The Top 12 of 2011: #3 - Pete And The Pirates

In years past, I've tended to fret and stress and just about hyperventilate about the whole "so many records to catch up on, so little time" situation that is the creation of those end of year/best of lists. In order to alleviate some of the fretting (and the frown lines!), I've decided it was time to streamline the whole process and make it something beautifully simple. I chose a dozen records that I've really loved this past year, and ranked them. The rankings, friends, come courtesy of the ole iPod. It's practically scientific, y'all! What the iPod says goes. At least, this time anyway.

Why I Decree It To Be So: "When last we met, the five scamps I had no choice but to refer to as "impish" were filling stereo speakers the world over with their slyly naughty, come-hither jangle on Little Death. Now, on One Thousand Pictures, instead of an album full of innuendo that runs rampant (and was marginally less obvious than a 2 am knock on the door wearing one's birthday suit), the band exhibits a definite maturation, both lyrically and musically speaking. Mind you, they're still adorable, and I'm pretty sure they're still up for it. The change struck me immediately, in the stately sweep of intro track "Can't Fish." The band sounds, dare I even think it, almost serious. It almost sounds as though, in this song and many others, that Pete and The Pirates is beginning to dip their collective toe into the fine British tradition of social commentary in song. They don't ever get as scathing as FL favorite The Young Knives, for example, but the foray into observation suits them well. The LP, while distinctly more grown up than Little Death, still retains the overall flavor of what made that record so indispensable. "Little Gun" shimmies rambunctiously til kingdom come, reminding me just a touch of golden era Supergrass. It's one of my favorites, as is "Come To The Bar," full of cheek and impossible to resist. And as a side note, if I ever call any of you darlings "my crocodile," it comes from this song. It was a long time coming, but I'm glad Pete and The Pirates took their time with this one. One Thousand Pictures is a delight." (more here)

mp3: Come To The Bar (Pete And The Pirates from One Thousand Pictures)