Ditto, lot's of great Albini recordings in the 90s and he's still going strong. One of the only ones around that usually see to it that his recordings are mastered right too without a bunch of extra compression, although some times he doesn't have any control. Here's some of my recent faves ...
Nina Nastasia - The Blackened Air
This is a big favorite of mine. It's kind of smokey, folky, alt-country leaning music, with Steve Albini crafting a wonderfully evocative soundscape for her beautiful songs to live and breathe in. Lots of shimmer to add to the odd tales and metaphors. Gentle, yet sardonic, and sometimes biting lyrics.
Electrelane - The Power Out
I keep coming back to this one over and over. It's a little hard to describe just exactly what the appeal is, but it's got boatloads of it, whatever it is. They do go through a few styles, but usually retain some of that Velvet Underground rhythm sound like the Feelies, and some of the fractured sound that I love about Blonde Redhead too. Lots of dynamic range. Recorded by Steve Albini and mastered at Abbey Road by Steve Rooke, two of the good guys. What a great team.
Songs:Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co
On the previous album, the excellent Didn't It Rain, Jason Molina wrote a song titled "Steve Albini's Blues", but this one was recorded by Albini and sounds great. Easily one of my favorites of 2003.
But favorite Albini recording? Hmm, Surfer Rosa is a great record, no doubt there. And I do love that second PJ Harvey record too. And love his work with Slint, even though their following Spiderland was the one that really knocked down a lot of rock perceptions, and is also an incredible engineering and production job by Brian Paulson, who I think had a better vision of the band than Albini did at the time. And one of my favorites of the 90s by Will Oldham, in his Palace guise, Viva Last Blues.
But I'll go with The Wedding Present Seamonsters. What a great CD. Another of my many finds as a direct result of talking to people at music sites like this. Nothing beats getting a recommendation from someone who has lived with an album for a few years and still loves it. This is definitely one of Steve Albini's best jobs (if not the best) as producer or engineer or whatever he called himself back in the early 90s. It's got the loud and powerful sound throughout, but full of subtlety as well. Building emotions that finally find release. The drum sound that drives many of the songs is just so immense and powerful and sensual. Yeah, I guess I'm kinda in love with this album.
