Of all the British bands that made it to Canada this year, the one I was most surprised and excited to see was the Long Blondes. Partially this is because as the year went on, Pipettes shows in North America became all but a certainty (I have tickets to see their third show in Toronto this year, happening in exactly a week’s time), taking away their “most anticipated” status, whereas the presence of the Long Blondes was anything but assured. Though Someone to Drive You Home was released in North America earlier this summer, most audiences have seen fit to ignore it in favour of newer, fresher obsessions. It seems almost like anyone who was going to hop on the Long Blondes bandwagon did so back when the import version surfaced last year (though if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, find yourself a North American pressing, as there’s a bonus EP containing the lovely “Fulwood Babylon”).

But another reason why the arrival of Kate Jackson and company to Canadian shores was so exciting was because the band itself is exciting. Stylish, poised and polished in almost every way, Someone to Drive You Home is enough of a spectacle on record; one could only imagine what the live show would be like, and my imagination ran wild for weeks before the show. More than anything this year it was the show I was most looking forward to seeing, and the Lee’s Palace show didn’t disappoint. They even pulled out two of my favourite songs off the album, “Swallow Tattoo” and “Separated by Motorways,” and played them back-to-back for a fantastic encore. It’s like they arranged the setlist specifically for me.

Every year, I put together a list of albums from the past twelve months that I thought were fantastic. And every year, without fail, I miss a couple of albums entirely that should’ve made that list. Last year I missed an album that would’ve been near the top of my 2005 list; this year I missed several that would’ve beaten everything from last year. This album is one of them. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a chance to rectify that mistake next year; the band is currently in the studio recording their second album, so chances are we’ll see new material in 2008. And if they decide to return to Toronto, I’ll be there.