[luxinterior]

I probably sound like I'm ignoring his more recent albums, specifically the double album, so I just have to say that that one in particular came as a shock to me. And it's funny because the themes it dealt with were not far removed from what he tends to touch upon, but both discs--even the slower ballads--felt so injected with life, and had this undercurrent of joy, as if Nick and the band felt they were doing their best work yet. I love albums that give me that feeling, especially when they seem to come out of nowhere.