LAWRENCE ARABIA - Chant Darling

The wonderful thing about discovering an artist like James Milne and his solo project Lawrence Arabia is that not only do you have a certifiable classic-pop gem of 2010, but teasing out and tracking down related projects reveals a trove of great music. From his beginnings with The Brunettes to more recent touring duties with Feist and Okkervil River, he has also been a key member of fab outfits like The Reduction Agents and The Ruby Suns. On his second solo album, Milne mines similar ground as local champs Zeus, cranking out a string of killer cuts that show off his skill at crafting songs that tie his native New Zealand and Swedish (he did some recording there) indie with nods to the soaring harmonies and dramatic chord changes of ELO and the Beatles. Check the reference to “Because” 32 seconds into opener “Look Like A Fool” and the eerie vocal similarities he shares with solo John Lennon. It’s both subtle and bold, but he pulls it off with aplomb. See where this shows up my personal year-end list!