Albums
of the year
2013
Every year I spend doing this list I say to myself “Why bother, no one reads all this”, and rightly so I guess? Why would anyone care what I think – and being so longwinded on top of it all? So every time I start this list I intend fully to simplify. But in the end, the complete opposite happens. And on top of it all I stress about getting it all done – over something most people don’t even read at all (are you even reading this?!) – even though I started working on this in late August, and now it’s the middle of November as I finally wrap it up. I guess it’s the excitement of sharing or something that drives me to do this? Or maybe I’m just bored. Who knows. I think it’s the former. Hopefully. And because I’m tired and actually have some other things to attend to – I am going to quote myself from last year for most of the rest of this introduction. Oh and one more thing I want to add before I get to quoting myself – my favorite songs of the year? Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’, Chvrches’ ‘Gun’ and My Bloody Valentine’s ‘New You’. What I wouldn’t give to hear MBV cover ‘Roar’, and even for Katy Perry to cover ‘New You’. That is potential brilliance right there, my friends. Ok …. quoting myself now … “So, here you go, my favorite albums of the year. I guess technically they are what I consider to be “the best”, but by saying that it means these then have to be put in some sort of order, and quantified some way. But I really can’t do that. Depending on the mood of the day, each one of these albums is “the best” at one time or another, so really out of all the albums I’ve listened to over the past year, these are my go to albums – my favorites – my “desert island discs” of sorts. I’ve shared one track from each album as well, songs that I think not only represent what is great about the entire album, but what may spark an interest in you to checking out the whole thing, because to me they are all worth your time and quite rewarding indeed. Enjoy with aloha, and as always, turn it WAY the hell up, and for crying out loud use headphones. Laptop speakers = death.”
7
Janelle Monaé
The Electric Lady
I wonder if I said this on my review of her last album which also made my best of the year list back in 2010 – that I find it incredibly hard to describe Janelle Monáe’s music, which I overall would say is a good thing. Ms. Monáe is quite an eclectic lady musically (maybe this should have been called ‘The Eclectic Lady’) which lends to quite an exciting listen here on her second album (in actuality – like her first – a double album). For example as I sit listening to this album again, I’ve only gone through two songs and the two things that come to mind is it sounds like a mix of a Martin Denny album, and an expanded version of some of the ‘Arrested Development’ score with Prince on guest vocals (that last part is true). Just listen to those horns on ‘Givin’ ‘Em What They Love’ – and try and tell me the latter isn’t true. As strong as her first full length was, I find this one more of a consistent and rewarding listen. It’s all over the map, yet there’s less of an emphasis on trying to stand out. It does stand out – but it feels this time to be without effort. The entire album comes across as completely natural, organic – that this is truly an extension of Ms. Monáe’s personality and just being herself. Who knows if that’s true of course – but that’s the confidence this album exudes. It’s exotic through and through, chill, and for the first time there’s more emotion here. She has said in interviews that she’s worn her heart on her sleeve a bit more on this album, and after a few listens it becomes apparent. I’m not usually one to find R&B style “ballads” to be my cup of tea, as usually I find them boring musically and incredibly clichéd. But with Ms. Monáe’s broad pallet she can make such songs actually interesting and enjoyable to listen to. It baffles me that artists like Beyoncé can be so incredibly popular when artists like this take their blueprint into the stratosphere and basically come up empty commercially. To me there is so much potential in R&B that is completely untapped, yet Ms. Monáe does it here – and for this listener it’s quite exciting. Her vocals just ooze this passionate yearning on even the most upbeat songs like ‘We Were Rock & Roll’ and ‘The Electric Lady’, and then more downbeat on tracks like ‘Primetime’ and the utterly gorgeous ‘What An Experience‘ (the track I’ve shared above). Sonically and creatively Ms. Monáe is completely unmatched currently – to me we are talking a mix of Prince and Stevie Wonder among MANY others – but now for her true personality to come through and hearing there is a passionate woman behind the alter-ego of Cindi Mayweather that she has created for this series of albums – even when singing about zombies in your front yard – it doesn’t get much better. A rewarding listen that only gets better one each spin. A trippy, psychedelic, neo-soul, R&B phantasmagoria – it’s absolutely exquisite.