Everyone loves year-end lists. Piecemeal and subjective as they may be, it's always a quick and easy route to jog the memory for moments of pleasure and empathy. Back in the record store days, it was a time that I looked forward to most of all, so let's continue with the tradition here in my little corner of the blogosphere, such as it is.
Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
From the hairiest ersatz lothario this side of 1975, Josh Tillman's delightful creation lists between cynical takes and hopeful stabs with verve and swagger and just a slice of I-can't-even exasperation. One of the best adult love albums of this or any year.
FFS – FFS
It’s always nice when expectations are exceeded, and this
amalgam of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks was greater than the simple sum of parts at almost every turn.
In fact, there are times when the hybrid vigor is such that the songs take flight to a new
and uncharted land that is FFS alone. Artful hooks, witty turns of phrase, and a sense of play make for unfettered joy and lightness.
Ghost – Meliora
Production-wise, this is certainly the best-sounding hard rock record in a decade, and while one can quibble as to whether this is metal or rock or whatevs, it's their most melodic and forceful album yet, broadening and toughening up their signature sound while keeping
their winking devilish themes intact. And with sweet vocal harmonies and chugging riffs, it almost makes you want to look into this Satan thing in more detail.
Shamir – Ratchet
Armed with the compelling and emotionally engaging backstory of a gay black
male who takes a swing at country and fails before finding his electropop niche, Shamir is a 21st Century success story right down to the album title. And with that story backed up by effervescent songs blending house and techno and identity and
love, it’s both idiosyncratic and universal. And isn’t that what the best art
should be?
Muse – Drones
Not the most fashionable choice to rep for Muse at this point in their career, but fully-formed stadium rock
bands cut from Queen cloth are a dying breed these days, and sometimes you want to hear something that would
cause a soccer stadium to stand up, pay attention, and get into it post-haste. The guitars are a
bit more up-front to complement the relatively coherent if simple theme connecting love and
relationships to technology and dehumanization, and the maximalist swell of melody and bombast fits like a bespoke suit. It may not be their best album, but it’s their best record.
Honorable mentions go to the following, although I'm sure I'm forgetting some gems:
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes, I Sit and Think, and Sometimes
I Just Sit
Carly Rae Jepsen - E-MO-TION
Jamie xx - In Colour
Empress Of - Me
Grimes - Art Angels
Blur - The Magic Whip
CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
Deafheaven - New Bermuda
Finally, the best new/old listening experience I had this year was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John on Blu-Ray Audio (DTS 5.1 24bit/96khz). I splurged a few months back and bought a sorta-high-end player in the OPPO BDP103 Universal Disc Player, which has allowed me to play all the DVD-Audio discs I have in my collection as they were meant to be played, as well as Blu-ray discs and good ol' fashioned CD's. And while albums on DVD-Audio like Red by King Crimson and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac just jump out of the speakers in ways I've never heard, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on Blu-ray beat all comers in richness and clarity and power and nuance, taking a great album and making it exemplary. It made me feel like a kid again, albeit a kid with a $500 audio component, and that's all I ask of my experiences with music -- to transport me to another time while keeping me anchored in the here and now. Thanks, Elton.
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