Neko Case - Blacklisted (vinyl),  Wednesday, 08 August 2007 I could go on and on and on about this album. It is one of my favorite female vocal albums, infusing country, rock, folk and even some soul. While Fox Confessor may have been a critical hit, it bored me near to death compared to the raw energy of Blacklisted and the following live EP, The Tigers Have Spoken.

I wrote to Mint Records a number of times requesting a vinyl pressing, but never with any promising response. Lance Rock Records has finally done what should have been done 5 years ago – release Blacklisted on wax.

The only thing that ever bothered me about my Blacklisted CD was what I had perceived to be a symptom of poor production: brutally compressed acoustic guitars on the first two tracks. Not just slightly compressed, but demolished and painful to the ear. I was wrong. This wasn’t a production issue at all – it was the CD mastering. On the LP the guitars sound natural, musical and covered in tape hiss. In fact, the whole recording is much more naked about its roots in mid-fi production.

Neko’s voice, the highlight of this album, is changed too. It took me a little while to get used to the new sound. With much of the compression gone, her reverb-soaked voice has slightly less power behind it. It now has air and space around it, revealing a slightly tinny AM radio quality. Within a few tracks I found it to be more realistic, creating more of a fusion between her and the instruments.

I cannot recommend this piece of wax enough. It is a shame that the CD wasn’t mastered with the same care. The gatefold artwork is great and omits the barcode and companion "BARCODE RUINS THE ARTWORK" note that is found on the CD. The only disappointing thing is that this is pressed on standard weight wax, but this is no reason to skip this purchase.

 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) vinyl,  Friday, 07 September 2007 Spoon's newest album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is a short and punchy pop classic. Spoon creates such infectiously macho sonic space that it is impossible to resist being sucked in. The songs are pure pop gems, efficiently written with little excess fat.

While the songs are great, the sound is even better. The instrument placement and studio wizardry make this a warm, lush and surprising album. Buried in each song are layers of texture.

The 180gram vinyl sounds incredible. It is a very quiet pressing, featuring little surface noise. The presence of the musical elements keep the ears fully engaged for the album's brief 36 minutes. Side B features no run-out groove, so you get a repetition of the last 2 seconds of the final track. The vinyl also includes a coupon for a full mp3 download, plus 23 minutes of bonus material.

This album is sure to be one of the best of 2007 and is well worth purchasing on vinyl.