A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
There's a smoothness to this album - a nice, creamy, refined sound rooted in R & B but touching on a variety of genres. The music itself is so wonderfully orchestrated and arranged it makes the listening experience wholly pleasurable. Although the focus does not shine on the lyrics or vocals these do not lack (something I couldn't say about the lyrics of the somewhat comparable Weeknd releases). It really is a beautiful aural journey.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Monday, January 14, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Top Music 2012 - Albums, Singles, EPs, Videos
The big reveal..
I've finally gotten around to sorting through my scraps of (digital) paper holding notes scrawled throughout the year as reminders of just which albums I was thoroughly digging in 2012. People have mused that it wasn't an overly strong year but looking within and beyond the Canadian borders there was no issue filling this out. (Mind you it was no 2011)
Without further ado
Albums
I've finally gotten around to sorting through my scraps of (digital) paper holding notes scrawled throughout the year as reminders of just which albums I was thoroughly digging in 2012. People have mused that it wasn't an overly strong year but looking within and beyond the Canadian borders there was no issue filling this out. (Mind you it was no 2011)
Without further ado
Albums
- Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk
- Patrick Watson - Adventures in Your Own Backyard
- Wintersleep - Hello Hum
- Fun. - Some Nights [US]
- Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't [Sweden]
- Cold Specks - I Predict a Graceful Expulsion
- Brasstronaut - Mean Sun
- Regina Spektor - What We Saw From the Cheap Seats [US]
- The Strumbellas - My Father and the Hunter
- How To Dress Well - Total Loss [US]
Other considerations
- Purity Ring - Shrines
- Japandroids - Celebration Rock
- Said the Whale - Little Mountain
- Phedre - Phedre
- AC Newman - Shut Down the Streets
- Jeremy Fisher - Mint Juleps
- Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind [US]
- Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
- Aidan Knight - Small Reveal (**didn't actually hear this until 2013..)
*Canadian except where indicated
EPs
There were a couple notable EPs released this year as well. Let's make a new category.
Singles of the Year
- Luke Lalonde - Undone
- Alt-J - Tessellate [UK]
- Phedre - In Decay
- Ben Folds Five - Do It Anyway [US]
- Sunparlour Players - Shake and Bake for Goodness Sake
- Two Hours Traffic - Amour than Amis
Video Singles
(Song and Message too!)
Late 2011 Find
As much as I wanted to dislike Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino's musical offerings it was pretty easy to dismiss his I am Just a Rapper mixtapes but Camp could not be ignored and I just had to listen to it. Candid lyrics with a smart wit and quick wordplay, it is a mostly fun and revealing hip hop album.
- Childish Gambino - Camp [US]
The Strumbellas - My Father and the Hunter: (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Admittedly this band first won me over in concert so my love for their live show may have bled into this album. Regardless there is an energy on this jubilant country-tinged album that stands on its own. Like Kidstreet of last year the members bring it on stage but represented that energy reasonably well in the studio also. There are shout-along tunes sprinkled throughout the disc and the more you hear them the better they get. Cutting their teeth in the Toronto scene this year they deserve further recognition and all hopes the effort pays off.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Admittedly this band first won me over in concert so my love for their live show may have bled into this album. Regardless there is an energy on this jubilant country-tinged album that stands on its own. Like Kidstreet of last year the members bring it on stage but represented that energy reasonably well in the studio also. There are shout-along tunes sprinkled throughout the disc and the more you hear them the better they get. Cutting their teeth in the Toronto scene this year they deserve further recognition and all hopes the effort pays off.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Japandroids - Celebration Rock: (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Short and strong - Brian and David have made another powerhouse rawk album. Between the (literal) fireworks they do as they always seem to do - surge ahead with skin stretching drums and face melting guitar. They thrash through a mere 35 minutes of let-loose anthems, including the re-released Younger Us. Thankfully they didn't touch a thing on this their most nostalgic, and arguably the best, of a long line of singles. The album is complete with belt-em-out choruses that they became famous for with Post-Nothing, their first (and supposed to be only) full-length. "If they try to slow you down, tell 'em all to go to hell." Thank the gods of rock and roll for keeping the duo together to keep lighting this dynamite of pure energy into the Canadian scene.
Short and strong - Brian and David have made another powerhouse rawk album. Between the (literal) fireworks they do as they always seem to do - surge ahead with skin stretching drums and face melting guitar. They thrash through a mere 35 minutes of let-loose anthems, including the re-released Younger Us. Thankfully they didn't touch a thing on this their most nostalgic, and arguably the best, of a long line of singles. The album is complete with belt-em-out choruses that they became famous for with Post-Nothing, their first (and supposed to be only) full-length. "If they try to slow you down, tell 'em all to go to hell." Thank the gods of rock and roll for keeping the duo together to keep lighting this dynamite of pure energy into the Canadian scene.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Regina Spektor - What We Saw From the Cheap Seats: (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Regina Spektor has yet to miss and she isn't about to start on What We Saw from the Cheap Seats. The album showcases her skills in a variety of ways. Off the top there are a few plucky songs that are filled out nicely with a variety of instrumentation and even some well-used brass. Later on she gets to the sentimental piano ballads featuring her light fingers and poetic lyrics, as well as a few darker, more brooding - and effective - piano based songs too. All the Rowboats has a seriousness too it as well and it pulses through with foreboding background to the pointed piano lines - it really is a tremendous feat. Thankfully she closes out on a lighter note, employing her dynamic voice for effect on The Party with the phenomenal line "You're like a big parade through town. You leave such a mess, but you're so fun" before closing with light guitar and lyrics.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Regina Spektor has yet to miss and she isn't about to start on What We Saw from the Cheap Seats. The album showcases her skills in a variety of ways. Off the top there are a few plucky songs that are filled out nicely with a variety of instrumentation and even some well-used brass. Later on she gets to the sentimental piano ballads featuring her light fingers and poetic lyrics, as well as a few darker, more brooding - and effective - piano based songs too. All the Rowboats has a seriousness too it as well and it pulses through with foreboding background to the pointed piano lines - it really is a tremendous feat. Thankfully she closes out on a lighter note, employing her dynamic voice for effect on The Party with the phenomenal line "You're like a big parade through town. You leave such a mess, but you're so fun" before closing with light guitar and lyrics.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Purity Ring - Shrines: (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Yes, Purity Ring could be deemed an electronic act but they come across much softer, much more subdued and human than your typical electro sound. This without delving too deep into shoe-gaze which recently has become so ethereal it can be a struggle to stay conscious. They have managed to sneak themselves into a creative middle ground; where other bands ding they ping, and where other bands crack they snap. Accompanying the music on the gibberish compound word titled songs (Fineshrine? Belispeak? Lofticries?) is a truly enjoyable female voice - another rarity in the genre, and even a male one as well to keeps things varied. When CBC Radio 3 first introduced them as the 25,000th artist on the website they seemed like a novelty act, however this full-length is chock full of tunes that blow that early dismissal away - Purity Ring are the real thing.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Yes, Purity Ring could be deemed an electronic act but they come across much softer, much more subdued and human than your typical electro sound. This without delving too deep into shoe-gaze which recently has become so ethereal it can be a struggle to stay conscious. They have managed to sneak themselves into a creative middle ground; where other bands ding they ping, and where other bands crack they snap. Accompanying the music on the gibberish compound word titled songs (Fineshrine? Belispeak? Lofticries?) is a truly enjoyable female voice - another rarity in the genre, and even a male one as well to keeps things varied. When CBC Radio 3 first introduced them as the 25,000th artist on the website they seemed like a novelty act, however this full-length is chock full of tunes that blow that early dismissal away - Purity Ring are the real thing.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Patrick Watson - Adventure in Your Own Backyard: (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Patrick Watson - Adventures in Your Own Backyard
When Mr. Patrick Watson, along with his standup band, previewed this album at Koerner Hall late last year it obviously wasn't just the beautiful venue that made it such a magnificent show. As promised by the title Watson takes us on a new journey within a familiar context by singing his uniquely excellent voice atop beautiful, lush arrangements. The strings are lovely, the guitar work great, the brass splendid, the piano requisite, and all of the other sometimes-unorthodox instruments find their home comfortably in your backyard as well. Lighthouse, Step Out for Awhile and Into Giants all build into bold and beautiful creations, while Morning Sheets hearkens to Beck's critically acclaimed (and personally acclaimed) Sea Change album in its stripped down sound and evocative violins alongside the downbeat guitar. When the quietly pretty instrumental The Things You Do transitions to Strange Crooked Road it makes the latter stand out so much more. Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise won the '07 Polaris Music Prize, whereas Adventures was merely long-listed which seems a travesty as over and over again the album brings fresh beauty with each play.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Patrick Watson - Adventures in Your Own Backyard
When Mr. Patrick Watson, along with his standup band, previewed this album at Koerner Hall late last year it obviously wasn't just the beautiful venue that made it such a magnificent show. As promised by the title Watson takes us on a new journey within a familiar context by singing his uniquely excellent voice atop beautiful, lush arrangements. The strings are lovely, the guitar work great, the brass splendid, the piano requisite, and all of the other sometimes-unorthodox instruments find their home comfortably in your backyard as well. Lighthouse, Step Out for Awhile and Into Giants all build into bold and beautiful creations, while Morning Sheets hearkens to Beck's critically acclaimed (and personally acclaimed) Sea Change album in its stripped down sound and evocative violins alongside the downbeat guitar. When the quietly pretty instrumental The Things You Do transitions to Strange Crooked Road it makes the latter stand out so much more. Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise won the '07 Polaris Music Prize, whereas Adventures was merely long-listed which seems a travesty as over and over again the album brings fresh beauty with each play.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Wintersleep - Hello Hum (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
With Hello Hum Wintersleep have created a powerhouse record. Over a decade into their career this is some of the strongest work they have put out as a band. Featuring a number of strong songs that pull you along with them, offset by more downbeat but equally grabbing material, it is a band's album. Percussion plays a huge role as it tumbles along, both steadily and creatively at the same time - even the shaker is employed well as a driving force on songs like Resuscitate and Unzipper. The opener, Hum, has a je ne sais quoi that makes it play more of an introductory role than a standalone song and properly sets the scene for the journey ahead, starting with an amazing trifecta of In Came the Flood, Nothing is Anything and Resuscitate. Not only is the music suited to be electrifying live (as it is) but also stands its own as a record of note. Wintersleep may already have a strong back catalogue but here they prove they are not resting on their laurels but continuing to push their legacy - a legacy that upon future reflection will see this this record as a highlight.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
With Hello Hum Wintersleep have created a powerhouse record. Over a decade into their career this is some of the strongest work they have put out as a band. Featuring a number of strong songs that pull you along with them, offset by more downbeat but equally grabbing material, it is a band's album. Percussion plays a huge role as it tumbles along, both steadily and creatively at the same time - even the shaker is employed well as a driving force on songs like Resuscitate and Unzipper. The opener, Hum, has a je ne sais quoi that makes it play more of an introductory role than a standalone song and properly sets the scene for the journey ahead, starting with an amazing trifecta of In Came the Flood, Nothing is Anything and Resuscitate. Not only is the music suited to be electrifying live (as it is) but also stands its own as a record of note. Wintersleep may already have a strong back catalogue but here they prove they are not resting on their laurels but continuing to push their legacy - a legacy that upon future reflection will see this this record as a highlight.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Cold Specks - I Predict a Graceful Expulsion (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Cold Specks - I Predict a Graceful Expulsion
Where did this astounding voice come from? Nevermind, we should all just be thankful that she's here. Sure Al Spx had to floor some people overseas before drawing them back home to Canada to make a go of it. Now that we've had a chance to hear the amazingly untrained voice (at least professionally) there's no going back. On the album this instrument is put on full display, and rightly so, with sparse though creative instrumentation serving as a fitting backdrop. Each song is a lovely little present and when strung together serves as an ultimate gift. Best of all, with each listen it continues to give.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Cold Specks - I Predict a Graceful Expulsion
Where did this astounding voice come from? Nevermind, we should all just be thankful that she's here. Sure Al Spx had to floor some people overseas before drawing them back home to Canada to make a go of it. Now that we've had a chance to hear the amazingly untrained voice (at least professionally) there's no going back. On the album this instrument is put on full display, and rightly so, with sparse though creative instrumentation serving as a fitting backdrop. Each song is a lovely little present and when strung together serves as an ultimate gift. Best of all, with each listen it continues to give.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't
Jens Lekman isn't about to take my advice. He doesn't want feedback and why should he? He has proven his musical acumen over the years and on I Know What Love Isn't he makes a case for musical genius. From the opening piano number that seems to set the scene but then doesn't, as the album quickly changes up. It goes on to include an air of adult contemporary with the sax - though he doesn't go full Kenny G on us like Destroyer did on last year's Kaputt. Amidst the varied and lovely instrumentation, keying on piano but also featuring violin and brushed percussion, he has no problem dropping lines without hesitation like "it's just some dirt on your shoulder" and "someone should make a pamphlet called 'So You Think You're in Love with Jennifer'". He even has the nerve to bookend it by titling both the opening and the closing tracks the exact same thing. You'd think the title track would be a morose, downbeat affair that tugs at the heartstrings but it rolls out with a surprising spring in its step, a tambourine and a xylophone. Apparently I am the one who doesn't know what music is, or is supposed to be. While bucking conventions Jens has included a number of faux pas and yet has still crafted a wonderfully textured record that takes a sly, offbeat approach to heartbreak that completely works. Kudos.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't
Jens Lekman isn't about to take my advice. He doesn't want feedback and why should he? He has proven his musical acumen over the years and on I Know What Love Isn't he makes a case for musical genius. From the opening piano number that seems to set the scene but then doesn't, as the album quickly changes up. It goes on to include an air of adult contemporary with the sax - though he doesn't go full Kenny G on us like Destroyer did on last year's Kaputt. Amidst the varied and lovely instrumentation, keying on piano but also featuring violin and brushed percussion, he has no problem dropping lines without hesitation like "it's just some dirt on your shoulder" and "someone should make a pamphlet called 'So You Think You're in Love with Jennifer'". He even has the nerve to bookend it by titling both the opening and the closing tracks the exact same thing. You'd think the title track would be a morose, downbeat affair that tugs at the heartstrings but it rolls out with a surprising spring in its step, a tambourine and a xylophone. Apparently I am the one who doesn't know what music is, or is supposed to be. While bucking conventions Jens has included a number of faux pas and yet has still crafted a wonderfully textured record that takes a sly, offbeat approach to heartbreak that completely works. Kudos.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk (Year-End Album Review)
A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.
Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk
Its use of sound, and even lack of sound, is majestic. It calmly draws you in, firmly plants you in place and in the most devastating, yet achingly lovely way carries you through its spectrum of music and emotion. Jonas Bonetta lays bare his innermost thoughts through his emotive lyrics, conveyed by his equally suggestive voice. Revolving around this one man's songwriting it's as if the expectations are for a bare, acoustic record but in reality it is quietly lush, as the production magnificently accomplishes a full sound even in the most somber and hushed moments. Powerful in the way that it can hold without needing to grab, and haunting how first the notes hang, and then the raw spirit behind it all lingers. Even the use of field recordings, as also heard on his previous album Spirit Guides, fits the intended aesthetic of the record beautifully. Gorgeous front to back, it does not rush and it seems only to improve upon repeated listening.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk
Its use of sound, and even lack of sound, is majestic. It calmly draws you in, firmly plants you in place and in the most devastating, yet achingly lovely way carries you through its spectrum of music and emotion. Jonas Bonetta lays bare his innermost thoughts through his emotive lyrics, conveyed by his equally suggestive voice. Revolving around this one man's songwriting it's as if the expectations are for a bare, acoustic record but in reality it is quietly lush, as the production magnificently accomplishes a full sound even in the most somber and hushed moments. Powerful in the way that it can hold without needing to grab, and haunting how first the notes hang, and then the raw spirit behind it all lingers. Even the use of field recordings, as also heard on his previous album Spirit Guides, fits the intended aesthetic of the record beautifully. Gorgeous front to back, it does not rush and it seems only to improve upon repeated listening.
Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.
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