pissing on bonfires kissing with tongues

I don’t know if anyone else feels this, but it seems to me that really good records are few and far between. I don’t even mean great records; just good ones. By good, in this context, I mean a record that can stand up to repeat listening and that delivers on all fronts – technical ability of the players, the quality of the songs, the production values, everything. Sure, a new album can impress on first listening, but does it still sound as engaging ten or twenty listens down the line? Sadly, the answer is often no.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as 2008 (in my “humble” opinion) has had more than its fair share of genuinely good records. I was going to list a few examples of good ’08 albums here, but there are actually too many to list. I’m going to have real trouble come the new year when I attempt to compile my “Top Ten Albums of 2008″…

As a result of this lengthy preamble I can safely assume that many of you will have already guessed where this review is heading. But it’s not as clear cut as all that: on my first few listens I was pretty close to dismissing Meursault‘s new album, Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, as merely “okay”. Sure, it’s got a great title, but it certainly didn’t grab me on my first listen. Thankfully, for some unknown reason I kept playing the record, and now a few days later I can say that (barring a whole slew of awesome albums coming out in the next month and a bit) this album will definitely be on my end of year Top 10.

Above all else, PoB/KWT “works” as an album. The songs all fit together beautifully and create a superb soundtrack to an evening in with subdued lighting, a good drink and a rubbish book. I’m going to tread carefully here, as I’m in danger of sounding like a real music journalist and using words such as “sublime”, “hypnotic” and maybe even “transcendental”… Long story short: this is a wicked album.

It’s being officially released on Dec. 15th on Song, by Toad Records, but it appears you can already buy a copy from the SbT site and from the band’s myspace (from an older pressing by Bear Scotland Presents, I’m guessing Song, by Toad has claimed a re-release…). I’m also told that there’s a 7″ of The Furnace coming soon.