klap
Rudy K.
Emeritus

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Last Active 11-02-22 4:56 am
Joined 12-31-08

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Klap4music's '09 Most Overrated/disappointing

A collection of ten records from the year that I either felt weren?t up to some of the incredible hype they received, were letdowns from a band?s previous release, or just ended up as personal disappointments. It?s been a great year and I couldn?t ask for any more excellent albums, but there?s always going to be some bad with the good, and 2009 wasn?t any different. Comments welcome!
1The Flaming Lips
Embryonic

I can understand what the Lips were trying to do here. I can even praise them for their boldness and
persistent pushing of their own boundaries (see my review). But do I have to enjoy it? While I really,
really, really wanted to say yes, multiple listens eventually rendered it impossible. A grand album that is
undeniable in its scope and ambition, it?s also a schizophrenic beast of a record that shunned my
attentions
more often than it grabbed me. In trying to redefine music, Embryonic lost me in it?s own meandering
world, one that I struggled to get immersed in and which ultimately repulsed me.
2Clipse
Til the Casket Drops

Another fine example of artists at the top of their game coming up woefully short to matching the high
standards now expected of them. Til The Casket Drops is, in regards to most drug-happy rap releases
of the
year, an excellent release, but considering the massive success of Hell Hath No Fury and the three years
the Thornton brothers have had to work on a follow-up, it still comes up dreadfully short to what I?ve
come
to expect from Clipse.
3Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest

A record that immediately drew me in with the fantastic ?Two Weeks? and whetted my appetite for
more
with ?All We Ask? and ?Cheerleader,? I was ultimately disappointed with the overall results. It?s not that
Veckatimest isn?t a good record; I can appreciate the meticulous songwriting and sharp production, as
well
as the rustic sort of experimental folk Grizzly Bear have mastered. But the album drags on for far too
long
without the kind of persistent hooks that the above songs promised, resulting in an album far better at
lulling me to sleep than anything else.
4Dirty Projectors
Bitte Orca

The hype surrounding this album was immense, but for all its intriguing edges and occasional flashes of
clarity, it still remains an impenetrable mess of an album. From the discordant singing and random
instrumental flourishes to the hyperactive song structures and lack of anything resembling a natural
flow,
it?s an album that tries too hard and ends up as merely a confusing jumble of experimental ideas.
5Conor Oberst
Outer South

Fresh off the riveting success that was his first solo album not under the Bright Eyes moniker, Conor
Oberst decides to celebrate with his buddies in the Mystic Valley Band, and, less than a year after his
self-
titled, results in Outer South. And that?s exactly all it sounds like: a celebration that tends to find
Oberst
and friends fucking around in the studio and throwing together an over-long collection of half-baked
Americana. Too much Mystic Valley Band, not enough sober Oberst.
6Jay-Z
The Blueprint 3

Judging from Jay-Z?s habit of following a decent record with a subpar one, it should come as no
surprise
that The Blueprint 3 doesn?t match up to the American Gangster soundtrack, but it is a bit shocking
that
this may be Hova?s worst record since The Blueprint 2. Lackluster rhymes, vanilla production, and
guest
stars who routinely outshine the host, it?s a middling affair by a talent who seems content to let the
young
guns all pass him by.
7Tinted Windows
Tinted Windows

Tinted Windows debut should?ve blown the roof off power pop, considering all the players involved.
Unfortunately it turned out just the opposite, a rote piece of work that is enjoyable for a spell but
largely
reveals itself to be less than the sum of its parts.
8The Dodos
Time to Die

Time to Die is a good record, but after last year?s ridiculously awesome The Visiter, this release seems
more
like a stopgap effort or, worse, an attempt to cash in on their blogosphere hype while it still lasts.
There?s
nothing wrong here, but it pales in comparison to its predecessor and never really brings anything new
to
the table.
9Peter Bjorn and John
Living Thing

For their fifth album and first proper one after their breakthrough record Young Folks, Peter Bjorn &
John
inexplicably decided to tone down the sunny Swedish indie pop that made them famous and go all in
on a
bunch of dark synths and bad drum machine beats. The hooks are still there, but they?re mired under a
layer of minimalist bleeps and boops and undercooked lyrics. While an admirable effort, Living Thing
ultimately collapses under the weight of its own experimental tendencies.
10Discovery
LP

Hey, I love Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot just as much as the next pretentious indie douche bag, but
this side project, between VW?s Rostam Batmanglij and Riot?s Wes Miles, was an ill-advised dip into
Auto-
Tuned-to-hell pop mania that only reinforced the stereotype that side groups are where bad ideas go
to die.
Unable to decide whether it wants to be unironic pop or tongue-in-cheek hipster mockery, it fails
miserably
in both respects.
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