The Last Drop

Sleigh Bells, Treats –  Now, I’m all up for noise. And pop. And occasionally Noise Pop. But I just don’t buy this formula. Sure, it’s fun for a while. But does it really add anything new? You can slap on many famous fans as a badge of viability, but at the end of the day do you stand on your own? IMHO, I don’t think so.

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Girl Talk, All Day – For an artist that I’ve extold numerous virtues, including a top spot for 2008, I was beginning to get worried after hearing the latest release. I thought I was witnessing the beginning of a demise in quality. In reality, it’s just a different beast than previous work.

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Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid – “Take me back to Wondaland/I gotta get back to Wondaland”. Aptly stated by Miss Monae. Any output she creates seems to be some interpretation of fantasy. Although she states her desire to create concept album worthy pieces based on sci fi high mindedness, it usually turns out to be arthouse shenanigans that are daring and fun.  While her earlier efforts hinted at this vision for a futuristic funky world, The ArchAndroid fully realizes this cyborg/humanoid integrated reality. Now, this doesn’t necessarily make this a good album – just because you can complete a thought doesn’t make it a good one. What makes this album so successful is that the music supersedes the audaciousness of her lyrical content. Even if you don’t care for cyber love, you can’t help but feel connected to “Cold War”. “Tightrope” became a catalyst for the common man to take notice (and really anyone with an eardrum and a booty ready for shaking). The consistency and flow of the album kept everyone’s interest level.  From the frenetic spoken word opening to the trippy, dreamlike interludes to the film noir torch song ending. It surprisingly all makes sense in spite of its internal diversity. It helps that Janelle’s spritelike yet aggressive voice soars in any format. R&B divas take note – just because you can oversing every song doesn’t mean you should. Sometime restraint makes you want to hear more. And Janelle provides so many opportunities to let the listener want more. I hope this becomes inspiration for more futuristic black divas to come.

Menomena, Mines – Ah yes, my biases have come to fruition! In all fairness, this is a well thought out (and performed) bias. I’ve set it forth here and here and you know what? I still stick by it.

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Arcade Fire, The Suburbs - First, I would like to thank Amazon for 1) creating a terribly useful, intuitive and (most often) cheaper alternative to iTunes for promoting artists’ album releases 2) finding the perfect artist to work with. Well done all around! I guess part of this glory also goes to Wynn and co. for putting out a pretty awesome cut. It probably made the Amazon new release intern’s job a whole hell of a lot better (and hey, maybe they got a full time job out of it to. You can always count on a few Canadians to help save the American job market, eh?).

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LCD Soundsystem, This is Happening –
Is it possible to have a lock on creating the epic?

Some of that statement may be hyperbolic. But only some of it. I honestly didn’t think Sound of Silver could be topped for it’s largeness. And it came in a year with a broad appeal of epic (Kala, Hissing Fauna, Strawberry Jam, Mirrored come to mind). Still, it not only held court with some of the best recordings of the decade, it easily stood the test of time – “All My Friends” is no less grand/emotional/overwhelming/intimate 3 years later. Where do you logically go from a near perfect synopsis of modern living?

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The Morning Benders, Big Echo – It’s getting  damn near consistent that each year a new folk rock band will put out a solid effort that gets plenty of attention. Fleet Foxes had their time, Grizzly Bear put in some work too. And now The Morning Benders take the mantel as the “it” indie rock band of choral vocals and rhythms awash with energy. Is it a necessity to have this each year? In the case of the Benders, I sure hope so. More than any of the aforementioned rock guide posts, I’ve enjoyed the breeziness of the Morning Benders. This is not to say that their music is any less important or weighty. Just easier to digest on early listens. And much more invigorating.  A first half chock full of energy, melody, and downright fun. The second half, a slower burn of reflection. Together, a well rounded effort that hasn’t lost any of it’s appeal over time. Early on, I had this as a one of my more memorable albums of the year and I still think it applies.Let’s hope they keep this going.

Hot Chip , One Life Stand – Steadily ticking through the back log of album reviews. I was actually excited to hear this album as Hot Chip have had an excellent record for keeping the pulse of electro/dance/synth goodness. All well timed for the club. Low and behold, they turn out an album with feelings. And a message. And a slower tempo. So, what to think of this change towards “adult” emotions? Largely, it is average. It has less punch than their typical sound. But instead of pushing the limits outward in a staccato pointed build, each song gradually arcs to it’s peak. There is still the sense of enormity of sound, just a more gradual slope to get there. Synths are a lot less buoyant, more immersive. On trend with the ’80s rebirth. But overly laden with remorse, regret or forced gravity. Alexis’ voice has always had the touch of vulnerable – a signature to their cool but nerdy image – and now takes on more of a desperate, longing tone. Sometimes to great success (“Thieves in the Night”, “Hand Me Down Your Love”, “We Have Love”) but routinely to middling effect. There are a few standout tracks but as a whole was less compelling than their previous work.

Vampire Weekend, Contra – yet another relic of a post from a bygone era. I’ll keep it short and sweet.

So, I was kind of digging our Ivy League trip to the equator a year ago. But I was wary of if a repeat of the freshness could be achieved. And rightly so. What seemed refreshing in 2008 seems down right languid a year later. No new territory explored. No new country exposed. An Ivy League education can only get you so far. Outside of the universal pick up of “Cousins”, Contra lacked any punch or anthem to rally around. Call me a cynic but I found this rather boring. As boring as the cover girl’s blank stare. Yeah, she’s wide-eyed and full of anticipation. But does it get her anwhere?  And maybe that’s the point. It’s rather harmless music. Not much to hate, but not much to get worked up about. In spite of the endless hype of the first album, Contra seems more than happy to not upset anyone.  And I can’t think of anything more dangerous. Complacency is a beast. Let’s hope that these boys find something new soon. Or decide to take a break.

Grizzly Bear, Vekatimist – Part II of MMC donations to the charity of my music library. OK, I get it. I get that this is an important album. If Animal Collective hadn’t ruined everyone’s year, Grizzly would have stolen top spot. The composition is there. The lyrics are good. The vocals are impeccable. But I can’t (try as I might) fall in love with this album. I’ve been racking my brain as to why this doesn’t work for me to no avail. I’ve put it on repeat for the last 48 hours and still no lightning rod moment of clarity has come. I think this is the beauty and curse of music. Even when you know that the technical brilliance is there, it’s simply a personal matter of taste. I would never discourage anyone from not getting this album (if you were hoping Fleet Foxes would muscle up and start eating meat, you will surely be happy with Vekatimist) but I can’t give a solid case for loving it. There will be many others to do this in the coming weeks, so I will leave my lukewarm regard at this. But wait.  One last quick dig. You know, I think I prefer Menomena to this stuff. It’s weird and schizophrenic, but it was polarizing. I guess my intuition was right way back then.