Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Pinata-Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Review
Nowadays, it's hard not to view each year in music as a time capsule. We live in the now, so we lack the foresight for what will be remembered when the decade is over. Therefore, it's mostly a fools errand to deem something an instant classic, as some have done for Good Kid M.A.A.D City. However, it wouldn't be surprising if Pinata is remembered fondly as time goes by. As the culmination of years of EP collaborations, this project sees Madlib producing the entire album, and Gibbs simply kills it. With Madlib's sample heavy, jazz/blaxploitation inspired beats, the 17 track album has killer consistency, without filler or half-baked concepts. In fact, this is some of the best production of the year so far, which isn't surprising, considering Madlib's history, perhaps best known for his production with MF Doom on Madvilliany. These beats will haunt Alchemist for the rest of the year (though Lord Steppington is a dope project). What this album is most noteworthy for capturing is the spirit of 90s gangster rap. This is all due to Freddie Gibbs. Gibbs' cadence is pulled straight from the 90s. The comparisons to Tupac are warranted. The thing about Tupac was his flow had superb technical prowess when over a beat. Moreso than any other rapper at the time, aside from Biggie Smalls, his flow was nearly as rhythmic as the beat, and it's why his bars stand the test of time. When one reads the lyrics to a rap song, even without hearing it beforehand, the logical sense and catchiness of his bars enables one to almost predict his flow, and few rappers have written bars that are such a joy to rap along to. It's visceral and intuitive. Gibbs fits well in the list of rappers skilled enough to achieve that. This album could have been released in the 90s and I guarantee we would be talking about it. He has the same type of agency in his rhyme scheme. He rides a beat like a pro. The only problem with being so skilled technically is nearly every guest verse is overtaken. Gibbs even out-raps legends like Scarface, and newcomers like Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown, though Brown more than does his thing. Domo Genesis does have some standout verses, as he usually does when he pops up on a project. He proves once again that he is the most underrated aspect of the Odd Future collective.(Seriously, we got a Frank Ocean studio album and an Earl Sweatshirt studio album. Is one for Domo too much to ask?) We also get a killer posse cut, mirroring the early year success of last year's 1Train. Bottom line, this is a gangster rap album for the ages, and a proper debut for Freddie Gibbs.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Top 30 Albums of 2013
To start, I'm doing top 30 as opposed to top 10 because 10 is such a limiting and overused constraint. I instead want to discuss 30 albums that captivated me in some capacity throughout the year. I didn't listen to everything, but I listened to more than I usually do. I'm also going to put a link to my favorite track off of each album, assuming Youtube has each of them.
30.Reincarnated by Snoop Lion
While not a critical darling by any means, Snoop Dogg's take on reggae fusion is rather fun to listen to. It's full of catchy production and hooks, and everyone seems to be having a fun time in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xB32KBgYc0
29.Long.Live.A$AP by A$AP Rocky
This album is teeming with fantastic singles, but it also has a lot of good material on here still. While A$AP Rocky doesn't have the most recognizable flow, he knows his way around a beat. This album also has one of the best posse cuts of 2013, 1Train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKk_be9l2Sw
28.Nothing Was The Same by Drake
Nothing Was the Same is the epitome of the kind of music that works better when on in the background. Drake opts for mainly mellow and laid back production, so it works better when relaxing, only half paying attention. It took that for this album to click with me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG1xKOG7mLY
27.Marshall Mathers LP 2 by Eminem
This album was a mess of Eminem tropes. It revisits almost all of the themes explored on his previous Marshall Mathers LP, and it took recapturing that original spirit in a self aware manner to regain the same kind of respect his older self had. It's not a perfect album. It's inconsistent and there are a couple of worthless filler songs on the album, but Eminem will always be better than most rappers, with his iconic off kilter flow and hyper fast stream of consciousness lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOtjvQumzs
26.Heartthrob by Tegan and Sara
The duo opted for a rather different sound than usual, going for 80's synth pop, and it works. It's never boring, and it's catchy as fuck. Really all I have to say. A really fun LP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGbOmW4AjI
25.Nanobots by They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants have lately been doing their educational albums, and when they made a return to their more adult work, it lacked something. It came back in Nanobots, probably their greatest album since Apollo 18. That also happens to be the album this one shares the most DNA with, with oddball songs and various tracks that are less than a minute, and sometimes less than 30 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gFECzmDLrI
24.The Paradigm Shift by Korn
I kind of share a special bond with Korn. I grew up listening to them and when The Paradigm Shift opted for more of the older sound, it came on strong. Jonathan Davis is still writing about more or less the same things, but it's nice for it to have such quality.(even though I didn't think that dub step album was all that bad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=851NxKsneFk
23.No Poison No Paradise by Black Milk
Reminiscent of Good Kid MAAD City, there's remnants of a narrative of the MC's early life, over some rather soulful, jazzy beats. The tracks all bleed into one another in a fairly good way, especially Sundays Best/Mondays Worst, and it works well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWeR1_JATk0
22.Legends Never Die by R.A. The Rugged Man
I hadn't heard of this dude, and it's a shame. He's for sure underrated. This album is very old school, with a level of rowdiness and intelligent lyricism that is evenly balanced. The production is top notch and consistent throughout the LP. It's no wonder The Notorious B.I.G. signed him.(Biggie Smalls is actually sampled on one of the tracks, The Dangerous Three)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmDXhnQlSbA
21.Born Sinner by J Cole
This album was a surprise. There was a lot of fantastic writing on this rap LP. J Cole upped his game, so to speak. This is very much about J Cole as well. Very little guest spots pop on here, and the ones who do are mainly restricted to hooks. There's a lot of introspective tracks and double meanings covering this album. It's an interesting listen indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMeirNg87AY
20.Doris by Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt's return from a Samoan boarding school couldn't have gotten more hype, and he holds very well for such a large task on hand. There's simply no one more interesting in the Odd Future collective. For only a 19 year old, he is a masterful writer, and a competent producer as well. His monotone droning of a cadence is way more interesting than it would seem. This LP also brings back the darker elements of production that were less apparent on Tyler, The Creators newest album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADVZUL88w3E
19.Old by Danny Brown
This could almost pass as a concept album. It definitely works as two different albums. Danny Brown proves to be a very unique rapper with equal parts introspective writing and goofy as fuck party songs. For how different those sounds are, its surprising when it works so well here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-24miV6grMk
18.Vessel by Twenty One Pilots
There's not really a particular genre to pin on Twenty One Pilots. They are really all over the place, and have an energy that makes their music that much more effective, especially live. Mainly there's a lot going on in this album, whether it be indie rap or a bit of pop sensibilities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbraQdkct8
17.The 20/20 Experience Part 1 by Justin Timberlake
It's really quite crazy how Justin Timberlake was able to get right back into the swing of things after a 7 year gap between albums. These songs are just as strong as anything else he's ever put out. The songs are lengthy but you never feel the length. They change up and evolve, sometimes seemingly remixing themselves. They are also potent ear worms. (I haven't heard Part 2, but from what I hear, it's inferior.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP500qy48vI
16.Virgins by Tim Hecker
You only really need to hear this album once. It's more of an experience. Through what's essentially multiple abstract electronic constructs, it brings on a multitude of emotions. It's sometimes dark and disturbing, but usually very beautiful. It can be a hard sit, as the whole album is ostensibly a 50 minute slow burn, but it pays off in spades.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfOLkH778xI
15.Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
Very much a different beast than Daft Punk's other material, this LP is much more classy and sophisticated, in a subtle way. It's rather funky and involves meticulous production. It's an interesting evolution for the electronic duo and creates a time capsule of sorts, as it's an homage to a lot of 70s and 80s music but also is modernized with guest spots and newer sounding beats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJhpOXnRILw
14.Wolf by Tyler, the Creator
Wolf is the definitive evolution of Tyler, the Creator's style and maturity. Opting for more neo jazz as opposed to the usually dark production, Tyler is at his most complex. The talk of rape and murder is much less prevalent on this LP. The narrative started on his Bastard album is still fairly dense, and there are times when it's not clear whether he is rapping as one of the characters at the fictional Camp Floggnaw or just as himself, or maybe even both. He also delivers what might be his best verse ever on Rusty, where he talks about the controversy he's caused and all the good he's done that nobody seems to remember.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yS1ay045B4
13.Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
It took multiple listens to understand the complexities of this album. It seems like a fairly normal, yet still quite good indie rock album, but the lyrics are multifaceted upon closer look. These tracks deal with heavy themes, mostly religion. It's rather insightful, and it's still puzzling months after I've listened to it multiple times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX46e4GtlXM
12.Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age
This was another surprise. Only superficially familiar with Queens of the Stone Age, I was drawn in to the hard hitting chord progression and overall desert rock stylings. A lot of these tracks are also thematically important, as frontman Josh Homme was inspired after he died momentarily on an operating table. Overall, it's a very well put together rock album,with nary a skippable track on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-90obSa1Az4
11.Psychic by Darkside
Another ambient album like Tim Hecker's Virgins, but much more accessible. Nicolas Jaar's intriguing electronic build ups and Dave Harringtons subdued guitar playing complement each other perfectly. None is this more apparent than the slow burn of an opening track, Golden Arrow, which is the thesis of the duo's work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yod9tQdibDY
10.Run the Jewels by Run the Jewels
I came into this free LP for Killer Mike, who I was familiar with from his song Reagan, but I stayed for El-P. Both of them have very different cadences, and they work off of each other in a superb fashion, but i'm lured towards El-P more because his lyrics are more layered and he flows over his beats so well. The album also feels consistent, as something about El-P's production is similar enough to know its from this project, but different enough to feel fresh. Killer Mike once said he felt like he was born to rap over an El-P beat, and its easy to see why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPUrHbb7rA4
(I'm gonna throw this track here too. It wasn't on the American release but I don't care. It's so dope.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6i8QFf4ng
9.Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
Donald Glover has said that he doesn't want to be referred to as simply a rapper, and that's understandable, especially with this album. It's very ambitious, and there's a lot going on here. It helps that Childish Gambino has both killer vocal range and diversity in song structure and writing. There isn't really any other album like it. It's all over the place in terms of general sound, but that isn't a detriment. It remains fresh throughout the whole runtime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG35R8F2j8k
8.The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES
This was one of the most infectious albums I heard all year. The production is crisp and Lauren Mayberry has a balanced mix of light hearted vocals and intensity. You can feel the emotion in her voice. It's also an incredibly bright album, if music could conjure up such an image. As a new act, they put forth a strong debut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nS5BYkHow
7.My Name is My Name by Pusha T
The Kanye West-led production is very apparent. This heavy yet minimalist approach is exactly what Pusha T should spit in front of. It works so well. Pusha T has a disturbing intensity to his flow that makes these tracks all the more enjoyable. He stands out with his deft lyricism and nasty cadence. Even though only 2 tracks on the LP aren't assisted by guest spots, he remains the stand-out in each song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19-n3nPs6u0
6.Repave by Volcano Choir
A lot of the sounds on this album feel like the culmination of ideas Justin Vernon brought to early fruition in his other project, Bon Iver. The sound of Volcano Choir is distinctly different from that project, but you can see where it stems from. This album has some of the most beautiful sounds I heard in 2013, and Justin Vernon's vast vocal range plays a large part in that. All of the sounds this album has to offer is only increased by Justin Vernon's dense poetic lyrics. Experimental indie folk at it's most gripping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4dZbJHT7_4
5.Shaking the Habitual by The Knife
If I could try to describe this album, ostensibly, it's dark synthpop, and dark it definitely is. One of the more disturbing listens of 2013. At over 90 minutes, it's also a hard sit. One of the tracks stretches to almost 20 minutes. The Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson has a passionate voice, one that perfectly matches the grim sounds the album holds.
4.Yeezus by Kanye West
I feel like this one speaks for itself. It's fucking Kanye West.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xrLKb6oFI
3.Acid Rap by Chance the Rapper
Acid Rap is teeming with Chicago sound. For what's technically a mix tape, and not an LP, there's a consistency to Chance's off the wall tracks. He has a large scope when it comes to subject matter too. A lot of this mixtape is Chance having fun over some well produced tracks (with quite a sense of humor too) but some of the shining moments are when he contemplates things like violence in Chicago in the track Paranoia. At a mere 20 years old, Chance has a lot of skill that got a lot of notice in 2013, and it's well deserved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtA9GvpzwU
2.Government Plates by Death Grips
This is probably Death Grips' most adventurous album. All 4 of their releases have a clear identity, but there's a sense of growth between 2012's No Love Deep Web and 2013's Government Plates that is undeniable. Whether a Death Grips fan likes this album directly correlates to how they think MC Ride's abstract cadence fits into the band's thesis. While he normally is at the forefront, he scales his borderline nonsensical lyrics back a lot. All 3 members are on equal ground here, though if anyone is shining on this album, its Flatlander, with his top notch, experimental, and frantically paced production. Some of the songs are so deprived of MC Ride that it becomes almost straight up techno. There's some semblance of a narrative here too, with recurring themes such as possession, the government, and the band's disdain for record labels. Of course, analyzing any of these themes requires some reading in to. There's really no telling where Death Grips is going next sonically, and that's what makes them exciting.
(all these songs are great so here's the entire album)\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eld27iNfepY
1.Reflektor by Arcade Fire
It took way too long for this album to click with me. 4 listens, in fact, only 2 of which saw it to the end. I'm not sure why it took so long for it to start coming together. It's always premature to label an album a classic but there's a lasting power to this album that seems promising enough. It's both modern in its various messages and classical in its delivery. There is simply no other album more topical for the modern age. There are themes of how technology affects modern relations and how society treats others. All of it is delivered in a way that's subtle and timeless. Arcade Fire as a band have delivered a magnum opus of sorts. The scale of this achievement is a tad overwhelming. This album feels important, so it's good that it sounds so crisp and innovative. Every track is thematically different and it makes it fresh upon repeat listens. It's also very artful and intelligent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepfdrU55KA
30.Reincarnated by Snoop Lion
While not a critical darling by any means, Snoop Dogg's take on reggae fusion is rather fun to listen to. It's full of catchy production and hooks, and everyone seems to be having a fun time in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xB32KBgYc0
29.Long.Live.A$AP by A$AP Rocky
This album is teeming with fantastic singles, but it also has a lot of good material on here still. While A$AP Rocky doesn't have the most recognizable flow, he knows his way around a beat. This album also has one of the best posse cuts of 2013, 1Train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKk_be9l2Sw
28.Nothing Was The Same by Drake
Nothing Was the Same is the epitome of the kind of music that works better when on in the background. Drake opts for mainly mellow and laid back production, so it works better when relaxing, only half paying attention. It took that for this album to click with me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG1xKOG7mLY
27.Marshall Mathers LP 2 by Eminem
This album was a mess of Eminem tropes. It revisits almost all of the themes explored on his previous Marshall Mathers LP, and it took recapturing that original spirit in a self aware manner to regain the same kind of respect his older self had. It's not a perfect album. It's inconsistent and there are a couple of worthless filler songs on the album, but Eminem will always be better than most rappers, with his iconic off kilter flow and hyper fast stream of consciousness lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOtjvQumzs
26.Heartthrob by Tegan and Sara
The duo opted for a rather different sound than usual, going for 80's synth pop, and it works. It's never boring, and it's catchy as fuck. Really all I have to say. A really fun LP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGbOmW4AjI
25.Nanobots by They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants have lately been doing their educational albums, and when they made a return to their more adult work, it lacked something. It came back in Nanobots, probably their greatest album since Apollo 18. That also happens to be the album this one shares the most DNA with, with oddball songs and various tracks that are less than a minute, and sometimes less than 30 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gFECzmDLrI
24.The Paradigm Shift by Korn
I kind of share a special bond with Korn. I grew up listening to them and when The Paradigm Shift opted for more of the older sound, it came on strong. Jonathan Davis is still writing about more or less the same things, but it's nice for it to have such quality.(even though I didn't think that dub step album was all that bad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=851NxKsneFk
23.No Poison No Paradise by Black Milk
Reminiscent of Good Kid MAAD City, there's remnants of a narrative of the MC's early life, over some rather soulful, jazzy beats. The tracks all bleed into one another in a fairly good way, especially Sundays Best/Mondays Worst, and it works well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWeR1_JATk0
22.Legends Never Die by R.A. The Rugged Man
I hadn't heard of this dude, and it's a shame. He's for sure underrated. This album is very old school, with a level of rowdiness and intelligent lyricism that is evenly balanced. The production is top notch and consistent throughout the LP. It's no wonder The Notorious B.I.G. signed him.(Biggie Smalls is actually sampled on one of the tracks, The Dangerous Three)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmDXhnQlSbA
21.Born Sinner by J Cole
This album was a surprise. There was a lot of fantastic writing on this rap LP. J Cole upped his game, so to speak. This is very much about J Cole as well. Very little guest spots pop on here, and the ones who do are mainly restricted to hooks. There's a lot of introspective tracks and double meanings covering this album. It's an interesting listen indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMeirNg87AY
20.Doris by Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt's return from a Samoan boarding school couldn't have gotten more hype, and he holds very well for such a large task on hand. There's simply no one more interesting in the Odd Future collective. For only a 19 year old, he is a masterful writer, and a competent producer as well. His monotone droning of a cadence is way more interesting than it would seem. This LP also brings back the darker elements of production that were less apparent on Tyler, The Creators newest album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADVZUL88w3E
19.Old by Danny Brown
This could almost pass as a concept album. It definitely works as two different albums. Danny Brown proves to be a very unique rapper with equal parts introspective writing and goofy as fuck party songs. For how different those sounds are, its surprising when it works so well here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-24miV6grMk
18.Vessel by Twenty One Pilots
There's not really a particular genre to pin on Twenty One Pilots. They are really all over the place, and have an energy that makes their music that much more effective, especially live. Mainly there's a lot going on in this album, whether it be indie rap or a bit of pop sensibilities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbraQdkct8
17.The 20/20 Experience Part 1 by Justin Timberlake
It's really quite crazy how Justin Timberlake was able to get right back into the swing of things after a 7 year gap between albums. These songs are just as strong as anything else he's ever put out. The songs are lengthy but you never feel the length. They change up and evolve, sometimes seemingly remixing themselves. They are also potent ear worms. (I haven't heard Part 2, but from what I hear, it's inferior.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP500qy48vI
16.Virgins by Tim Hecker
You only really need to hear this album once. It's more of an experience. Through what's essentially multiple abstract electronic constructs, it brings on a multitude of emotions. It's sometimes dark and disturbing, but usually very beautiful. It can be a hard sit, as the whole album is ostensibly a 50 minute slow burn, but it pays off in spades.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfOLkH778xI
15.Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
Very much a different beast than Daft Punk's other material, this LP is much more classy and sophisticated, in a subtle way. It's rather funky and involves meticulous production. It's an interesting evolution for the electronic duo and creates a time capsule of sorts, as it's an homage to a lot of 70s and 80s music but also is modernized with guest spots and newer sounding beats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJhpOXnRILw
14.Wolf by Tyler, the Creator
Wolf is the definitive evolution of Tyler, the Creator's style and maturity. Opting for more neo jazz as opposed to the usually dark production, Tyler is at his most complex. The talk of rape and murder is much less prevalent on this LP. The narrative started on his Bastard album is still fairly dense, and there are times when it's not clear whether he is rapping as one of the characters at the fictional Camp Floggnaw or just as himself, or maybe even both. He also delivers what might be his best verse ever on Rusty, where he talks about the controversy he's caused and all the good he's done that nobody seems to remember.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yS1ay045B4
13.Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
It took multiple listens to understand the complexities of this album. It seems like a fairly normal, yet still quite good indie rock album, but the lyrics are multifaceted upon closer look. These tracks deal with heavy themes, mostly religion. It's rather insightful, and it's still puzzling months after I've listened to it multiple times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX46e4GtlXM
12.Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age
This was another surprise. Only superficially familiar with Queens of the Stone Age, I was drawn in to the hard hitting chord progression and overall desert rock stylings. A lot of these tracks are also thematically important, as frontman Josh Homme was inspired after he died momentarily on an operating table. Overall, it's a very well put together rock album,with nary a skippable track on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-90obSa1Az4
11.Psychic by Darkside
Another ambient album like Tim Hecker's Virgins, but much more accessible. Nicolas Jaar's intriguing electronic build ups and Dave Harringtons subdued guitar playing complement each other perfectly. None is this more apparent than the slow burn of an opening track, Golden Arrow, which is the thesis of the duo's work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yod9tQdibDY
10.Run the Jewels by Run the Jewels
I came into this free LP for Killer Mike, who I was familiar with from his song Reagan, but I stayed for El-P. Both of them have very different cadences, and they work off of each other in a superb fashion, but i'm lured towards El-P more because his lyrics are more layered and he flows over his beats so well. The album also feels consistent, as something about El-P's production is similar enough to know its from this project, but different enough to feel fresh. Killer Mike once said he felt like he was born to rap over an El-P beat, and its easy to see why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPUrHbb7rA4
(I'm gonna throw this track here too. It wasn't on the American release but I don't care. It's so dope.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6i8QFf4ng
9.Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
Donald Glover has said that he doesn't want to be referred to as simply a rapper, and that's understandable, especially with this album. It's very ambitious, and there's a lot going on here. It helps that Childish Gambino has both killer vocal range and diversity in song structure and writing. There isn't really any other album like it. It's all over the place in terms of general sound, but that isn't a detriment. It remains fresh throughout the whole runtime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG35R8F2j8k
8.The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES
This was one of the most infectious albums I heard all year. The production is crisp and Lauren Mayberry has a balanced mix of light hearted vocals and intensity. You can feel the emotion in her voice. It's also an incredibly bright album, if music could conjure up such an image. As a new act, they put forth a strong debut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nS5BYkHow
7.My Name is My Name by Pusha T
The Kanye West-led production is very apparent. This heavy yet minimalist approach is exactly what Pusha T should spit in front of. It works so well. Pusha T has a disturbing intensity to his flow that makes these tracks all the more enjoyable. He stands out with his deft lyricism and nasty cadence. Even though only 2 tracks on the LP aren't assisted by guest spots, he remains the stand-out in each song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19-n3nPs6u0
6.Repave by Volcano Choir
A lot of the sounds on this album feel like the culmination of ideas Justin Vernon brought to early fruition in his other project, Bon Iver. The sound of Volcano Choir is distinctly different from that project, but you can see where it stems from. This album has some of the most beautiful sounds I heard in 2013, and Justin Vernon's vast vocal range plays a large part in that. All of the sounds this album has to offer is only increased by Justin Vernon's dense poetic lyrics. Experimental indie folk at it's most gripping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4dZbJHT7_4
5.Shaking the Habitual by The Knife
If I could try to describe this album, ostensibly, it's dark synthpop, and dark it definitely is. One of the more disturbing listens of 2013. At over 90 minutes, it's also a hard sit. One of the tracks stretches to almost 20 minutes. The Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson has a passionate voice, one that perfectly matches the grim sounds the album holds.
4.Yeezus by Kanye West
I feel like this one speaks for itself. It's fucking Kanye West.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xrLKb6oFI
3.Acid Rap by Chance the Rapper
Acid Rap is teeming with Chicago sound. For what's technically a mix tape, and not an LP, there's a consistency to Chance's off the wall tracks. He has a large scope when it comes to subject matter too. A lot of this mixtape is Chance having fun over some well produced tracks (with quite a sense of humor too) but some of the shining moments are when he contemplates things like violence in Chicago in the track Paranoia. At a mere 20 years old, Chance has a lot of skill that got a lot of notice in 2013, and it's well deserved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtA9GvpzwU
2.Government Plates by Death Grips
This is probably Death Grips' most adventurous album. All 4 of their releases have a clear identity, but there's a sense of growth between 2012's No Love Deep Web and 2013's Government Plates that is undeniable. Whether a Death Grips fan likes this album directly correlates to how they think MC Ride's abstract cadence fits into the band's thesis. While he normally is at the forefront, he scales his borderline nonsensical lyrics back a lot. All 3 members are on equal ground here, though if anyone is shining on this album, its Flatlander, with his top notch, experimental, and frantically paced production. Some of the songs are so deprived of MC Ride that it becomes almost straight up techno. There's some semblance of a narrative here too, with recurring themes such as possession, the government, and the band's disdain for record labels. Of course, analyzing any of these themes requires some reading in to. There's really no telling where Death Grips is going next sonically, and that's what makes them exciting.
(all these songs are great so here's the entire album)\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eld27iNfepY
1.Reflektor by Arcade Fire
It took way too long for this album to click with me. 4 listens, in fact, only 2 of which saw it to the end. I'm not sure why it took so long for it to start coming together. It's always premature to label an album a classic but there's a lasting power to this album that seems promising enough. It's both modern in its various messages and classical in its delivery. There is simply no other album more topical for the modern age. There are themes of how technology affects modern relations and how society treats others. All of it is delivered in a way that's subtle and timeless. Arcade Fire as a band have delivered a magnum opus of sorts. The scale of this achievement is a tad overwhelming. This album feels important, so it's good that it sounds so crisp and innovative. Every track is thematically different and it makes it fresh upon repeat listens. It's also very artful and intelligent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepfdrU55KA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)