Favourite Records of 2009 (Part Three)
Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs - "How To Get To Heaven From Scotland"Following last year's album of spoken word prose, the former Arab Strap frontman returned with his first solo album of proper songs. Feeling like some kind of ramshackle late night lock in, the songs are a mix of rollicking stomp along shanties and slower musings of a man leaving behind his younger self. Where once his songs were full of deviant sex, dissected breakups and rampant negativity, this record finds Aidan Moffat sounding somewhat positive, content, romantic and, dare we whisper it, maybe even a little happy.Morrissey - 'Years Of Refusal'With hindsight, the album's title may have be seen as tempting fate. Semi-ironic and almost apt for a year which saw Stephen Patrick Morrissey hit by illness, by gig cancellations and by, quite literally, a pint glass. Thankfully, before all the mayhem ensued, he managed to release a record of beefed up, muscular songs that lacked any subtlety but was choc full of great tunes and classic Morrissey titles. His voice may not be what it was and his lyrics may not be reach the heights they used to but his knack for a great melody remains. Refusing to play the game by anyone's rules but his own, Morrissey has ended the year with no record contract and an uncertain future. Deja vu anyone? If history is repeating itself, let's just hope we don't have to suffer another 'Maladjusted' before we get another phoenix like rise from the flames.The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - 'The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart'Sweet, naive, and immense fun, the debut record from The Pains Of Pure At Heart is the kind of record that transports you right back to your early teens. A heady mix of disarming innocence, shoegazing wooziness, twee indie and pure pop delight, these 10 songs are the sound of teenagers having the time of their life before the cynicism and toil of adult life grinds them down. Chances are this band have better records in them but they'll never again capture the pure delight, joy and enthusiasm contained in their self titled debut.George Pringle - 'Salon Des Refuses'To describe it crudely, this is the sound of a posh girl reading her diary over some DIY electronica. Part bored teenager, part urbane hipster, George Pringle documents the world around her in a whirl of post-modern, poetic prose. Mixing pop culture references with insights into her own life, there's a certain amount of detached disdain to the whole thing. Both a fondness for and a loathing of the things that fill her days. With lo-fi beats stuttering and pulsing behind her, 'Salon Des Refuses' paints the picture of a bedroom based Holly Golightly. Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs - big blonde (live session version)original version available on 'How To Get To Heaven From Scotland'Morrissey - black cloud (live at the BBC)original version available on 'Years Of Refusal'The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - come saturday (live acoustic session version) original version available on 'The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart'George Pringle - we coould have been heroes (live session version) original version available on 'Salon Des Refuses'mp3 / music / records of 2009 / aidan moffat & the best ofs / morrissey / the pains of being pure at heart / george pringle
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