"Hope Is Important"

A new mix cd from David, its title picking up on an old - but perhaps still apposite - symbolic phrase. It's made up mostly of acoustic-y stuff sung by boys (a style of music traditionally liked much more by David than by me), which gives rise to some nice transitions (Simon and Garfunkel to the Shins is a good one, as I've thought of the Shins as a modern day Simon and Garfunkel crossed with Big Star before). Actually, my favourite is Beck's newie, "Girl"; least favourite is definitely either the Gorillaz song featuring Shaun bloody Ryder (I really don't like the man), or the unnecessary disco-rock (a tautology, ha ha) song "If I Ever Feel Better" by Phoenix. Iron and Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights" also falls into the unnecessary category, but I'm glad that I've heard it. Quite like the Surfjan Stevens cut, "The Lord God Bird", too, which pretty much sums up my feelings about Stevens so far.