I finally got around to posting my year end best- and worst- of list for music. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time and money this year fixing the lower half of my house after last winter’s flood. So I can’t properly do a top 10 (or even top 5). Rather, here are 2 records I really liked, 2 that were decent but meh, and one flat-out disappointment.
The good:
Wolf’s Law by the Joy Formidable. The sophomore album by these Welsh alt-rockers is a bit more polished and less self-consciously ’90’s / shoegaze-y then their debut. That can be a good thing, though. The radio-friendly music does not overwhelm, but rather enhance, the very mature lyrics in songs like “The Ladder is Ours”. Most of the album is very loud, but manages to sound intimate at the same time. Melodies and choruses will grab hold of your brain and hang on for dear life.
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You by Neko Case. Check out my recent review of this album for details. Not her best, but very, very good.
Meh:
The Electric Lady by Janelle Monae. Not as great as 2011’s The Archandroid, but how could it be? The sci-fi narrative from her previous work continues here, but the music is not as compelling or eclectic. The best moment, by far, is the cameo by Prince. His Royal Purpleness contributes vocals and guitar on “Given Em What They Love” and sounds completely at home in the Robo-Boogie-Wondaland universe created by Monae.
Wise Up Ghost by Elvis Costello and The Roots. Not a bad record, but I expected more from these two vital artists. Was hoping for a genre-busting collaboration: what we got sounds more like a soundcheck for Jimmy Fallon. The lead single Walk Me Uptown is great, but elsewhere EC’s songwriting is slight and occasionally a lazy re-tread of his early work. The Roots crew provides some nice grooves but not much else and MC Black Thought is sorely missed here. This album just begs to be remixed, but as it is, works best as party background music.
The Bad:
Mosquito by The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. I love everything by this band, but this was a big letdown. There’s plenty of noisy guitars, thumping drums, and Karen O chirps and moans on cue, but the songs are just not there. Sounds more like a bunch of incomplete ideas rather than a cohesive work of art.
Single of the year: Of course it has to be Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Although technically from 2012, this song from our local heroes made the most impact this last summer. Their other singles Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us are also classics, but Same Love’s message of equality and inclusiveness was a most unlikely (and welcome ) radio hit, even in the so-called “Red” states. (Props also to these men for showing the world that musically, there’s more to life here in the Emerald City than Pearl Jam.)
dtuba 