Tonight, the 56th annual Grammy awards will be held to look at back at the best in music of 2013. Or, to be more accurate, the best in music from October 2012 through September 2013, due to the September 30th cutoff date for albums to be considered for nomination. This stipulation means that some of the year's most celebrated releases, including Lorde's Heroine and Arcade Fire's Reflektor, won't be eligible until next year's Grammys. This is a pretty big flaw in a system that's already struggling, judging by the confusing nature of and general displeasure with what's been nominated. Today, I will be using the less-than-revolutionary format of "what will win" vs. "what should win" (with an added twist of "who wasn't nominated) to look at how several major categories may pan out this evening. Then, I'll be talking about performances and other parts of the show to look forward to. A list of all nominees & performers can be found here.Without further delay, here's this year's Grammy awards preview.
Album of the Year
The Blessed Unrest - Sara Bareilles
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City - Kendrick Lamar
The Heist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Random Access Memories - Daft Punk
Red - Taylor Swift
Who should win:
Daft Punk's album was great. A cool fusion of dance, disco, electronic, funk, and pop, it produced some of the year's best singles in "Doin' It Right," "Lose Yourself to Dance," and of course the inescapable "Get Lucky." "Instant Crush" featured Strokes singer Julian Casablancas on vocals and rode a tasty groove, and "Contact" closed out the record in an epic, fiery blaze. Of these five, Daft Punk's album was the most enjoyable. I wouldn't mind if Kendrick won either; it was one of the best-received rap albums of this Grammy cycle, and it'd be nice for the Grammy awards to finally give a hip-hop artist Album of the Year honors for the first time since Outkast won in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Who will win:
Neither of those two. The Grammys are notorious for playing it safe in this category, as evidenced by past victories by Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, and Christopher Cross over the likes of Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, U2, and Pink Floyd. Macklemore will probably take this, as the voters will think they're giving a hip-hop album some recognition when really The Heist is mostly full of pop songs. Swift has a chance, but I think the amount of time that's passed since the actual release of her record (October 22, 2012) will hurt her cause. If Bareilles wins, it'd shock everyone, as nobody expected her to be nominated at all.
Who wasn't nominated:
My favorite album of 2013, Reflektor, didn't come out in time to be considered for AotY honors. I honestly wouldn't have expected it to be nominated either, though their win for The Suburbs maybe left the door open for a repeat. One record I honestly expected to see, however, was Modern Vampires of the City. That album was superb; it was also pretty universal, as I have trouble imagining anybody who wouldn't be entertained by this record. I even though it had a shot at winning, but unfortunately its not an option. I also think Kanye's Yeezus should be nominated, if not for its merit as a unique rap album then simply for its boldness.
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Showing posts with label 2013 best music. Show all posts
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Sunday, January 26, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
#1 Album of the Year: Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"
Rating: 9.8/10
My album of the year is Reflektor by Arcade Fire, a band I dedicated an entire week to in anticipation of this album's release. Big surprise that it got #1 on this year's countdown, right? Seriously though, if you read my first review of the album (which you can do by clicking through that hyper-linked text), you'll know I adored the thing. When you got past all of the empty criticisms and the puzzling anger towards the allegedly over-the-top promotion of the record, what you had was a near-perfect group of songs from a band that have mastered their craft. Reflektor is an Arcade Fire album like no other; drenched in synthesizers, lacking much guitar, and driven by Caribbean-flavored beats, this sounds distinctly removed from the days of Funeral, Neon Bible, or The Suburbs. But then again, the band's identity remains intact. Win Butler's gusty voice and his wife Regine Chassagne's perky vocals are ever-present. The ambition, grandeur, and emotion are all stronger than ever. Most importantly, the pure skill of making great music stays.
Butler & co. are undoubtedly fantastic songwriters and performers, as the songs on Reflektor prove. The title track is one of the year's most universally beloved singles, thanks to an incredibly danceable groove, fluttering pianos, deep-rooted synths, and Butler and Chassagne's vocal trade-offs. The conga beat gives the song a foreign feel as Butler's mysterious lyrics leave the song open to interpretation. The other single off the record (so far) is the absolutely gorgeous "Afterlife," guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Chassagne's "oh-oh's," the chiming keyboards, and jumpy beat all set the stage for Butler's haunted vocal. "Afterlife/Oh my God/What an awful word," he sings right out of the gate. The accompanying music video is just as wonderful as the song, and drives home the meaning of the song even more, as a father and two sons struggle to cope with the loss of the mother of the family.
As always, Arcade Fire tackle some huge themes with their lyrics. The aforementioned "Afterlife" deals with life after death (hence the title). "We Exist" tells the tale, according to Butler himself, of what it is like growing up gay in a particularly homophobic region. This is not from Win's personal experience, as he currently has a wife (fellow vocalist Regine Chassagne, as stated above), but that makes the song no less sincere. Early on, a son asks his father for his help, as Butler cries, "Daddy it's true/I'm different from you/But tell my why they treat me like this?" Later, the speaker becomes more defiant, exclaiming, "Let 'em stare!/If that's all they can do!/But I'd lose my heart/If I turned away from you." It's a pretty riveting track, and one that probably stems from the band's experience while in Haiti. The sounds behind the story are great as well, as the keys and drums swell up, bursting at the song's pivotal moments.
While the story behind "We Exist" likely came from Haiti, so too did much of the album's music. "Flashbulb Eyes" and "Here Comes the Night Time" play out back-to-back as a sonic representation of Haitian Carnival, with wildly fun conga beats and blaring horns. The latter is particularly superb, a song I found so enjoyable that I named it my favorite song of 2013. A rowdy guitar part kicks off the song as drummer Jeremy Gara plays with flair. The dancefloor-rush soon fades to a slow groove the bubbles up before the adrenaline-pumping "fast part" makes a spectacular return.
I can go on and on about each individual track, but I already did that in my last review. Instead, I'll wrap up the year with a more big-picture look at Reflektor for the rest of this post. This album has indicated a new direction for Arcade Fire, one that's much more LCD Soundsystem (whose main man, James Murphy, produced this LP) and Talking Heads than previous albums. Of course, they could take another sharp turn on their fifth release, whenever that may be.
Much spite was directed towards the band for how the promoted the album, while artists like Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake received no hate, and in some cases praise, despite having exponentially larger campaigns pre-release. They played SNL, including a post-show special in which they debuted several new songs, which I found pretty cool. The group performed other late-night shows, a pretty conventional way to generate buzz. The only really out-there method Arcade Fire used to hype Reflektor was that logo they had drawn everywhere. But in a year when Kanye West quite literally projected his face on buildings across the world, it seems hypocritical to call out Arcade Fire for what was possibly somewhat self-indulgent but nowhere near egregious. Some view the band as very pretentious, another unfounded claim in my eyes. I enjoy getting excited about a release, especially one as big as Reflektor.
Personally, Reflektor is the first Arcade Fire album where the band don't sound young anymore. Funeral was a youthful burst of energy, Neon Bible was a sort of coming-of-age, and The Suburbs felt like saying goodbye to childhood. Reflektor, however, is forwards-looking, dealing with uncertainties about life (and death) in the upcoming future. Nostalgia is swapped for anticipation, love lost exchanged for love to come. It's a logical step, considering that Butler and Chassagne recently became parents, and the band's only gotten bigger in cultural footprint since their last record and subsequent Grammy Album of the Year victory. The musical ideas are more thoroughly developed, too, as every detail was worked on meticulously, a clear sign of maturation of sound.
Reflektor is everything great about music packed into one, albeit lengthy, album. Deep lyrical themes, musical talent, catchy hooks, hypnotizing grooves, and songs that make you want to dance, sing, laugh, cry, and everything in between, sometimes all at the same time. Few bands can pull off having songs which contain the literal sounds of a party on the same record as songs dealing with love, death, and fitting in, but Arcade Fire is one of those bands. 2013 truly was an amazing year for alternative music, and music in general, in my opinion the best since the days of the early 1990's, and certainly the best in almost a decade. Even the mainstream finally started to shift towards higher quality music, as respectable artists like Macklemore and Lorde had smash hits with something to say. Valuable messages of restraint, tolerance, cooperation, and thriftiness left previous pop music ideals like over-indulgence, recklessness, and selfishness behind. People like to say every year that it was a bad year for music, but invariably look back years later and go back on their early words. 2013 is sure to be a year the world remembers as a strong one for music. Don't believe me? Reflektor is all the proof you need.
Key Tracks: "Reflektor," "Here Comes the Night Time," "Normal Person," "Afterlife"
December's been quite the month here on Facts for Whatever, as I published fifteen (!) album reviews in one month. That's almost one every other day! Thanks to everyone who followed along throughout. So, now, I present this month's work in list form. Here are, after long last, my top fifteen albums of 2013, summarized in list form. If you missed any of the full-length reviews, you can click on the album title in the list to jump to the page. Spotify links to the albums & songs of the years playlists will be embedded at the bottom of the post, and the AotY list will include Reflektor (though sadly not MBV - you can listen to that here), so you can hear it there rather than a separate embedment. Here's hoping 2014 gives us as much great music as 2013 has! (And fingers crossed Radiohead put something out!)
Top Fifteen Albums of the Year
1. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
2. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
3. Wavves - Afraid of Heights
4. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
5. Washed Out - Paracosm
6. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
7. Deafheaven - Sunbather
8. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
9. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
10. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
11. HAIM - Days Are Gone
12. Lorde - Pure Heroine
13. Local Natives - Hummingbird
14. Mikal Cronin - MCII
15. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Thanks for reading!
My album of the year is Reflektor by Arcade Fire, a band I dedicated an entire week to in anticipation of this album's release. Big surprise that it got #1 on this year's countdown, right? Seriously though, if you read my first review of the album (which you can do by clicking through that hyper-linked text), you'll know I adored the thing. When you got past all of the empty criticisms and the puzzling anger towards the allegedly over-the-top promotion of the record, what you had was a near-perfect group of songs from a band that have mastered their craft. Reflektor is an Arcade Fire album like no other; drenched in synthesizers, lacking much guitar, and driven by Caribbean-flavored beats, this sounds distinctly removed from the days of Funeral, Neon Bible, or The Suburbs. But then again, the band's identity remains intact. Win Butler's gusty voice and his wife Regine Chassagne's perky vocals are ever-present. The ambition, grandeur, and emotion are all stronger than ever. Most importantly, the pure skill of making great music stays.
Butler & co. are undoubtedly fantastic songwriters and performers, as the songs on Reflektor prove. The title track is one of the year's most universally beloved singles, thanks to an incredibly danceable groove, fluttering pianos, deep-rooted synths, and Butler and Chassagne's vocal trade-offs. The conga beat gives the song a foreign feel as Butler's mysterious lyrics leave the song open to interpretation. The other single off the record (so far) is the absolutely gorgeous "Afterlife," guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Chassagne's "oh-oh's," the chiming keyboards, and jumpy beat all set the stage for Butler's haunted vocal. "Afterlife/Oh my God/What an awful word," he sings right out of the gate. The accompanying music video is just as wonderful as the song, and drives home the meaning of the song even more, as a father and two sons struggle to cope with the loss of the mother of the family.
As always, Arcade Fire tackle some huge themes with their lyrics. The aforementioned "Afterlife" deals with life after death (hence the title). "We Exist" tells the tale, according to Butler himself, of what it is like growing up gay in a particularly homophobic region. This is not from Win's personal experience, as he currently has a wife (fellow vocalist Regine Chassagne, as stated above), but that makes the song no less sincere. Early on, a son asks his father for his help, as Butler cries, "Daddy it's true/I'm different from you/But tell my why they treat me like this?" Later, the speaker becomes more defiant, exclaiming, "Let 'em stare!/If that's all they can do!/But I'd lose my heart/If I turned away from you." It's a pretty riveting track, and one that probably stems from the band's experience while in Haiti. The sounds behind the story are great as well, as the keys and drums swell up, bursting at the song's pivotal moments.
While the story behind "We Exist" likely came from Haiti, so too did much of the album's music. "Flashbulb Eyes" and "Here Comes the Night Time" play out back-to-back as a sonic representation of Haitian Carnival, with wildly fun conga beats and blaring horns. The latter is particularly superb, a song I found so enjoyable that I named it my favorite song of 2013. A rowdy guitar part kicks off the song as drummer Jeremy Gara plays with flair. The dancefloor-rush soon fades to a slow groove the bubbles up before the adrenaline-pumping "fast part" makes a spectacular return.
I can go on and on about each individual track, but I already did that in my last review. Instead, I'll wrap up the year with a more big-picture look at Reflektor for the rest of this post. This album has indicated a new direction for Arcade Fire, one that's much more LCD Soundsystem (whose main man, James Murphy, produced this LP) and Talking Heads than previous albums. Of course, they could take another sharp turn on their fifth release, whenever that may be.
Much spite was directed towards the band for how the promoted the album, while artists like Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake received no hate, and in some cases praise, despite having exponentially larger campaigns pre-release. They played SNL, including a post-show special in which they debuted several new songs, which I found pretty cool. The group performed other late-night shows, a pretty conventional way to generate buzz. The only really out-there method Arcade Fire used to hype Reflektor was that logo they had drawn everywhere. But in a year when Kanye West quite literally projected his face on buildings across the world, it seems hypocritical to call out Arcade Fire for what was possibly somewhat self-indulgent but nowhere near egregious. Some view the band as very pretentious, another unfounded claim in my eyes. I enjoy getting excited about a release, especially one as big as Reflektor.
Personally, Reflektor is the first Arcade Fire album where the band don't sound young anymore. Funeral was a youthful burst of energy, Neon Bible was a sort of coming-of-age, and The Suburbs felt like saying goodbye to childhood. Reflektor, however, is forwards-looking, dealing with uncertainties about life (and death) in the upcoming future. Nostalgia is swapped for anticipation, love lost exchanged for love to come. It's a logical step, considering that Butler and Chassagne recently became parents, and the band's only gotten bigger in cultural footprint since their last record and subsequent Grammy Album of the Year victory. The musical ideas are more thoroughly developed, too, as every detail was worked on meticulously, a clear sign of maturation of sound.
Reflektor is everything great about music packed into one, albeit lengthy, album. Deep lyrical themes, musical talent, catchy hooks, hypnotizing grooves, and songs that make you want to dance, sing, laugh, cry, and everything in between, sometimes all at the same time. Few bands can pull off having songs which contain the literal sounds of a party on the same record as songs dealing with love, death, and fitting in, but Arcade Fire is one of those bands. 2013 truly was an amazing year for alternative music, and music in general, in my opinion the best since the days of the early 1990's, and certainly the best in almost a decade. Even the mainstream finally started to shift towards higher quality music, as respectable artists like Macklemore and Lorde had smash hits with something to say. Valuable messages of restraint, tolerance, cooperation, and thriftiness left previous pop music ideals like over-indulgence, recklessness, and selfishness behind. People like to say every year that it was a bad year for music, but invariably look back years later and go back on their early words. 2013 is sure to be a year the world remembers as a strong one for music. Don't believe me? Reflektor is all the proof you need.
Key Tracks: "Reflektor," "Here Comes the Night Time," "Normal Person," "Afterlife"
December's been quite the month here on Facts for Whatever, as I published fifteen (!) album reviews in one month. That's almost one every other day! Thanks to everyone who followed along throughout. So, now, I present this month's work in list form. Here are, after long last, my top fifteen albums of 2013, summarized in list form. If you missed any of the full-length reviews, you can click on the album title in the list to jump to the page. Spotify links to the albums & songs of the years playlists will be embedded at the bottom of the post, and the AotY list will include Reflektor (though sadly not MBV - you can listen to that here), so you can hear it there rather than a separate embedment. Here's hoping 2014 gives us as much great music as 2013 has! (And fingers crossed Radiohead put something out!)
Top Fifteen Albums of the Year
1. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
2. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
3. Wavves - Afraid of Heights
4. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
5. Washed Out - Paracosm
6. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
7. Deafheaven - Sunbather
8. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
9. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
10. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
11. HAIM - Days Are Gone
12. Lorde - Pure Heroine
13. Local Natives - Hummingbird
14. Mikal Cronin - MCII
15. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Albums of the Year - #2: Vampire Weekend - "Modern Vampires of the City"
Rating: 9.7/10
Before the May release of Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend were viewed by most as a simple, cutesy, indie pop band. A very good one, to be fair. But to many it seemed that Vampire Weekend were trapped in a bubble, that they had already said everything they had to say, and had nowhere else to go. Everyone knew what to expect from Vampire Weekend, or so they thought. In 2013, the Ivy-bred quartet surprised everybody with the magnificient, twinkling, dazzling Modern Vampires of the City. Some of the band's identifiable characteristics are still present; african-flavored beats, sprightly guitars, and frontman Ezra Koenig's spry vocals all stick around. But this new album is clearly a huge leap forward for the group. The lyrics are better than ever, a bounty of previously unused instruments are introduced, and new techniques a are presented. The most noticeable of these is the use of pitch shifting, employed liberally and masterfully on two of the record's biggest songs, "Diane Young" and "Ya Hey."
Friday, December 27, 2013
Albums of the Year - #3: Wavves - "Afraid of Heights"
Rating: 9.5/10
"We'll all die alone/just the way we live." So sings Wavves frontman Nathan Williams, the millenials' new poster child for snot-nosed garage punk, on Afraid of Heights opener "Sail to the Sun." On their latest record, Wavves veered off slightly from their lo-fi surf-rock path, adopting a more grunge-influenced sound and putting more effort into production. The result is the group's most polished, most mature, and in truth most enjoyable album to date. Though 2010's King of the Beach had a carefree, adolescent feel, it was somewhat one-dimensional. Afraid of Heights maintains that energy and youthfulness while also at times venturing off and exploring deeper, more complex psychological themes. Sure, there are still fast-paced, quick punk ditties like "Cop" and "Paranoid." But self-loathing tracks like "Beat Me Up" ("That's the reason why/I love the pain/It makes me wanna die") and "Everything Is My Fault" (see title) add a more profound layer to the music of what was once a decidedly straightforward band.
Of course, Williams sings some if not most of these lyrics with a wry smile. This tongue-in-cheek delivery is to be expected of the singer, and represents the spontaneous, live-in-the-moment attitudes of the band members. This kind of lifestyle can at times be reckless and self-destructive, which is what some of the songs on Afraid of Heights showcase.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Albums of the Year - #4: Queens of the Stone Age - "...Like Clockwork"
Rating: 9.4/10
If there's one man today who does guitar-rock right every time, it's Josh Homme. The QOTSA vocalist/guitarist/mastermind is one of the most consistently excellent musicians in the business, and ...Like Clockwork was no exception. A behemoth in terms of sound and raw power, the new record is jam-packed with crisp guitar licks, dynamic drumming, and slick vocal hooks. There are also several cameos here, and none of them feel forced. Former band members Nick Olivieri and Mark Lanegan contribute backing vocals on "If I Had A Tail," along with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. Dave Grohl, who played drums on all of 2002's Songs for the Deaf, sits in behind the kit on four different tracks. Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor helps out on "Kalopsia," and even Sir Elton John gets in on the action, singing and playing piano on "Fairweather Friends." The sheer volume of musicians who go out of their way to help make a Queens of the Stone Age album says a lot about how talented and friendly Homme is.
However, ...Like Clockwork isn't an album just about names. It's also about ten striking, fantastically written and produced rock songs. "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" starts everything off with a creepy guitar rumble and echo-y vocals. Homme shouts during the chorus, "if life is but a dream/wake me up." The clever lyric clearly sets the tone for the track, one of dissatisfaction and desperation. "If I Had A Tail" is an equally unsettling song, as a chorus of backing vocals from those mentioned above cry out in a tortured call of "oh-oh." The production work ups the ante, as the guitars morph from imminent to confrontational in a split-second. A disquieting, raspy whisper comes in after the instrumentals fade, warning "we will control the fight."
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Albums of the Year - #5: Washed Out - "Paracosm"
Rating: 9.2/10
In August, chillwave gurus Washed Out gave us Paracosm, one of 2013's warmest, most embracing records. Upon its release, mentioned the album's "variety of lush soundscapes and irresistible grooves," all of which have only gotten better as summer slowly transitioned into fall and eventually winter. Most of what I said back in August still holds true; each track is just as bouncy, light, and smile-inducing as ever. The tranquil "Entrance" still paints an idyllic scene, with the sounds of nature lying under a simple, sleepy riff. Even the colorful album cover says "summer," matching the general tone of the music.
The standout tracks from my early review still sound great, but it's the other tracks which have grabbed my attention in the interim that merit a full-point jump up in score, from the original 8.2 to today's 9.2. The beautiful weirdness of "It All Feels Right" is created via the use of harps, strings, and nostalgic lyrics. In the chorus, Greene purrs, "close my eyes/think about the old times/what's it all about?/the feeling when it all works out." "All I Know" still soars in all of its 80's-inspired glory, soaked with synthesizers and a rhythm Depeche Mode would be jealous of. "Falling Back" and "Weightless" float high atop Greene's smooth vocals and wave upon wave of keyboard.
In August, chillwave gurus Washed Out gave us Paracosm, one of 2013's warmest, most embracing records. Upon its release, mentioned the album's "variety of lush soundscapes and irresistible grooves," all of which have only gotten better as summer slowly transitioned into fall and eventually winter. Most of what I said back in August still holds true; each track is just as bouncy, light, and smile-inducing as ever. The tranquil "Entrance" still paints an idyllic scene, with the sounds of nature lying under a simple, sleepy riff. Even the colorful album cover says "summer," matching the general tone of the music.
The standout tracks from my early review still sound great, but it's the other tracks which have grabbed my attention in the interim that merit a full-point jump up in score, from the original 8.2 to today's 9.2. The beautiful weirdness of "It All Feels Right" is created via the use of harps, strings, and nostalgic lyrics. In the chorus, Greene purrs, "close my eyes/think about the old times/what's it all about?/the feeling when it all works out." "All I Know" still soars in all of its 80's-inspired glory, soaked with synthesizers and a rhythm Depeche Mode would be jealous of. "Falling Back" and "Weightless" float high atop Greene's smooth vocals and wave upon wave of keyboard.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Albums of the Year - #6: The Joy Formidable - "Wolf's Law"
Rating: 9.0/10
The Joy Formidable are a wonderful little trio from Wales who continuously put out magnificient rock-revivalist albums filled with ambitious sonic landscapes and mammoth drums. Their music is a refreshing take on the modern alternative rock sound: each song radiates positivity as the band aren't afraid to show off their skills with complicated, arena-shaking instrumentals. Singer Ritzy Bryan's bubbly persona and perky vocals only add to the sense of joy in the group's music, as the name suggests. Their style of music lends itself well to a live show, as their songs commonly break off to high-flying instrumental jam sessions of epic proportions. When I saw them back in June, they rocked the Boston House of Blues into oblivion, cranking everything up to eleven in their unapologetically enthusastic way. The show, which had been postponed from April due to the city-wide shutdown during the manhunt of the Tsarnaev brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon, was probably the best of all the concerts I saw all year. This includes the whole of Boston Calling fall's Saturday lineup, which featured Vampire Weekend, Airborne Toxic Event, Gaslight Anthem, and Local Natives.
On Wolf's Law, they continue down the path that their full-length debut The Big Roar forged for them, adding a bit more polish at the expense of some spontaneity. There's no "Whirring" on Wolf's Law, as fewer tracks extend past the five-minute mark, but this makes room for dream-pop pieces and catchy hooks. "Forest Serenade," for example, contains a driven guitar riff and soaring vocals, and follows a more typical verse-chorus format. "Little Blimp" is one of the most forceful tracks on the record, despite taking up under three minutes' worth of disc space. An energetic bass riff and wailing guitars sit under Bryan's encouragement of "paddle me closer, I promise you'll never look back down."
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Albums of the Year - #7: Deafheaven - "Sunbather"
Rating: 9.0/10
A black metal album that isn't really a black metal album, San Francisco group Deafheaven's sophomore effort Sunbather ended up being one of the most polarizing and unique releases of 2013. Many people are immediately turned off by the label 'black metal,' not subsribing to the screamed vocals or lengthy track times you'll find throughout the genre. At first, I was one of those people. My knowledge of metal in general is minimal, as I have no clue as to the nuances that separate subgenres and for a long time didn't understand the appeal. Then, I decided to go in with an open mind based on all of the positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Clearly, something was remarkable about this record, whose soft pink cover and stylish lettering didn't exactly scream "metal." It actually ended up the highest-rated original release of 2013 on Metacritic, excluding reissues, box sets, and a Wonder Years album whose score was skewed as it only had four critic reviews total. It also landed in the top ten of year-end lists at Pitchfork, Stereogum, and SPIN, among others. Clearly, there was something presumably excellent that I was missing out on, so I tried something I'd never seriously done before; listening to a black-metal album.
From the moment "Dream House" started, I knew something was special about Sunbather. Yes, the screams are there, but they are pretty much buried in the mix, and actually add to the music (but more on that later). What is so different about this so-called black metal album is that it's just as much post-rock and shoegaze as it is metal. On the surface, Sunbather presents a wall of furious guitars, thundering and lightning-quick drums, and snarled vocals. However, as each song progresses you are greeted with a wave of emotions, including one not typical of a black metal record; happiness. While whether the album is truly metal has been debated by self-nominated "true metalheads," there's no denying that Sunbather is one of the year's most cathartic pieces of music. Fury, grief, melancholy, loss, happiness, tranquility, anxiety, and everythhing in between are represented here. This is because so much emphasis is put on the instrumentals, particularly on the chord progressions of the guitars, which climb summits and sink into valleys time and time again throughout the blissful journey that is Sunbather.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Albums of the Year - #8: Nine Inch Nails - "Hesitation Marks"
Rating: 8.3/10
Arriving half a decade after The Slip and just under four years past Nine Inch Nails' last live show, Hesitation Marks is technically a comeback record. Though the period between records wasn't nearly as lengthy as, say, the gap between My Bloody Valentine albums, Trent Reznor did declare his decade-spanning project to be over back in 2009, at least for a little while. When he eventually did decide to return as Nine Inch Nails, Reznor came back with Hesitation Marks, a lengthy, fourteen-track album full of some of the group's heaviest and most jarring tracks since the turn of the century.
When I first reviewed Hesitation Marks upon release, I gave it a rating of 7.8. As you can see above, my opinion of the album has only improved since. The standout tracks I wrote about back in September remain among the best. "The Eater of Dreams" is still relentlessly creepy, "Came Back Haunted"'s bleeps and bloops sound more cohesive and thought-out, and "Copy of A" is one of the few tracks in FIFA 14 that I haven't grown tired of yet. (For the record, "Worship You" and "We Sink" are still amazing). "Everything" made my top 20 songs of the year, thanks to its harsh production and torrential mood swings. That said, some tracks which I liked back in September, I now love in December.
Editor's Note: Check out my earlier, more in-depth review of the album here:
When I first reviewed Hesitation Marks upon release, I gave it a rating of 7.8. As you can see above, my opinion of the album has only improved since. The standout tracks I wrote about back in September remain among the best. "The Eater of Dreams" is still relentlessly creepy, "Came Back Haunted"'s bleeps and bloops sound more cohesive and thought-out, and "Copy of A" is one of the few tracks in FIFA 14 that I haven't grown tired of yet. (For the record, "Worship You" and "We Sink" are still amazing). "Everything" made my top 20 songs of the year, thanks to its harsh production and torrential mood swings. That said, some tracks which I liked back in September, I now love in December.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Albums of the Year - #9: The National - "Trouble Will Find Me"
Rating: 8.3/10
I'll be honest with you; I'm not crazy about the second half of Trouble Will Find Me. After four amazing tracks packed into the top half of the line-up, the album unfortunately drops off in quality a bit. With the major exceptions being the electrifying "Graceless" and pitter-patter of "Pink Rabbits," the tracklist starting with "Heavenfaced" is somewhat lacking. There's nothing inherently bad about any of the songs, but there also isn't anything to pull you in either. Devoid of any kind of earth-shattering moments and leaning too heavily on Berninger's melancholy vocals, songs like "Slipped" and "Hard to Find" merely stretch out the record longer than it needed to be.
That being said, I still gave the album an 8.3. Why's this? Well, though the second division of Trouble Will Find Me is disappointing, four of the first five songs are awe-inspiring. "I Should Live in Salt," "Demons," "Don't Swallow the Cap," and "Sea of Love" more than make up for the rest of the album's shortcomings. All possess that trademark sound all of The National's best tracks do, except maximized to new heights.
I'll be honest with you; I'm not crazy about the second half of Trouble Will Find Me. After four amazing tracks packed into the top half of the line-up, the album unfortunately drops off in quality a bit. With the major exceptions being the electrifying "Graceless" and pitter-patter of "Pink Rabbits," the tracklist starting with "Heavenfaced" is somewhat lacking. There's nothing inherently bad about any of the songs, but there also isn't anything to pull you in either. Devoid of any kind of earth-shattering moments and leaning too heavily on Berninger's melancholy vocals, songs like "Slipped" and "Hard to Find" merely stretch out the record longer than it needed to be.
That being said, I still gave the album an 8.3. Why's this? Well, though the second division of Trouble Will Find Me is disappointing, four of the first five songs are awe-inspiring. "I Should Live in Salt," "Demons," "Don't Swallow the Cap," and "Sea of Love" more than make up for the rest of the album's shortcomings. All possess that trademark sound all of The National's best tracks do, except maximized to new heights.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Albums of the Year - #10: My Bloody Valentine - "m b v"
Rating: 8.2/10
Perhaps the most exhilirating album release this year was My Bloody Valentine's stellar comeback record, m b v. Unsigned to any major record label, the Dublin-based band and unchallanged kings of shoegaze felt it best to simply make the album available for digital download or physical purchase on their website. Evidently, they either underestimated how much traffic they would receive or overestimated the strength of their servers, as the site crashed within minutes. Considering it was the group's first release since 1991's legendary Loveless, and had been rumored to be in production since 1992, m b v was easily one of the most highly-anticipated indie releases of all time. So, naturally, when the group came out of the blue with a whole new record, thousands instantly tried to purchase it. Think of it like shoegaze's Detox, except it actually saw the light of day and isn't destined to be a disappointment. The site's crashing produced some pretty entertaining reactions online as excited fans were teased by the knowledge that there was new My Bloody Valentine music out there which they were unable to hear.
Perhaps the most exhilirating album release this year was My Bloody Valentine's stellar comeback record, m b v. Unsigned to any major record label, the Dublin-based band and unchallanged kings of shoegaze felt it best to simply make the album available for digital download or physical purchase on their website. Evidently, they either underestimated how much traffic they would receive or overestimated the strength of their servers, as the site crashed within minutes. Considering it was the group's first release since 1991's legendary Loveless, and had been rumored to be in production since 1992, m b v was easily one of the most highly-anticipated indie releases of all time. So, naturally, when the group came out of the blue with a whole new record, thousands instantly tried to purchase it. Think of it like shoegaze's Detox, except it actually saw the light of day and isn't destined to be a disappointment. The site's crashing produced some pretty entertaining reactions online as excited fans were teased by the knowledge that there was new My Bloody Valentine music out there which they were unable to hear.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Albums of the Year - #12: Lorde - "Pure Heroine"
Rating: 7.7/10
Editor's Note: This review will be more "big picture" analysis than track-by-track descriptions. If you want a more direct look at this album's music, read my review of the record from earlier this year at the link below.
http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/10/albums-of-week-lorde-haim-and-yuck-new.html
Two months ago, I gave the newly-released Pure Heroine the same rating you see above. In my review, I emphasized how mature Lorde sounds for her age. Now 17, the teenage Kiwi singer has so far stood by her message of avoiding over-indulgence and hasn't let the fame get to her head. Some feared her down-to-earth quality might evaporate once she reached the level exposure she's currently at, but there haven't been signs of that happening to date.
Editor's Note: This review will be more "big picture" analysis than track-by-track descriptions. If you want a more direct look at this album's music, read my review of the record from earlier this year at the link below.
http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/10/albums-of-week-lorde-haim-and-yuck-new.html
Two months ago, I gave the newly-released Pure Heroine the same rating you see above. In my review, I emphasized how mature Lorde sounds for her age. Now 17, the teenage Kiwi singer has so far stood by her message of avoiding over-indulgence and hasn't let the fame get to her head. Some feared her down-to-earth quality might evaporate once she reached the level exposure she's currently at, but there haven't been signs of that happening to date.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Albums of the Year - #14: Mikal Cronin - "MCII"
Rating: 7.5/10
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Albums of the Year - #15: Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories"
Rating: 7.4/10
The most instantly recognizable track off Random Access Memories is lead single "Get Lucky," a summertime smash hit which featured Pharrell Williams on vocals. Built around a funky guitar riff and Pharell's falsetto, the single went triple platinum in the United States and sold over seven million copies worldwide. However, unlike other recent chart-toppers, "Get Lucky" had critics raving, and the so-called "return of disco" was declared perhaps over-optimistically.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Top 75 Songs of 2013
With very little music expected to be released this December, and as other music blogs beginning their 2013 round-up processes, I figured I'd do the same. To start, I'll be ranking (though not reviewing) my seventy-five favorite songs of this calendar year below & embedding a Spotify playlist containing each song listed descending from #1 down to #75. Feel free to post your top 10's/20's etc. in the comments below, and expect a more in-depth countdown of 2013's best records over the course of December.
75. Vampire Weekend - "Hannah Hunt"
74. Nine Inch Nails - "Various Methods of Escape"
73. Deerhunter - "Back to the Middle"
72. Pearl Jam - "Mind Your Manners"
71. Sky Ferreira - "24 Hours"
70. CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share"
69. Washed Out - "Weightless"
68. Balance and Composure - "Reflection"
67. HAIM - "Forever"
66. Washed Out - "Entrance"
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