January 2015’s Notable Music

Hits

Belle and Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance: If you know what to expect from Belle and Sebastian- twee, peppy instrumentals combined with dark, dreamy lyrics- then, by and large, you know what to expect from Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. What sets Girls in Peacetime apart from B&S’s past work is a greater appreciation for synths and what they can do for Stuart Murdoch’s twisted stories. Bandleader Murdoch has characterized Girls as his most personal record yet, and it’s easy to hear why. The synths add a depth and a weight to the songs that their most recent records have lacked. Favorite song: “The Party Line”

Dawn Richard, Blackheart: Dawn Richard’s Goldenheart was one of my favorite albums of 2013, as well as one of the most ignored. You’d think one year after channel ORANGE that the culture would have had more of an appreciation for alternative R&B, but almost no one was listening. Then Danity Kane reunited last year, released a terrible album, and broke up again in the midst of rumors of a physical fight between Richard and another member of the group. Richard’s back with Blackheart, and she’s pissed. Blackheart leans on EDM stylings more than Goldenheart, which may sound like selling out, but the glitchy, wall-to-wall production fits her anger. Goldenheart was a more melodic record, but Blackheart gets under your skin. Favorite song: “Phoenix (feat. Aundrea Fimbres)”

Rae Sremmurd, Sremmlife: Remember when rap was simple, and it was just verses with a hook, and we didn’t have all these rappers trying to sing and using AutoTune? Didn’t those days suck? Maybe you prefer your rappers rapping, but I prefer them doing as much with their voice as possible to express themselves well. Rae Sremmurd are a rap group, and they spend a lot of their debut, Sremmlife, speak-singing. There’s rapping, too, of course, but nothing too technically impressive. What’s impressive instead is the vast range of what these two brothers do with their voices. From low croons to high squeals, RS give every song their all. Their shtick gets a little old after listening to 11 songs worth, but pull any one song off this album and you’ll find a hit every bit as strong as my favorite, “No Flex Zone”.

Misses

Panda Bear, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper: Panda Bear has always exuded a sort of calculated beauty; Noah Lennox’s songs are pleasant, but he shows his work. In the past, his music has been peaceful enough to transcend whatever 0s and 1s were involved, but Grim Reaper finds Lennox exploring more complicated themes, and the tension between his style and his subject matter creates a wall that I couldn’t get past. He gave off vibes in recent interviews that he might be looking to retire the Panda Bear name, and Grim Reaper sadly seems like just the time to do it.

Under the Radar

The Sidekicks, Runners in the Nerved World: Emo holds a special place in my heart. One of the first bands I discovered when I began listening to music was My Chemical Romance, who are well-known for The Black Parade, but who were even more super-emo before that record, which is a more straight-up rock opera. The Sidekicks sound nothing like MCR, but they have a similarly emo sensibility, especially in their pained vocals. The music, however, adopts a more jangly, indie-pop vibe, making Runners in the Nerved World like Jimmy Eat World meets Band of Horses. Favorite song: “Deer”

Off the Grid

Sleater-Kinney, No Cities to Love: Here’s the thing: I’ve never heard a Sleater-Kinney record before. I’m not really ashamed to admit this, since their entire career took place before I started listening to music, but it does make it hard to participate in the excitement over their reunion. No Cities to Love has an appealing rock groove running through its center, but every song sounds about the same to me. I’ll bet if I went back and listened to their old albums, I’d have the proper context for this one. But right now, there’s no way I can decide if this is a hit or a miss.

Song of the Hour: “Phoenix (feat. Aundrea Fimbres)” by Dawn Richard

There are plenty of diva songs out there in the world right now, but this is the one that I have on repeat. It has all the subtlety of “Let It Go” and the openness of “The Heart Wants What It Wants”, but Menzel and Gomez are old news. Like those stars, Richard puts everything into her vocals, heart and all. Unlike them, she fully embraces pop’s current EDM climate from start to finish. As a result, “Phoenix” would sound right at home on the radio while sounding nothing like its peers.

Top 5 Albums You Won’t Find on 2013’s Top Ten Lists

2013 is over, and the lists are out and about causing havoc among people who hate Kanye West.  Yes, Yeezus was the most-honored album of 2013 on top 10 lists, which was surprising to me.  West’s terribly-named (or perfectly, I can’t decide) album was obviously critically adored when it came out- though the majority of my non-critic friends hated it.  But I hardly expected it to be the #1 record for so many critics.  But it is, and here we are.  That was 2013.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of 2013 albums that didn’t receive a ton of love.  The following 5 albums are records that I think deserve more attention.  Just because they’re on this list doesn’t mean they will make my Best Albums list when I make one someday in 2014.  It also doesn’t mean they won’t, and it certainly doesn’t mean they don’t stack up next to the likes of Yeezus or Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City or Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.  In fact, in my estimation, some of these records are (*gasp*) BETTER than those records- talk about blasphemy!  Anyway, in each title I linked to wherever that album is streaming.  Enjoy!

Dawn Richard, Goldenheart: Alt-R&B has slowly stolen my heart from folk music.  I probably listen to more Americana music than any other genre, but alt-R&B tends to lift me to higher highs than anything with a twang.  Dawn Richard’s debut album was this year’s channel ORANGE, except that no one noticed.  In a just world, 2013 would have been Dawn Richard’s coming-out party.  Instead, she’ll have to settle for mini-accolades from a little-read blogger in Oklahoma.  You’ll always have me, Dawn.  Favorite Song: “Break of Dawn”

Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience: JT can hardly be characterized as alt-R&B, but he certainly tried in 2013.  Unfortunately, instead of embracing his masterful ear for melody, critics rushed to call The 20/20 Experience overblown and overlong.  It wasn’t helped by the disaster that was Part 2.  But repeat listens have only confirmed what I thought the first time through: The 20/20 Experience is a masterpiece of retro R&B vibes and emotionally honest lyrics.  Favorite Song: “Mirrors”

KaiL Baxley, Heatstroke / The Wind and the War: I recommended Baxley’s double-EP debut to my friend Scott Bedgood before the end of the year, and he subsequently added it to his Top 10 Albums list.  That’s more a testament to the strength of Baxley’s music than to my musical taste, since Scott and I don’t agree on a ton when it comes to what we put on our iPods.  KaiL Baxley is more than any one genre; he’s best described as singer-songwriter, though that paints a much weaker picture of him than the reality.  Baxley tells full stories in his song, imbuing his lyrics with longing for lost passion and dreams.  He balances sensitivity with directness, giving his often dreamlike tunes a solid foundation.  Favorite Song: “HeatStroke”

Sandra McCracken, Desire Like Dynamite: Christian music predictably never appears on mainstream top 10 lists, but even Christian outlets sidestepped Sandra McCracken’s great Desire Like Dynamite.  Maybe they simply forgot, since it was released all the way back in February.  But that’s hard to excuse, since McCracken and husband Derek Webb are two of the most prolific and influential artists in the Christian music scene.  More likely, everyone just totally missed the target on this one, mistaking McCracken’s low-key vibe for a lack of substance.  In reality, this thoughtfully produced collection of folk music was one of the few creative endeavors in 2013 that consistently pointed me to my hope in God’s will for the world.  Favorite Song: “Hourglass”

W.L.A.K., W.L.A.K.: If “underrated” and “overlooked” are the key adjectives in this post, then W.L.A.K. are this post’s MVPs.  W.L.A.K. consists of Alex Faith, Christon Gray, Dre Murray, and Swoope, rappers that have perennially assisted the more well-known artists of Reach Records on several of their most potent tracks.  But on their self-titled debut, W.L.A.K. surpass their more famous counterparts in both audacity and humility.  The success of their collaboration is built fully on the power of their teamwork and on their ultimate desire to center their music on God’s glory.  Favorite Song: “Long Way Down”

—

*All of my friends are non-critics.  I am a non-critic.

Song of the Hour: “Hey Love” by Quadron

Why it rocks: There’s been an abundance of great alt-R&B over the past few years.  It climaxed last year with Frank Ocean‘s channel ORANGE and includes this year’s Dawn Richard‘s Goldenheart, Autre Ne Veut‘s Anxiety, and, not coincidentally, Rhye‘s Woman, a project from the producer half of Quadron, Robin Hannibal.  Even Usher got in on the game last year with one of 2012’s best songs, the darkly euphoric “Climax”.  “Hey Love” is the bounciest of the bunch, shining a little light into the darkness R&B is embracing more and more.  With its broadly appealing chorus of “Promise the best is yet to come” and its aching desire for commitment, “Hey Love” is proof that the alt-R&B boom isn’t going to stay in the shadows.

If you like this…: Try any of those above records, especially anything off of Goldenheart, one of my favorite albums of the year so far.  But a more accurate comparison in terms of the song’s feel is probably Janelle Monáe‘s “Tightrope”.

How’s the album?: A joy to listen to.  Hannibal’s other effort this year, Woman, is cool and distant.  Quadron’s Avalanche benefits from the directness of singer Coco O’s vocals.  Other highlights include  opener “LFT” (the letters of which stand for Looking for Trouble- didn’t you k now?) and “Better Off” which features the hot-hot-hot Kendrick Lamar.