BEST TRACKS OF 2013 (Thus Far)
So, I’ve already kind-of-sort-of made a “2013 So Far” list, but I still want to do something more. So, since I have ended traditional track reviews, I’ve decided to give you (In alphabetical order) some of my favorite tracks of 2013 so far. No specific numbers or anything, but these are the contenders for the end of the year list (I’ve also avoided listing artists more than once as much as I can. If an artist is likely to get more than 1 spot on the year end list, I do include the other song as an “Honors Mention” (Except for one case))
A$AP Rocky feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, & Big K.R.I.T.- 1 Train
Who had the best verse on this track? Was it A$AP and his awesome “Whaat!” in the background? Was it Kendrick’s growing intensity and gun noises? Was it Joey’s triumphant and ballsy confidence? Was it Yelawolf’s weirdly great verse? Was it Danny Brown and his incredibly memorable lines? Was it Bronson awesomely laid back flow? Or was it K.R.I.T. and his mindbogglingly intricate and fiery flow? The answer? Who cares! Everyone is amazing on the best posse cut in recent memory.
James Blake- Retrograde
This is a perfect James Blake song: Short and sweet, subtle and huge, beautiful and haunting, and freakin’ catchy. The humming, the loud drone of synths, the intoxicating bass hits and hand claps, and Blake’s most powerful vocals yet made this highlight of an Album of the Year contender one of the best tracks of the year.
CZARFACE (Aka Inspectah Deck & Esoteric)- Air ‘Em Out
The chorus? Fire. The verses? Even more fire. All I can say.
Daft Punk feat. Paul Williams- Touch
Yeah, the tracks with Pharell and Panda Bear are great, but this 8 minute masterpiece is my highlight from the mostly-good Random Access Memories. Dissonant robot voices, a disco funk breakdown, more robot voices, a children’s choir, and an oddly emotional ending verse from the dude that wrote Rainbow Connection? It should work, but it does. With flying colors.
Disclosure- Latch & White Noise
These are two songs from the pretty great debut album from Disclosure. I love Latch since it is a great pop song with an explosive chorus and a great utilization of subtly awesome synths (And I have a voice crush on Sam Smith. Dude can belt). I love White Noise because there are some wild House music ideas combined the smooth vocals of Aluna Francis. Both are from the same album. Both explore different ideas. Both are awesome.
Foals- Late Night
So yeah, I didn’t review Foals’ new album, mainly because it fell under the “Good but not that great” category. However (and maybe because of Nabil’s intoxicating, NSFW music video for the track), Late Night really stood out. The song grows in a rather unorthodox way, and the intensity of the vocals just explodes. Plus, it’s really smooth and subtle. It’s a stunning track that really grew on me, and that’s why I include it here.
Frightened Rabbit- Nitrous Gas
Frightened Rabbit are great at fist-pumping anthems of despair and loneliness. And they’re pretty great at it. But they’ve yet to have a truly subdued song that explores the misery of their lyrics that’s been truly affective (Poke came close, but). The bleak lyrics on Nitrous Gas are some of the most mind-numbingly sad things I’ve ever heard, and the vocals hear are so gorgeously sad and yearning that it’s almost impossible to not be affected by the song in some way.
Majical Cloudz- Childhood’s End
So, this is probably the most depressing song of the year. The lyrics are so bluntly sad, but that’s what makes this song so great. The words becoming more and more painful and dreary, as strings swell and the vocals slowly fill with a great sense of sadness and tremor. Majical Cloudz has a ton of potential, and part of it has to do with how fantastic this song is.
Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu- Q.U.E.E.N.
Yeah, I’m super psyched for her album. Just like her last project, this is a Prince-style ride through different genres that is thrilling every step of the way. She delivers some great vocals, there are some wildly awesome ideas (Oh my god, that Jazzy interlude right after Badu gets me every damn time). Plus, there are some absolutely great lyrical ideas here (“I’m tired of Marvin askin’ me what’s goin’ on” is such a fantastic and true line).
The National- Sea of Love
There’s a lot of stuff I loved about Trouble Will Find Me, but not a lot of individual songs really stuck out on that album. The one anthem, Sea of Love, is a really great example of how great the band is at doing anthems. It’s a simple arrangement, the guitars chug along the whole time, and the intense climax is one of my favorite music moments of this year. Honorable mention: Fireproof is beautiful, and Don’t Swallow the Cap is too.
Pusha T- Numbers on the Boards
So, yeah, we’re all excited for Yeezus, but how about Pusha T’s new album? His fiery flow? His awesomely egotistical lyrics? THAT HORRIFYING BEAT!?!?! Yeah, Pusha may be an old dog, but he clearly knows some tricks. A lot of tricks.
Savages- She Will
Just shut up and listen to this and punch something
Justin Timberlake- Let the Groove Get In
There was a lot of great stuff going on on The 20/20 Experience, but one of my favorite moments was the wild and bassy Let the Groove Get In. The strings, the percussion, that brain-worm of a chorus. Something this wild and loud shouldn’t last 7 minutes without losing steam, but this track somehow does it.
Vampire Weekend- Step
Kind of like how Retrograde was a perfect James Blake song, this is a perfect Vampire Weekend song. It manages to be catchy and whimsical while simultaneously carrying a sense of power and experimentation. The Harpsichord, voice modulation, and the synth choir are nice touches as well. Oh, and this probably the most powerful example of how affective Ezra Koenig (Not related) is as a songwriter. Ya Hey is close behind, though.
The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die- Ultimate Steve
Now, Whenever, If Ever is chock full of some wild tracks. However, if I were to pick a specific track from it, I’d pick Ultimate Steve. It begins with an amazing Godspeed-esque crescendo, leading to a fully loaded and awesomely anthemic chant along, all with a masterful cool down. It’s really hard to imagine that a band this unknown can sound this big.
What are some of your favorite songs of the year so far? Keep in mind my list is not really a full list, so there are probably some songs that I’ve missed.
ALBUM REVIEW: The National- Trouble Will Find Me
The National are not the band they were 14 years ago. The National are not the band they were 8 years ago. The National are not the band they were 5 years ago. And, once again, The National are not the band they were 3 years ago. Labeling them as any genre is a futile effort, because they’ve been everything from Americana to Post-Punk to Post-Punk Revival to Chamber Pop to Post-Indie Rock (A term I don’t like, but they’ve been referred to as). The group constantly grows into something bigger and, historically, better. Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers was miles better than their debut. Alligator blew Sad Songs out of the water. Boxer transcended Alligator. And High Violet (In my opinion) has been their best album yet. As a band so consistently great, at some point they have to fail, right? Not necessarily, and even if that is the truth, Trouble Will Find Me is not that point.
Trouble Will Find Me does signify a small leap forward, but it’s their smallest leap yet. For all intensive purposes, this album isn’t too different from High Violet. Which isn’t a bad thing, because the spacious chamber pop of that record seemed to mesh perfectly with Matt Berninger’s sad-sack vocals. The production here is just as spacious, the lyrics are just as sad, and the music is, luckily, just as good. The only difference isn’t even discernible from a simple listen. The band has said in several interviews that this album was not as plagued by as much drama as previous records (Unless you want to consider Mitt Romney as severe drama, but…). But that doesn’t really come across in the music, since there’s just as much pain and sorrow (sorry) as there was before.
Not to say there wasn’t any growth. The songs here have decided to go for more spacious and plain sounds. High Violet was a record that was swamped with a whole lot of orchestration and other instruments. On High Violet, there was a whole lot of overwhelming horns and strings and orchestral flair. It’s still here, but it falls more in the background this time around. The stark and painfully beautiful Fireproof does have strings on it, but they melt behind the picked guitar and steady drum beat. It’s an ominous and emotional moment on the album that feeds off the subtlety of the arrangements. There’s also seemingly less “anthems” on this album. High Violet was stacked with them (Terrible Love, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Conversation 16, England). Here, they aren’t the focus of the album, which is a pleasant shift. There still are anthems (Like the spectacular Sea of Love), but the band has put more emphasis on quieter songs this time around.
Like every other record before it, this album is a grower. The National have never been a band of immediacy, which has lead to some criticism of the group (“Dad Rock”, “Boring”, “Bland”). However, if the album is allowed to grow, it’ll really show off its greatness. Which is like every album before it: I hated High Violet when I first heard it (It was my first exposure to the band). Now that’s one of my favorite albums of all time. Trouble Will Find Me is the same way. On first listen, you might get enjoy Don’t Swallow the Cap and Sea of Love, but not much else. But with each listen I’ve given it, I’ve found greatness in every other track. Their music swells in a way that isn’t apparent unless you give it a chance.
If anything, this album keeps The National’s consistency record solid with a sound that feels a bit more introspective this time around. Arrangements are lush and intricate, but in a subtle manner. Trouble Will Find Me is just as great as Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet (They’re so close to a Grand Slam). The only thing that I think has been holding this album back is when it was released. Overshadowed by Vampire Weekend and Daft Punk, I’m sure this album has been slightly ignored. But, it’s an incredibly made, masterfully performed Indie Rock record. The National has done it again.
Summary: With great songs, gorgeously subtle arrangements, and that typical stellar songwriting, Trouble Will Find Me carries on The National’s “Great Album Streak” with a fantastic record.
Choice Cuts: Sea of Love, Fireproof , Don’t Swallow the Cap, Graceless
Leftovers: I Need My Girl
5/5
Stream Don’t Swallow the Cap and Sea of Love below. Trouble Will Find Me is out now on 4AD
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