Albums Of The Decade: Boards Of Canada

Even after 10 years, there's something weird and magical about listening to Boards Of Canada. In fact, I've frozen up just now trying to put a neat, concise label on their music. So let's be sloppy instead. It's electronic but not robotically propulsive. It's ambient but it never lets your brain completely drift off into fugue states. It's synthetic but never cold. In fact, it glows with a comforting warmth, much like your laptop glows or your handset radiates heat after a long phone call.

At first blush, the music seems otherworldly, but the more you listen, you discover a familarity and human quality to the warped tones and sound fragments. The gentle melodies are wispy and transient, ideas float in and out of your consciousness. It's almost like a series of daydreams from a summer afternoon.

Despite the fragmented nature of the music, Boards of Canada is deliciously consumed in full length listening. Both Geogaddi (2002) and The Campfire Headphase (2005) are shaping up to make the Album of The Decade list.

And now, dim the lights and take a taste of Sherbet Head from The Campfire Headphase.