Mo Beauty by Alec Ounsworth

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah haven’t really panned out to be the second coming of Talking Heads that I thought they would be. “Some Loud Thunder”, the follow-up to their eponymous debut, was a bit of a let down in 2007. And excepting an appearance at a couple festivals and on Jimmy Fallon, the band hasn’t done much since. But Alec ounsworth has kept himself busy. With the very strange and somewhat unlistenable Flashy Python, Alec is apparently exorcising all his demons. This is a good thing, enabling Alec to concentrate a little bit more on his solo career, of which Mo Beauty is his debut.

“That Is Not My Home (After Bruegel),” embedded above, is an excellent song from this album. Give it a listen and you’ll agree that the only thing it shares with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is Ounsworth’s voice. The instrumentation, the more cohesive sound from the band, that’s all new and deliberate.

This album just barely made the cut, as it only came out on October 20. Consequently, I haven’t really had a chance to let this album soak in. But from what I have heard upon every listen, it’s place in the top 20 is warranted. Those horns, mixed with the heavy drumming and Ounsworth’s ever-eccentric vocal “talents” are (literally, *ahem*) music to my ears. Maybe “second coming” is a bit strong. But I’m finally liking what I’m hearing from the singer, and I’m anxious to see where he takes it next.

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21. Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants
22. Noble Beast by Andrew Bird
23. Hungry Bird by Clem Snide
24. Actor by St. Vincent
25. Elvis Perkins in Dearland by Elvis Perkins in Dearland
26. XX by the XX
27. Grrr… by Bishop Allen
28. Keep It Hid by Dan Auerbach
29. It’s Blitz! by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
30. Beware by Bonnie “Prince” Billie
31. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear