No Hits 1.9.06

In This Moment's Time - The Coral Sea

The Coral Sea's record Volcano and Heart made my extended list of worthy 2005 albums (and the song "In Between The Days" my best songs list) for some pretty simple reasons. It's a cohesive collection of well-written, lovingly performed and exquisitely produced songs. And not that this factors into best-of calculations, but the album art and packaging is also pretty special.

The first time you hear Rey Villalobos' voice, you can't be certain whether you're listening to a girl or a boy. Villalobos isn't as androgynous sounding as everyone's favorite gender bender Antony, but his voice flirts with ambiguity--a high, delicate croon that in "In This Moment's Time" foils big, ringing arena rock guitars. Radiohead, Coldplay and even U2 will come to mind. Which is to say the record is moody, atmospheric, and yes, commercially viable. It's self-released, but I wouldn't expect it to remain so. Buy it now at the band's Web site or Insound.

Ancient Modern People - The Coral Sea