Tris McCall's Critics Poll 2006

If you're interested in a really special look at some of the best albums of 2006, you can visit The Tris McCall Report. You'll find that Tris has just begun to unveil the results of his annual Critics Poll. Today, he shares his thoughts on the voting results for the year's top albums. If you like what you read, check back each day this week for further commentary.

This year, surprisingly, there was a landslide winner.

I've participated in the voting in each of the last three years, I believe. And, this year, I must confess, I didn't feel up to the task. I mean, I haven't even listened to Joanna Newsom's Ys, yet. I feel almost certain that it would have made it into my top ten. Just because. Other albums that I think I would have loved if only I'd spent some time with them include:

The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America
Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies
The Fiery Furnaces: Bitter Tea
The Pernice Brothers: Live A Little
Mates of State: Bring It Back
Band of Horses: Everything All the Time
Grizzly Bear: Yellow House
Bonnie "Prince" Billy: The Letting Go
The Knife: Silent Shout
Tom Waits(!): Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
The Stills: Without Feathers
Mastodon: Blood Mountain

Nevertheless, I did my best.

COMMENTS
Tris McCall's picture

Yeah, I bet you'd love *Ys*. It's also a good record for a stereophile, because it's beautifully-recorded, and all analog.

Stephen Mejias's picture

>It's also a good record for a stereophile, because it's beautifully-recorded, and all analog. Yes! I've heard this from others in the hi-fi industry as well. I'll make a point of getting our editor, John Atkinson, to listen to it, too.

Christian's picture

Wow. I feel like one of the great unwashed of music listeners. I think I have alot of listening to do between this and the last Stereophile edition's list. I was happy to see that I actually have in my collection one disc that made the cut (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and one (Raconteurs) that made an honorable mention. There are a few others that stand out for me (off the top of my head) from last year: Ray Lamontagne: Till The Sun Turns Black and Emily Haines: Knives Don't Have Your Back. I recently picked up and am digging the Cold War Kids: Robbers & Cowards, but I'm not sure if that was an 06 release or not. I'll have to check when I get home.

Tris McCall's picture

I love *Knives Don't Have Your Back* and was amazed that I was the only person in our poll of 143 who voted for it. I mean, that crummy second Metric album got about ten votes last year.

Stephen Mejias's picture

Oh, yeah - Cold War Kids! I like what I've heard of them, as well. I believe Robbers & Cowards was an '06 release.Dudes, I'm so out of it I didn't even know Emily Haines had an album out. Add it to my list. If it's from Canada or Scotland, it's gotta be good. That's my motto.

Christian's picture

Uh oh. I kind of liked that last Metric record. It certainly wasn't my favorite for 05, but it had some good tracks on it. I'm not sure if there is more out there, or if there is easier access, but it seems that just below the surface there is literally a TON of great music floating around right now. Lists like this, and other sources. I find that whenever I listen to replays of All Songs Considered I find myself running down to the concourse to pick up 2-3 albums. It can be very costly. Stephen, definitely pick up the Emily Haines disc (let me know if you have trouble finding it--I think there is still a download of one of her shows available (legally) on NPR's website, which is a good if you want to get a sense of her album).

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