I Was Whistling A New Song To Myself, And It Went, It Went Something Like This One

Good Morning, blog aficionados. Welcome back to the suddenly prolific Decade's Best list at the Cuddle. Today, we roar into the top 5 with a record that remains very special to me for a number of reasons.

NUMBER 5:
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak

Fiercely independent. Trailblazer. Progressive. All of these have been used to describe Ted Leo, and each is perfectly accurate. His music stands as a signpost in the last decade's indie music explosion - mixing the best parts of indie rock, punk, new wave, folk, and even hardcore into something that still sounds fresh every time you listen. I can clearly recall purchasing this beauty in New York City at Other Music while visiting one of my dearest friends, KB, who has been a driving force in pushing my musical boundaries for the past 15 years. I was lucky enough to find myself in her neck of the woods in the Spring of 2003, and had heard about Ted Leo through one of the many music blogs that I frequent. On first listen, Hearts of Oak roared into my consciousness.
The progressiveness of his music is apparent from the opening statement, "Building Skyscrapers in the Basement", but the first bouncing guitar chords of the following track - "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?" - is where things take off for the stratosphere. The tune, an ode to The Specials and the 2-Tone sound, shows that Ted is one of us - a music fan and hipster in every sense of the word. I chose the song as my favorite of 2003. The hooks continue a-plenty through "Hearts of Oak", "Dead Voices", and "The Anointed One". The pace is breakneck through many of these tunes, although never unfocused or chaotic. There seems to be a sense of control that only Leo could bring to the affair. Although his ringing guitar is front and center through most of the record, he deftly weaves other prominent sounds through the songs. Check out "Bridges, Squares" : a prominently pushing and rising bass line bounces throughout the track and hits front and center at the song's breakdown at the 2:49 mark -you'd swear you were listening to "Police and Thieves" by The Clash (and, in fact, that's likely the allusion that Leo is making). On "Tell Balgery, Balgury is Dead", an organ line announces its presence at the song's outset and fills the background with color throughout.
Ted Leo's voice and lyrics are really the star of this album. Lying somewhere between the excited bleat of Phil Lynott (from Thin Lizzy - a common point of comparison in other critical analyses) and the political fire of Joe Strummer, Leo's voice screeches and hits falsetto on many points. At others, his machine-gun delivery peppers the listener (i.e. on "Ballad of the Sin Eater"). He never shies away from giving the listener some new words to chew on - ever heard a rock record's lyrics incorporate the words "ossify" and "apostasy"? How about in the same chorus? "Bridges, Squares" manages that feat. Hearts of Oak can't be considered as political as some of his later albums (Living With The Living comes to mind), but is definitely his most heart-felt, choosing to investigate the politics of relationships romantic, nostalgic, and otherwise.

I can't speak about this record without making special mention of "2nd Ave, 11 A.M.", a straight-forward punk song that has been known to hurtle along at an insane pace live in concert. The song is great, but took on greater significance for me after physician mentor of mine asked me to put together a workout mix for him (since he knew that I was really into music). The song fit as the centerpiece of a mix I anointed the "Heavy Workout Mix" (really inventive, I know). I can only hope that he used that mix as much as I'd hoped he would, as, a short few months later, that man, Dr. Richard Sarkin, was tragically killed in a plane crash in October, 2004. A master educator and driving force at The University of Buffalo's School of Medicine and at Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo, Dr. Sarkin remains a legend to all of those whose path he crossed. I think about Dr. Sarkin and his profound influence on my career everyday as I see my patients. I couldn't have gotten to where I am today without him and know that his ears were opened to new worlds with that mix. I can only hope that Ted Leo brought some energy to his days, as it clearly has to mine.

Hearts of Oak - "Hearts of Oak"
Hearts of Oak - "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?"

Number 4 later today. The Top 3 later this week.
Until then, relax, listen, and remember those who have meant so much to your lives.