A Round of Sound

#10) Daft Punk – Random Access Memories [Columbia; released 5/21/2013]

“We’re up all night to get lucky.”

“Get Lucky”

Daft Punk’s first studio album in 8 years (let’s just ignore the Tron: Legacy Soundtrack), is a group of addictive dance songs inspired by the last four decades, particularly the sounds of the 70’s and 80’s making Random Access Memories a retro listen paying tribute to pretty much anyone the duo wanted to. The songs are impeccably produced, yet remain loose making this album one that could be used as a party mix just as easily as a headphone listen, especially since the songs are so melodically rich but still provide value for a deeper listening experience. It’s a modern record with a nostalgic appreciation for the past, which succeeds in using those influences to make something indelibly Daft Punk.

[“Get Lucky” – Random Access Memories]

#9) Lorde – Pure Heroine [Republic; released 9/30/2013]

“I’m kinda over being told to throw my hands up in the air.”

“Team”

As with any musician discovered at a young age only to be molded by a record label (as is the story of Lorde), there’s concern of a manufactured pop star quality that appears once the artist is released into the wild, if you will. This ultimately doomed Lana Del Rey’s coming out party, someone who New Zealand teenager Ella Yelich-O’Connor has often been compared. However, with Pure Heroine, O’Connor’s debut as Lorde, we have as bold a statement from a young artist that we’ve seen in quite some time. Forget the monster hit “Royals” (well, don’t, it’s an amazing song), the other 9 songs here are just as exquisite pop gems with a staggering amount of depth coming from a 16 year old. (Yes, O’Connor writes her own lyrics and co-writes her songs.) Musically, the minimalism of these tracks gives a restrained quality much like The XX, allowing enough blank space for the listener to become fully enveloped. There is such a unique charm to Lorde, thanks to O’Connor’s confidence and attitude that makes Pure Heroine is as vital as anything released in 2013.

[“Tennis Court” – Pure Heroine]

#8) Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse [Fat Possum; released 3/5/2013]

“You’ll never die.”

“Dropla”

The sophomore effort from Youth Lagoon is a weird listen, certainly not for everyone, but has enough melodic achievement to intrigue and perhaps entrap those that might otherwise be turned off to a more experimental version of avant-garde pop. However, for those fully on board with the quirky sound of the Idaho native, this is one of the most affecting and beautiful albums of the year. Trevor Powers has followed up his well received debut with a stirring collection of lush and haunting dream-pop that immediately reminds me of The Antlers’ magnificent album Hospice (my #2 album of 2009) thanks to Powers’ tender and vulnerable vocals paired with dark and eerie tunes. Wondrous Bughouse is a masterful album, an intimate record, uplifting at times and devastating at others, displaying the gravitas required of such a listen.

[“Mute” – Wondrous Bughouse]

#7) Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe [Glassnote; released 9/24/2013]

“I’ll be a thorn in your side until you die.”

“We Sink”

The Bones of What You Believe is the highly anticipated debut from the Glasgow trio and does not disappoint, introducing an arresting new voice in stunning fashion. Coming from a Scottish music scene dominated by male lead groups (Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Twilight Sad) it’s refreshing to hear a female voice emerge, and even moreso when the tunes still pack the emotional punch of her regional peers. Lauren Mayberry is that voice, and her backing band members have certainly hitched their wagon to the right star, although their input should not be overlooked. Ian Cook and Martin Doherty (Doherty is a former touring member of the aforementioned The Twilight Sad) are creating some shimmering electro-pop behind Mayberry’s voice that contains enough sweeping melodrama to fit seamlessly alongside M83’s best work. (For real, just listen to the synthesizer explosion that closes out “Tether”.) But Chvrches will only go as far as Mayberry’s voice allows, and her voice is a revelation, not only pitch perfect but also able to evoke a multitude of feelings effortlessly – vengeance seems to be her go-to – to create emotionally resonant songs all contained in a pristine crystalline package. This is catchy, intelligent synth-pop with just the right hint of darkness to set Chvrches up for a very long shelf life.

[“Recover” – The Bones of What You Believe]

#6) Arcade Fire – Reflektor [Merge; released 10/29/2013]

“We know there’s a price to pay for love in a reflective age.”

“Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)”

Much was made of the marketing leading up to Reflektor, the 4^th album from the Canadian rockers, what with a viral marketing campaign, an SNL special, papier-mâché masks, and requesting concert attendees to be in costume, but not enough attention has been focused toward the fact that this bizarre, ambitious and over the top album is the freakin’ follow up to a Grammy winning album of the year. Not that I expected Arcade Fire to rest on their laurels – they were as surprised as anyone with their Grammy win – but I don’t think anyone quite expected an epic double album with songs rarely under 5 minutes featuring Caribbean dance themes and schizophrenic songwriting styles. To be clear, this is a massively bloated and indulgent listen, but in fairness so has everything this group has done to this point in their career. The Suburbs was excellent of course (my #2 album of 2010), but despite being 20 minutes longer (if you include the have-to-search-for hidden track), Reflektor actual feels like a shorter listen. Part of that is thanks to the record’s two distinct sides, a welcome quality found on any double album released these days, which split the songs into a more rough around the edges first half and its textural grandiose counterpart. Producer James Murphy’s (LCD Soundsystem) fingerprints are all over Reflektor as the band employed the go-to guy for dance rock to create an album of spontaneously joyous tunes that’s a brilliant reflection of the Haitian Carnival atmosphere that inspired it into being.

[“Afterlife” – Reflektor]

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 16th, 2014 at 1:08 pm and is filed under All, Music, Top Albums of 2013. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.