without a single guitar pluck or cymbal crash giving away the fact that they're actually a bunch of young people from Scotland desperately trying to convince the world that it's not 2006! Their lack of acknowledgement of current rock trends, both mainstream and indie, is overwhelmingly refreshing and every song on this album is enthusiastically crafted to put a smile on your face, even in the solemn moments. It'll make you remember how good music once was. It'll make you realize how far music has come (or rather how far we've regressed). Most importantly, however, it'll make you wish that that simple, imaginary Scottish life was not only real, but eternal. Sure, let's get the out of this country, but let's get the hell out of this century and go back to that time and forget about Angels and Airwaves, My Chemical Romance, and Green Day!

That's the kind of album that Camera Obscura has created. My #31 album of the year!


Top 31 Songs of 2006: #31
Neko Case - "Hold on, Hold on" from the album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.