so good

I'm guessing everybody in the world is already hip to Noah and the Whale and is at this point completely over them and somehow I missed the boat (missed the boat, Noah, oh man....) but wow this is a good record. Precious and joyous most artful and handcrafted pop, like a Sufjan that got some back in Bible camp that one time and is softened him in the right places, hardened him in the others. And I'm an unapologetic Sufjan supporter. I kinda love this. (listen)

And with that, it's time to move one of the greatest etc etc pop records released at the tail end of that last wretched century back into rotation. The Hour of the Bewilderbeast is so good. (listen) It's easily one of my all time favorite records that I can't recite from memory; I came to it too late in life for that. I was put off by Badly Drawn Boy's stupid moniker and stories about his stupid hat and even this stupid album cover and never paid it any mind. And then one time, years after it came out I was in an ice cream parlor and the kid behind the counter had this blaring on his crappy jambox, and it was a vortex of confection and conviction and everything.

Speaking of "so good," I just located my copy of Julian Cope's Jehovahkill. I'm a little flummoxed that nearly all of his catalog is out of print both physically and digitally, even from his own site, but I supposed supply side economics do not take into account the Universe's unspoken need to have certain things, like this album, in it to maintain balance and to stave off Ragnorok a little longer. While Bewilderbeast sounds distilled and ageless each go around, Jehovahkill mutates with each listen, getting weirder in some segments and less weird in others. The Godhead is like that.

"Upwards at 45 Degrees" is the song, if this album is to have a central point in which its energies are concentrated.