2005 Favorites: Three More!



Iron and Wine - Woman King EP. Iron and Wine's last album Our Endless Numbered Days was good, but I've always preferred the more textured lo-fi sound Sam Beam explored on The Creek Drank The Cradle. Woman King keeps the former's crisp production, but adds new layers of instrumentation that bring back the emphasis on texture. The end result is quite nice, and I'm surprised more people haven't been talking about this release. Maybe it's because it's an EP, or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places. Try out "Woman King" (MP3).



Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Naturally. Jason was plugging the first Sharon Jones album in the Check It section for the last six weeks, so you may already know what to expect on Naturally - one heavy dose of funk after another, giving Jones ample room to show off her fantastic voice. The band is eight strong but they never lose sight of the hooks, which is why I keep coming back to this one. Few records have gotten as much attention on my iPod this year. Try out "How Do I Let A Good Man Down?" (MP3).



Pop Ambient 2005. I love my Kompakt, but this is actually the first edition of their annual Pop Ambient series that I've spent much time with. If the prior four are as good as this one, I have much to catch up on. There are no beats to be found but the songs are delightfully LUSH, packed with bubbling washes of sound that you can immerse yourself in. This has been my go-to late night album of the year, no question. Try out The Orb's "Falkenbrück" (MP3).