Monday, February 28, 2011

Best Album of 2010

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

In case you were all wondering, I have been busy with college and work. If I'm not busy with one, it's the other. :P

I was planning on doing a best films entry but I am going on vacation for a week so I decided to do a quick entry on my favorite album of 2010 instead. I will do a best movies entry when I return from my trip.

Best Album of 2010
The Wild Trapeze by Brandon Boyd



For those that do not know, Brandon Boyd is the lead singer of Incubus, and The Wild Trapeze is his first solo album. Boyd purposely goes for a raw sound here, eschewing the highly digitized, over-produced sound we hear so often today. Therefore, The Wild Trapeze sounds like it was recorded at home. Sometimes the tracks can sound unclear, as if the mic was turned up far too much, but that lends to the uniqueness of the sound. Furthermore, Boyd plays nearly every instrument you hear. So despite its flaws, The Wild Trapeze succeeds as an album made for the love of music, or "music for music's sake" as Brandon Boyd himself put it.

Now I would like to share a couple tracks. But first, to get a feel for the music, listen to 30 second samples from every track in the album.



Thanks to an old friend, I was introduced to Brandon Boyd's first single, Runaway Train. I loved the feel of the song, and the lyrics really spoke to me. I made a decision to buy the album right there and then. Furthermore, the music video was really well done. Boyd shows off some of his artistic abilities other than just his music.



With such a strong album, I found it difficult to choose a favorite. However, I found myself listening to Mirror of Venus the most. I feel like there is a hint of romance and adventure, but also a sense of urgency at specific points. Take a listen and see what you feel the music tells you.



I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! While I have shared music in the past, I have never made it the sole focus. I plan to share more music in the future. Especially if I think it is music that is easily overlooked like Brandon Boyd could be. And hopefully I can make a few of you new fans.

See you next time!