Listening to Songs About...

Nostalgia is a strange thing. Had a conversation last night with an old friend I hadn't seen in six years about it.   Been thinking about it (again) because I've been listening to lots of my favourite albums. I always wonder if my favourite albums are objectively good or if I just associate positive memories with them. So here are the results from my exhaustive critical listening*.

Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs of the Americas 
Minneapolis late-90s punk.
Verdict: Loud, aggressive punk that has aged well. 


Weezer - Pinkerton
Quintessential alternative rock, proto-emo album.
Verdict: It was my favourite Weezer album for a long time but the themes don't resonate as much as they once did. Guess I'm not as filled with angst as my teen-aged self.


Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne 
From the band whose first album defined a genre (No Depression Country).
Verdict: This album helped transition my love of Punk/Indie to Americana/Country. Still has the energy and lyrical content to move me today. Troubles me that my favourite song is the only cover on the album.

Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves
Clash-esque pop punk.
Verdict: This album has lost a lot of appeal. Songs are still catchy but the production hasn't aged well at all. In high school, my friends and I swore by this record. Formed cover bands and everything. Don't think I'd manage that kind of passion for this now. 

Elliott Smith - XO
Beautifully layered pop music with touching lyrics.
Verdict: Yeah, still sad and still beautiful.

Guided By Voices - Bee Thousands
lo-fi gods from Dayton, OH.
Verdict: One of my best friends absolutely loves GBV and he got me into them. First exposure to them was their later major label efforts but Bee Thousands is the one I liked best. While some of the songs were never good, the good ones seemed to have gotten a bit better.

New Pornographers - Challengers
Canadian power pop supergroup.
Verdict: As I going through my iPod, this New Pornographers album jumped out at me. While there are great songs on their first three albums, I find this sounds like an album instead of a loose collection of songs. Lots of sing-a-long choruses.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
My favourite album by my favourite band.
Verdict: This album has the most nostalgia for me. I loved this album and must have listened to it hundreds during my second year of university. When I put this one on, I had to avoid just letting it take me back. While parts of other Wilco albums are musically better, overall this album still stands up. I also still knew the words to every song.

*Yeah, there was no rhythm or reason to how did this.