Here are the top 12 1/2 albums of the year, without too much of an intro, which you can read in the first post, here.
SO, with that in mind, here are what I considered to be the remainder of the best albums in 2013, which was truly a fantastic year in music. After a short summary of the album, click on the title of the two must-listen tracks to get a glimpse of the music.
12.) The Foreign Exchange - Love In Flying Colors
Why: What I found myself enjoying most about this FE album, and what I enjoy about so much of their work, is the exploration of relationships, and not in the broad sense. Unlike the past two (fantastic) FE albums, this one seems a little more settled in it's airy, hypnotic atmosphere. A lot more sure of itself. Lastly, it goes without saying, but also cannot be said enough. Nicolay is incredibly, incredibly gifted.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Dreams Are Made For Two", "Listen To The Rain"
11.) Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
Why: I appreciate the embracing of age, especially as I find myself getting older. I've always thought Neko Case's work seemed to be honest about all but that, so this album holds a special place for me. It balances both a tender sound, with extremely tough content. In a year where women in music were as fierce and bold as they've ever been, I think Case wins out, in a lot of ways, by just finding yet another avenue, another way to keep her sound fresh. Even after all of her years in the game.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Wild Creatures", "Man"
10.) Death Grips - Government Plates
Why: I like Death Grips way better when they're making music, and find myself less concerned with what comes out of the times when the aesthetic of the group allows itself to be called into question. Mostly, by not putting a penis on the cover, if nothing else, so much of this album's appeal finally lies solely in the music itself. Both an expression and justification of paranoia, the sounds on the album are scattered, jarring, and almost comical, in some ways. It's kind of an ink splatter of an album, if nothing else, not only in sound, but in lyrical content, with MC Ride smearing together language and imagery, to leave the most pressing things up to the imagination of the listener. Which has kind of always been what we turned to these guys for, right?
Must-Listen Tracks: "Whatever I Want", "Big House"
9.) Savages - Silence Yourself
Why: Listen, I get it that no one believes in post-punk anymore as an actual thing, but here's a very real truth. Sleater-Kinney isn't walking through that door. At least not in 2013 (though 2014 looks promising), and there was a void, for me. Savages aren't necessarily a reheated version of S-K, though there is obvious influence, but they are somehow both quieter and more demanding with their messages and expectations. The title of the album, paired with the opening track ("Shut Up") send the clear message of listen, quit all of the bullshit and enjoy something artistic for once. I haven't heard an album this aggressive in a while, which is a major accomplishment considering the nuance of it, and the obvious care taken by the musicians. It doesn't sound like they just showed up and beat the hell out of their instruments, though I'm not sure I would have minded that, either.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Marshall Dear", "Strife"
8.) Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Why: This is an album I actually started the year incredibly high on, and then found myself cooling as more releases popped up. I think what I initially loved about the album, the claustrophobic sounds, the obvious sense of crisis, became too intense for my palette, but not so intense that I could drop this fantastic, fantastic album out of my top ten. It's down about six slots from my mid-year forecast, but it is still a triumph.
Must-Listen Tracks: "New Seeds", "Reach For The Dead"
7.) Thundercat - Apocalypse
Why: I trended more towards intriguing and daring instrumental work this year, if it isn't evident by the choices at the top end of this. With that said, I found the universally hailed Settle (by Disclosure) to lack some of the free flying risk that I found consistently popping up on this album. Thundercat has done better than almost anyone at completely separating himself from any sort of barriers. The album is unpredictable, but also calming, in an odd way. You feel a call back to some of the influences that were previously tapped to, I'd say influences reaching as far as the Minutemen's Double Nickels On The Dime album. Criminally under-talked about album, this one.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Special Stage", "Tenfold"
6.) The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Why: I always enjoy watching what a band does on the album AFTER the album that made them popular. The National always had themselves a small following, but after 2010's High Violet, things got real, in a very big way. I would say with this release, the band finds themselves holding serve, if not topping the prior effort. When climbing the ladder, it's rare that a band gets a firm grasp on the rungs, and an effort like this must be rewarded.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Graceless", "Demons"
5.) The 1975 - The 1975
Why: And here lies the "surprise" pick of the year. I don't intend to do this annually, and this isn't even the most surprising, compared to the past three years (in 2010 I fought recklessly for The Dream's Love Vs. Money as the #1 album of the year. Which is reflects more on the year, and my desire to make a name for myself, at the time, as a music journalist willing to be "edgy"). The seemingly overnight success story of The 1975 generates plenty of sideeye, and perhaps rightfully so. When the mid-2000's found itself exploding with piano-rock bands, it was a good time, sure, but no one really expected anything would come out of it. We've all had flings. The 1975, however, amount to the fling that sticks around for a while, meets the parents, and remembers your birthday. The album is ambitious, just based off of numbers alone. After releasing a handful of quietly solid EPs, this is a debut indie pop album with 16 tracks. Which gives us maybe about four more tracks than most people have time for when it comes to such releases. But the genre jumping within those 16 tracks give listeners a taste of everything. And the way the genres are maneuvered, sometimes within the same songs. It finds itself being a pop album only in aesthetic, but more importantly, it finds itself being already timeless. Also, their cover of this One Direction song is pretty wild.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You", "Menswear"
4.) Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels
Why: In the interest of full disclosure, the gap between #5 and everything else, this year, is very, very wide. I think the top four albums of this year stood out so far from the rest of the pack that it was hard to place them in order. Run The Jewels is so intriguing, if you're into hip-hop, because you have two guys who made two of the most interesting hip-hop albums of 2012 (Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music, and El-P's Cancer 4 Cure) joining forces. The fusion of Killer Mike's more foot-on-gas approach mixed with some of the daring/art-driven production of El-P creates an interesting mix of subtle, nuanced tracks that can also shut down the block when blared with the windows down on a slow drive. And if you have the time, the content is also challenging, refreshing, and unique in its approach. What's best is that, unlike the hype mountain of Watch The Throne, you don't get the vibe that either of these guys coasted here. And both come out of the project seeming more grown, as artists. This is the most complete hip-hop album of the year, by far.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Banana Clipper", "D.D.F.H."
3.) Deafheaven - Sunbather
Why: I saw Deafheaven in 2011, on the back of their debut album Roads To Judah, and I remember leaving a bit let down, due to the hype I'd heard about the group redefining and/or revolutionizing black metal. I heard a lot of unrealized promise, and a lot of risks left on the stage, and on the four track album. Two years later, Sunbather drops to widespread acclaim, and again, I was skeptical. But, then, I heard rumblings from the "metal purists" about how much they hated the record, which led me to believe I would enjoy it immensely. (Because, if I haven't said it enough throughout these things, there are no music fans in the world worse than metal purists. None. None. None. ICP fans, no matter what people may say about you, there are always worse people to talk music with. And it's metal purists. Anyway.) Sunbather doesn't necessarily LOOK like a black metal album, aesthetically, with its gentle title, and soft pink album cover. But it sounds like a band who finally found out that their lane was greater than a sub-genre. There are seven tracks. The album lasts an hour. Along the way, we're treated to some early Explosions In The Sky-like tricks, a bit of shoegazing, and entire walls and waves of noise. Where Deafheaven has always succeeded is in their incredible control of all of these sounds, of this dynamic. They are as close to metal's version of Phil Spector as we may see. Everything has its place, even the messiest of sections that stumble into a 14 minute opus like "Vertigo". Some metal is heavy from the start, and never slows down. What Deafheaven does here is slowly build it's weight, and it's a real treat when it finally crashes down. This album is a masterpiece. It is for those who like metal and those who do not. I like the two above it more, however, this is the album I most frequently found myself recommending this year.
Must-Listen Track (one due to length): "Dream House"
2.) Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
Why: I still feel like there's a desire for Janelle Monae to fail, or at least a question of whether or not she will. I think whenever an act arrives as beloved by the "right" names as Monae did, there's a bit of curiosity that doesn't allow one to fully consume the music. It didn't help that at times, Monae's efforts, even at their most impressive, had a tendency to be disjointed, or hard to engage with for casual listeners. What this album brings together is a laser-like attention to detail which makes it sharp, and the realizing of Monae's sky-high ambition, and how to best make it work within the musical climate she exists in. It's a brave album. An incredibly brave album, and more importantly, every single leap of faith works.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Q.U.E.E.N.", "PrimeTime"
1.) My Bloody Valentine - m b v
Why: Maybe a bit unfair, since a portion of this album was recorded before the band's breakup in 1997, but the first full length release of original material from the group in over two decades warrants the number one slot here mostly due to how it, even after all of these years, was kind of an extension of 1991's Loveless, and not a dramatic leap, still maintaining the things that we loved about their sound. Loveless changed the way I heard music. It changed the way I listened to instruments. I heard it on the bedroom floor of a girl I was kind of interested in during my sophomore year of college. I put on headphones, and sat on her floor with that record for two hours, until she kicked me out of her room, and I knew my relationship with sound had shifted. This time around, I stayed up well after midnight, sitting up alone in my bed, listening to the album over and over, and imagining the madness that went into it. Allowing myself to get lost in that space. MBV has always allowed for the losing of one's self. Allowed for an almost forgettable passing of time. This album triumphs in that, and does so over a decade after its creators were written off for dead.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Is This And Yes", "New You"
THE 1/2 ALBUM
For those unfamiliar, I add a 1/2 album every year. This is an album I truly enjoyed, but enjoyed while understanding that it wasn't one of the 25 best pieces of music released in the year. Or, just an album by an artist I am a shameless fan of, and want to talk about. So, naturally, this year...
Fall Out Boy - Save Rock N' Roll
Why: I don't know how to tell 20 year old scene kids that the bands they love right now are going to get older, and it is often times going to be messy, unappealing, and potentially annoying, which is where Fall Out Boy were, for me, at the end of 2008, on the back of the album Folie A Deux. An album that I enjoyed, but most other fans of the band hated, but not nearly as much as they hated watching the group (quite literally) dissolving on stage. One hiatus and 4.5 years later, FOB came back with a mature, fun record that doesn't pretend to not care what people think while actually REALLY caring what people thing. It truly doesn't care. Pete Wentz's lyrics read less like diary/blog entries for the first time ever, and more like genuine meditations on guilt, aging, and failed relationships. The songs tackle the sometimes difficult realities behind being an adult, which is a far cry where the band was at when we last left them. The hardest thing for a band to do, especially when the band has a fan base rooted in youth, is to age gracefully, and take its fans with them. This album did as good of a job as possible in letting that happen. Patrick Stump steals the gold star on the album, however, with his voice much improved from his toe dipping in the waters of soul and funk during his solo endeavors. There are straightforward pop songs here. There are funky songs here. And there is genuine vintage soul here. But, for the nostalgic, there are still splashes of what worked way back in 2002, when I saw them play live for the first time as teenagers in a basement in Chicago with about 15 other people. I went to see them when they came through Columbus this year, and I was blown away by seeing the wide range of ages in the crowd. The new wave of teenagers. The slightly older hit-chasers. And, of course, those of us in our late 20s, who were there at the start, and are now wise enough to stay out of the pit and just take in the music.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Where Did The Party Go?", "Save Rock N' Roll"
I hope you were able to dig out a few good albums you were unfamiliar with through this. It's been a killer year, and while I don't think 2014 can keep pace, here's hoping.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
2013's 25 1/2 Best Albums, Part I.
Another year, another decline in the actual purchasing power of music. A friend I know joked that by 2017, we'll be an album-free society, purchasing songs solely out of vending machines, the way we do Cheetos. While he and I don't share the same panic-button mentality, it can be argued the the idea of the complete album as a real, revenue-generating item gets drastically weaker by the year, which is mostly disappointing because, for someone who listens to nearly EVERYTHING, as I tend to do, 2012-2013 has seen a nice run of fantastic albums popping up in nearly every genre. So, if the album, as a realistic form of engagement, is dead, the afterlife is fantastic, and I can't wait to get there.
So, with that in mind, as I do at the end of nearly every year, I'll outline what I feel were the 25 best albums over the course of the calendar. I welcome any opinions, especially dissenting ones. If you're interested, my 2012 list can be found here, and my 2011 list can be found here. Also, my list from the halfway point of this year, which, as a fair warning, will be entirely shuffled, is here.
I'm doing this in two parts this year. Normally, I just give a short sentence as to why I liked an album, but I had more to say on albums this year. I think I'm starting to miss the journalist/critic part of my past, and I need to get those feelings out. So, with each album, I'll give a (hopefully) short bit of logic behind the selection, and then give you 2-3 must listen tracks. To be taken to video/audio of the tracks, click on the track title. First, albums 25-13. But first...
Six That Missed The Cut, That Are Still Worth Your Time
The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation : Simply a result of being pushed out by better albums dropping later in the year, still, this is a triumph of an album in a genre that has been declared dead for years.
Charles Bradley - Victim Of Love : This is an incredible, incredible soul record. There aren't enough records like this being made anymore, which, through no fault of its own, makes the record kind of an oddity.
Danny Brown - Old : Perhaps the rangiest hip-hop album of the year, which makes for a slightly uneven listen, but still a fantastic one.
David Bowie - The Next Day : I loved this record, don't get me wrong. This album was #25 until last week.
Altar Of Plagues - Teethed Glory And Injury : Sadly, this masterpiece of an album is the final thing that this underrated metal band did, with their breakup making news last month. A diverse, unique album, and a fine send-off.
Paramore - Paramore : You wouldn't know it, because they are so easily dismissed, but whatever lineup changes took place really allowed for this band to click, and release one of the surprises of the year. It doesn't sell like their earlier efforts, but it is truly glowing.
25.) Beyonce - BEYONCE
Why: If nothing else, I know many, MANY purveyors of Beyonce Knowles as spectacle. And I've purchased their wares, from time to time, while also not particularly buying into the MUSIC itself. In January of this year, I took in the usually ignored (for me, since Prince) Super Bowl halftime show, and was really drawn in, which pushed me to revisit Beyonce's catalog. What her past albums lacked, for me, and where this album succeeds is in the saying of the previously unsaid. For so long, so many things Beyonce were assumed and not spoken, which, I think, added to the spectacle of it all, but left me wanting more from the music. Here, in songs that are loose in structure, and full, even jarring, in content, I think this album achieves, greatly, and repeatedly. I imagine this album may have been higher, at least here, had I not taken it in with such big gulps, as we all did, due to the nature of its release. I look forward to taking some smaller sips and swishing it around a bit in coming months.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Partition" , "Mine", "Drunk In Love"
24.) Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
Why: It's not as if Scottish synth-pop is exactly my wheelhouse, BUT in many ways, especially all ways related to sound, 80's nostalgia is. This album, for me, felt like what would have happened if Depeche Mode, at their peak, could have been fronted by Kate Bush, also at her peak. A danceable album, even for wallflowers, it's an incredibly worthy listen, and even in an era of indie music where women are moving more and more to the front, Lauren Mayberry is an absolute gift.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Gun", "Tether", "Lies"
23.) Drake - Nothing Was The Same
Why: Here's the thing. There are a lot of things about Drake that have nothing to do with him as a musician, that I simply cannot be bothered with. Even as I examine them, laugh at them, critique them from a distance. I don't really care how tough Drake is or isn't. To an extent, I really don't even care how "hip-hop" he is, as the definition of what that is/isn't has been pushed through a music fan meat grinder and processed beyond any reasonable recognition. What I care about, as with most artists, tends to revolve around what I can gain from them musically. Are they growing? Are they challenging themselves? Are they doing so while also giving me, the listener, something diverse, if not unique? I don't necessarily need GREAT music from Drake anymore. I think I've managed to get great from Drake twice now, with 2007's Comeback Season, and 2009's So Far Gone. This album succeeds where his previous studio efforts failed, in the embracing of all of his abilities, even the questionable ones. Even the ones people tell him he shouldn't do. I am so intrigued, from the jump, with "Tuscan Leather", the mini-suite of an intro that utilizes the same Whitney Houston sample in three different ways, with Drake showing an improved ability to catch a beat, and ride it effectively. Drake still has a fantastic ear for melody and structure, but will likely always struggle to pinpoint his limits, because, I'm sure, in his mind, he has none. So, with that in mind, there are some glaring misses here. It's front-heavy, no question. The few bad songs are VERY bad, but it's a product of Drake swinging at anything that comes even remotely close to the plate. Something that, for the first time, has good results.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Tuscan Leather", "Hold On, We're Going Home", "The Motion"
22.) Typhoon - White Lighter
Why: One of the biggest crimes in music this past year is the fact that this album was released and then largely ignored, except for a small section of people. Some of those people I had the pleasure of being surrounded by during one of the few live shows I took in this year (The others? Well, one was Fall Out Boy, because I only go see live music for ME now, so you scene kids can go to hell. Anyway.)...I think Arcade Fire blowing up may have turned people off to the brand of Orchestra-based choir pop that Typhoon drowns us in, but I think that is what draws me to them. The challenge of making one, quality sound, and have it sustain for a full album is a bigger challenge the more people you pile on top of each other. It's a sprawling effort that is almost overwhelmingly about death, from a lyrical standpoint. But, look! The horns! The cello! (See, you barely notice all the talk about dying.)
Must-Listen Tracks: "Artificial Light", "Hunger And Thirst", "Young Fathers"
21.) Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
Why: I found this album to be incredibly heartbreaking, but also refreshing. It most reminded me of PJ Harvey's Dry, in tone. Every year, there's an album that is so stunning, brave, and startling in it's polish that I tell myself that I will never stop listening. But then I find it too haunting to revisit. I warn in advance that this is a sad album. A very sad album. Not an exploration of relationships like Tegan and Sara's upbeat The Con, more of knife's slow exit, if you will. And it doesn't even matter. It's still such a necessary listen.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Love Be Brave" , "Devils Resting Place"
20.) Inter Arma - Sky Burial
Why: I'm not necessarily sure what it takes to make a complete, engaging metal album in 2013. I still, even now, consider myself a metalhead, or as much of one as I can be while indulging all of my other appetites, however, I have had a hard time finding an album that I wanted to keep close and continue spinning. What Inter Arma does here, and does so well, is mix together multiple types of metal to create a cohesive sound. And it is loud. In spots, really, really loud. But not the "These guys can't play their instruments" loud. If Brian Eno stumbled into a metal band, this is what it would sound like.
Must-Listen Tracks: "The Survival Fires", "sblood"
19.) Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
Why: This is a tough entry, because, technically, this is a mixtape. But, the lines within the genre between mixtape and studio album have almost blended, at this point. Not to mention, this release was so much better than so many studio releases, it was hard NOT to include it. As I find myself warming up more and more to Chance's music, I'm struck by how unafraid it is of itself. And, if I'm calling it like I felt it on first listen, it reminded me of Kanye West's earliest efforts. The fun, the soul-backing tracks. And through it all, you don't ever forget that Chance is, by today's hip-hop standards, still a kid. Even if he is one who is exceptionally skilled.
Must-Listen Tracks: "NaNa", "Smoke Again", "Favorite Song"
18.) HAIM - Days Are Gone
Why: HAIM is a band, not a group. I think, especially when it comes to the boy/girl band dynamic that they walk so dangerously close to, that has to be explicitly clear. These women are skilled musicians, writers, and arrangers. A fact that is often lost in discussions about the work they have given us here (most of it label-driven, I imagine. I apologize for being the messenger, but "girl-group" sells better than "girl-band", and I don't think that's lost on anyone at Columbia Records). Which is unfortunate, because this is a glorious debut. HAIM, at least as it seems, are nothing if not sponges. What works with HAIM, why they can prosper with the 20 and 30-somethings of today is simply because they're like so many of us. They had parents who played pop records around the house. All they have managed to do here is put their spin on those records, and spit them back out with a fierceness and beauty that I found refreshing. Here, they channel, sometimes in the same song, The Miami Sound Machine, Debbie Gibson, Blondie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Michael Jackson. Plus they trotted out maybe the best cover of a Miley Cyrus song all year. Listening to HAIM is kind of like walking down a thrift store aisle, and finding the coolest old shirts, perfectly in your size. Over and over.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Running If You Call My Name", "Honey And I", "Go Slow"
17.) James Blake - Overgrown
Why: This was kind of the album the mainstream needed afterJustin Timberlake put up two bricks in the same year some slight letdowns in the department of soul-pop releases this year. The range shown by Blake, from Gospel, to Synth, to R&B, is alarming almost. And it's done in the most simple ways. Blake approached this album with no immense urgency to change the way we listen to what he does. Which, in pop music right now, should be rewarded.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Life Round Here", "Voyeur" , "Take A Fall For Me"
16.) Pistol Annies - Annie Up
Why: This may as well read as "The Best Reviewed Album Of 2013 That Has Also Been Largely Ignored By Award Establishments And End Of Year Lists". Pistol Annies, the brainchild of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, do maybe the closest thing that we'll get to outlaw country in the genre's current state. Two years ago, I rode hard for their debut album Hell On Heels even (then, in officially capacity as a writer for a certain publication which will not be named) fought for it as a top three album of the years, and lost out. It wasn't a top 3 album, of course, but I approached it with the "Ask for 20, they'll give you 15" strategy. (it didn't make the list at all.) These three women are fierce, smart songwriters, and you feel that some of the pressure has been taken off of Lambert this time around, as some of the debut felt a little urgent, on her end, as the most widely known (and likely most talented) of the trio. And, much like the first effort, a lot of ground is covered, content-wise. The struggle here is that every now and then, you can feel Nashville with their hands around the neck of their ideas here, but there is still bite in every minute of this record.
Must-Listen Tracks: "I Hope You're The End Of My Story", "Damn Thing"
15.) M.I.A. - Matangi
Why: I am consistently skeptical when it comes to M.I.A.'s work. M.I.A. is fast food chicken nuggets. They're easy to consume, even if you're otherwise occupied, they're tasty, and we don't really want to know what goes into creating them. M.I.A. is mostly a product of production, simply put. This isn't to insult her as an artist, because the formula has worked, even if she has become less interesting in the past year or so (which is shocking, because the video for "Bad Girls" was fucking incredible), so any time an album of hers drops, I tend not to look at the nutrition facts, and just start to consume. She's not particularly as skilled as her peers in any particular category, but what I figured out a few tracks into this one is that she figured out what DIDN'T work on 2010's Maya, and got back in line with Switch and Danja (who, at this point, is pretty much Timbaland-Lite) And the result is the most cohesive release since her debut. M.I.A. has really embraced the idea that she's entirely capable of using her voice to push forward revolutionary thinking, or simply boast over waves of ever-changing drums. I mean, the aforementioned "Bad Girls" is just as much potentially empowering anthem as it is self-congratulatory shit talking. Like any M.I.A. release, this one is a little bit sonically exhausting, so it's best listened to in bits, which is a drawback. But the good stuff absolutely knocks.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Warriors", "Bad Girls" (Yes, still. Always.), "Y.A.L.A."
14.) Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
Why: I figured out that this album was like my generation's Graceland during my first outdoor run of autumn, and I haven't been able to shake that feeling since. Also, before giving a ton of praise to the entire band, I wish more people would really give credit to Rostam Batmanglij for the work he put in really driving the bus here. At the risk of cramming two separate references into one summary, he took the role that Lindsey Buckingham took while directing Fleetwood Mac through Tusk, and the results are similarly satisfying. I think what is most pleasing about this album is the leap for the band. If there is any band that can throw their legs comfortably over the indie chair and dip their toes into mainstream waters without too much grumbling from either side, it's them. It'll be fun to get used to. Oh, also, Ezra Koenig's "review" of Drake's album earlier this year is a MUST READ.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Young Lion", "Obvious Bicycle", "Everlasting Arms"
13.) Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze
Why: This is the album that sounds most like the person behind it. I imagine Kurt Vile is potentially always high, and I even imagine I would enjoy this album more of I partook, but thankfully, I found this album fantastic without worrying about being popped for a random drug test. The album is definitely an undertaking, with songs stretching out over seven minutes in spots, but the moments of contemplative lyricism, beautiful images, and comforting melodies make the trip worth it. It feels like the best parts of an era that some of our parents grew up in. Something I found absolutely refreshing upon listening.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Girl Called Alex", "Wakin On A Pretty Day"
(Part II, later this week, will break down the top 12 albums of the year. Hopefully you discovered something new!)
So, with that in mind, as I do at the end of nearly every year, I'll outline what I feel were the 25 best albums over the course of the calendar. I welcome any opinions, especially dissenting ones. If you're interested, my 2012 list can be found here, and my 2011 list can be found here. Also, my list from the halfway point of this year, which, as a fair warning, will be entirely shuffled, is here.
I'm doing this in two parts this year. Normally, I just give a short sentence as to why I liked an album, but I had more to say on albums this year. I think I'm starting to miss the journalist/critic part of my past, and I need to get those feelings out. So, with each album, I'll give a (hopefully) short bit of logic behind the selection, and then give you 2-3 must listen tracks. To be taken to video/audio of the tracks, click on the track title. First, albums 25-13. But first...
Six That Missed The Cut, That Are Still Worth Your Time
The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation : Simply a result of being pushed out by better albums dropping later in the year, still, this is a triumph of an album in a genre that has been declared dead for years.
Charles Bradley - Victim Of Love : This is an incredible, incredible soul record. There aren't enough records like this being made anymore, which, through no fault of its own, makes the record kind of an oddity.
Danny Brown - Old : Perhaps the rangiest hip-hop album of the year, which makes for a slightly uneven listen, but still a fantastic one.
David Bowie - The Next Day : I loved this record, don't get me wrong. This album was #25 until last week.
Altar Of Plagues - Teethed Glory And Injury : Sadly, this masterpiece of an album is the final thing that this underrated metal band did, with their breakup making news last month. A diverse, unique album, and a fine send-off.
Paramore - Paramore : You wouldn't know it, because they are so easily dismissed, but whatever lineup changes took place really allowed for this band to click, and release one of the surprises of the year. It doesn't sell like their earlier efforts, but it is truly glowing.
25.) Beyonce - BEYONCE
Why: If nothing else, I know many, MANY purveyors of Beyonce Knowles as spectacle. And I've purchased their wares, from time to time, while also not particularly buying into the MUSIC itself. In January of this year, I took in the usually ignored (for me, since Prince) Super Bowl halftime show, and was really drawn in, which pushed me to revisit Beyonce's catalog. What her past albums lacked, for me, and where this album succeeds is in the saying of the previously unsaid. For so long, so many things Beyonce were assumed and not spoken, which, I think, added to the spectacle of it all, but left me wanting more from the music. Here, in songs that are loose in structure, and full, even jarring, in content, I think this album achieves, greatly, and repeatedly. I imagine this album may have been higher, at least here, had I not taken it in with such big gulps, as we all did, due to the nature of its release. I look forward to taking some smaller sips and swishing it around a bit in coming months.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Partition" , "Mine", "Drunk In Love"
24.) Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
Why: It's not as if Scottish synth-pop is exactly my wheelhouse, BUT in many ways, especially all ways related to sound, 80's nostalgia is. This album, for me, felt like what would have happened if Depeche Mode, at their peak, could have been fronted by Kate Bush, also at her peak. A danceable album, even for wallflowers, it's an incredibly worthy listen, and even in an era of indie music where women are moving more and more to the front, Lauren Mayberry is an absolute gift.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Gun", "Tether", "Lies"
23.) Drake - Nothing Was The Same
Why: Here's the thing. There are a lot of things about Drake that have nothing to do with him as a musician, that I simply cannot be bothered with. Even as I examine them, laugh at them, critique them from a distance. I don't really care how tough Drake is or isn't. To an extent, I really don't even care how "hip-hop" he is, as the definition of what that is/isn't has been pushed through a music fan meat grinder and processed beyond any reasonable recognition. What I care about, as with most artists, tends to revolve around what I can gain from them musically. Are they growing? Are they challenging themselves? Are they doing so while also giving me, the listener, something diverse, if not unique? I don't necessarily need GREAT music from Drake anymore. I think I've managed to get great from Drake twice now, with 2007's Comeback Season, and 2009's So Far Gone. This album succeeds where his previous studio efforts failed, in the embracing of all of his abilities, even the questionable ones. Even the ones people tell him he shouldn't do. I am so intrigued, from the jump, with "Tuscan Leather", the mini-suite of an intro that utilizes the same Whitney Houston sample in three different ways, with Drake showing an improved ability to catch a beat, and ride it effectively. Drake still has a fantastic ear for melody and structure, but will likely always struggle to pinpoint his limits, because, I'm sure, in his mind, he has none. So, with that in mind, there are some glaring misses here. It's front-heavy, no question. The few bad songs are VERY bad, but it's a product of Drake swinging at anything that comes even remotely close to the plate. Something that, for the first time, has good results.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Tuscan Leather", "Hold On, We're Going Home", "The Motion"
22.) Typhoon - White Lighter
Why: One of the biggest crimes in music this past year is the fact that this album was released and then largely ignored, except for a small section of people. Some of those people I had the pleasure of being surrounded by during one of the few live shows I took in this year (The others? Well, one was Fall Out Boy, because I only go see live music for ME now, so you scene kids can go to hell. Anyway.)...I think Arcade Fire blowing up may have turned people off to the brand of Orchestra-based choir pop that Typhoon drowns us in, but I think that is what draws me to them. The challenge of making one, quality sound, and have it sustain for a full album is a bigger challenge the more people you pile on top of each other. It's a sprawling effort that is almost overwhelmingly about death, from a lyrical standpoint. But, look! The horns! The cello! (See, you barely notice all the talk about dying.)
Must-Listen Tracks: "Artificial Light", "Hunger And Thirst", "Young Fathers"
21.) Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
Why: I found this album to be incredibly heartbreaking, but also refreshing. It most reminded me of PJ Harvey's Dry, in tone. Every year, there's an album that is so stunning, brave, and startling in it's polish that I tell myself that I will never stop listening. But then I find it too haunting to revisit. I warn in advance that this is a sad album. A very sad album. Not an exploration of relationships like Tegan and Sara's upbeat The Con, more of knife's slow exit, if you will. And it doesn't even matter. It's still such a necessary listen.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Love Be Brave" , "Devils Resting Place"
20.) Inter Arma - Sky Burial
Why: I'm not necessarily sure what it takes to make a complete, engaging metal album in 2013. I still, even now, consider myself a metalhead, or as much of one as I can be while indulging all of my other appetites, however, I have had a hard time finding an album that I wanted to keep close and continue spinning. What Inter Arma does here, and does so well, is mix together multiple types of metal to create a cohesive sound. And it is loud. In spots, really, really loud. But not the "These guys can't play their instruments" loud. If Brian Eno stumbled into a metal band, this is what it would sound like.
Must-Listen Tracks: "The Survival Fires", "sblood"
19.) Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
Why: This is a tough entry, because, technically, this is a mixtape. But, the lines within the genre between mixtape and studio album have almost blended, at this point. Not to mention, this release was so much better than so many studio releases, it was hard NOT to include it. As I find myself warming up more and more to Chance's music, I'm struck by how unafraid it is of itself. And, if I'm calling it like I felt it on first listen, it reminded me of Kanye West's earliest efforts. The fun, the soul-backing tracks. And through it all, you don't ever forget that Chance is, by today's hip-hop standards, still a kid. Even if he is one who is exceptionally skilled.
Must-Listen Tracks: "NaNa", "Smoke Again", "Favorite Song"
18.) HAIM - Days Are Gone
Why: HAIM is a band, not a group. I think, especially when it comes to the boy/girl band dynamic that they walk so dangerously close to, that has to be explicitly clear. These women are skilled musicians, writers, and arrangers. A fact that is often lost in discussions about the work they have given us here (most of it label-driven, I imagine. I apologize for being the messenger, but "girl-group" sells better than "girl-band", and I don't think that's lost on anyone at Columbia Records). Which is unfortunate, because this is a glorious debut. HAIM, at least as it seems, are nothing if not sponges. What works with HAIM, why they can prosper with the 20 and 30-somethings of today is simply because they're like so many of us. They had parents who played pop records around the house. All they have managed to do here is put their spin on those records, and spit them back out with a fierceness and beauty that I found refreshing. Here, they channel, sometimes in the same song, The Miami Sound Machine, Debbie Gibson, Blondie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Michael Jackson. Plus they trotted out maybe the best cover of a Miley Cyrus song all year. Listening to HAIM is kind of like walking down a thrift store aisle, and finding the coolest old shirts, perfectly in your size. Over and over.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Running If You Call My Name", "Honey And I", "Go Slow"
17.) James Blake - Overgrown
Why: This was kind of the album the mainstream needed after
Must-Listen Tracks: "Life Round Here", "Voyeur" , "Take A Fall For Me"
16.) Pistol Annies - Annie Up
Why: This may as well read as "The Best Reviewed Album Of 2013 That Has Also Been Largely Ignored By Award Establishments And End Of Year Lists". Pistol Annies, the brainchild of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, do maybe the closest thing that we'll get to outlaw country in the genre's current state. Two years ago, I rode hard for their debut album Hell On Heels even (then, in officially capacity as a writer for a certain publication which will not be named) fought for it as a top three album of the years, and lost out. It wasn't a top 3 album, of course, but I approached it with the "Ask for 20, they'll give you 15" strategy. (it didn't make the list at all.) These three women are fierce, smart songwriters, and you feel that some of the pressure has been taken off of Lambert this time around, as some of the debut felt a little urgent, on her end, as the most widely known (and likely most talented) of the trio. And, much like the first effort, a lot of ground is covered, content-wise. The struggle here is that every now and then, you can feel Nashville with their hands around the neck of their ideas here, but there is still bite in every minute of this record.
Must-Listen Tracks: "I Hope You're The End Of My Story", "Damn Thing"
15.) M.I.A. - Matangi
Why: I am consistently skeptical when it comes to M.I.A.'s work. M.I.A. is fast food chicken nuggets. They're easy to consume, even if you're otherwise occupied, they're tasty, and we don't really want to know what goes into creating them. M.I.A. is mostly a product of production, simply put. This isn't to insult her as an artist, because the formula has worked, even if she has become less interesting in the past year or so (which is shocking, because the video for "Bad Girls" was fucking incredible), so any time an album of hers drops, I tend not to look at the nutrition facts, and just start to consume. She's not particularly as skilled as her peers in any particular category, but what I figured out a few tracks into this one is that she figured out what DIDN'T work on 2010's Maya, and got back in line with Switch and Danja (who, at this point, is pretty much Timbaland-Lite) And the result is the most cohesive release since her debut. M.I.A. has really embraced the idea that she's entirely capable of using her voice to push forward revolutionary thinking, or simply boast over waves of ever-changing drums. I mean, the aforementioned "Bad Girls" is just as much potentially empowering anthem as it is self-congratulatory shit talking. Like any M.I.A. release, this one is a little bit sonically exhausting, so it's best listened to in bits, which is a drawback. But the good stuff absolutely knocks.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Warriors", "Bad Girls" (Yes, still. Always.), "Y.A.L.A."
14.) Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
Why: I figured out that this album was like my generation's Graceland during my first outdoor run of autumn, and I haven't been able to shake that feeling since. Also, before giving a ton of praise to the entire band, I wish more people would really give credit to Rostam Batmanglij for the work he put in really driving the bus here. At the risk of cramming two separate references into one summary, he took the role that Lindsey Buckingham took while directing Fleetwood Mac through Tusk, and the results are similarly satisfying. I think what is most pleasing about this album is the leap for the band. If there is any band that can throw their legs comfortably over the indie chair and dip their toes into mainstream waters without too much grumbling from either side, it's them. It'll be fun to get used to. Oh, also, Ezra Koenig's "review" of Drake's album earlier this year is a MUST READ.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Young Lion", "Obvious Bicycle", "Everlasting Arms"
13.) Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze
Why: This is the album that sounds most like the person behind it. I imagine Kurt Vile is potentially always high, and I even imagine I would enjoy this album more of I partook, but thankfully, I found this album fantastic without worrying about being popped for a random drug test. The album is definitely an undertaking, with songs stretching out over seven minutes in spots, but the moments of contemplative lyricism, beautiful images, and comforting melodies make the trip worth it. It feels like the best parts of an era that some of our parents grew up in. Something I found absolutely refreshing upon listening.
Must-Listen Tracks: "Girl Called Alex", "Wakin On A Pretty Day"
(Part II, later this week, will break down the top 12 albums of the year. Hopefully you discovered something new!)
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