And so to the first Number 1.
I’m quite happy that there are two of these, as it probably goes to show that one person trying to compile and number a list of favourite things is a bit futile – because to be honest, every record I’ve written about this year whether as part of this top 35 or so, or during the course of the year, has been an absolute favourite at one point or another. So it’s nice to be able to pick two, one from earlier in the year (and one that I had been looking forward to for a long time), and one that I bought just a couple of weeks ago and that instantly became wedged in my heart.
Coronary metaphors aside, I have really enjoyed doing this. It’s been tricky at times to write about something that I had already written about in depth, but the flipside to that is that I’ve been able to hear and understand things much better for having them played over and over again and to just dip in and out of an album after being so initially familiar with it during those excited “again!” moments when a record has finished playing for the very first time.
Number 1, erm, number 1: My Jerusalem – Gone For Good
At some point, I will have to get a hold of the North American release of this, as the tracks have been reshuffled and I’d be interested to hear how this new order affects the mood of this album. I could of course just read up on what the new order is, playlist it in that order and listen to it that way, but where would be the fun in that?
The feeling that lasts throughout Gone For Good with each and every playthrough is that each song in this eclectic collection is held together by a spirit of companionship, that begins with this gathered assembly of talent and continues right through to the listener. It’s an incredibly companionable experience to sit with this record playing, such is the way that it is composed, assembled and performed, almost as if they all just sat down in front of you, hastily knocked up a tune and then performed it for the very first and very last time before repeating the process with something completely different. This is not to say that each song is a ramshackle affair; far from it – some of these songs have been floating about for some time in some form or another, almost waiting for this exact combination of musicians to come along and make each part work precisely right.
Songwriting-wise, it showcases My Jerusalem’s willingness to take each idea and delivery and push everything in different directions, with Jeff Klein’s voice at the centre of it all holding everything at just the right length for the songs to flourish. And he does this by displaying an extraordinary emotional range. Breathily-laconic during Proposition, authoritatively for the anthemic Sweet Chariot, gleefully happy during Shake The Devil.
And as to why this is my jointly-favourite album of 2010, it’s because it follows the old traditions of record-making in that it takes the listener on a perfectly-pitched, perfectly-distanced journey so that from the moment that you are gently guided into the record with Valley Of Casualties to when the boozy bar-room lament of Farewell is over, you’ve heard everything you need to hear from Gone For Good – during the course of the twelve tracks, you have been shown everything that the record is about with no waste and with a desire to hear it again rather than feeling that you’ve been left hanging by half a story. It is a complete and beautiful statement, and unbettered for this.
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