These year end lists are always kind of a load of bullshit when you think about it. They take something completely subjective like art and force you to slap a number on it. That being said, they are very fun to write, and for the reader, equally fun to tear apart. So what's the common thread here? There has to be some sort of theme to all of this killer music, right?
2012 will always be remembered in my mind as the Year of the Rookie. Young guns provided a refreshing change of pace, and it seemed as though this new wave of talent would replace the acts we had come to cherish over the past decade. In contrast, 2013 saw big names come back in big ways (holograms? Surprise album releases? Interactive music videos? Live-stream concerts directed by Steve Buscemi?), showing that the previous year was not a vacation, but rather a time for them and their publicity teams to hatch ideas for their eventual return. No, we didn't get proper follow-up records from Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, or Tame Impala (fingers crossed for 2014), but more importantly, who cares when Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, and Justin Timberlake show that they’re not ready to leave any time soon? Looking through this lens (with some notable exceptions, see numbers 7, 9, and 10), I give you my favorite albums of the year:
10. CHVRCHES- The Bones of What You Believe
CHVRCHES is one of those bands you can't help but root for. The Scottish electro-pop trio dish out every serving of catchy hooks and sparkling synths with a bit of harsh reality. The sound of lead singer Lauren Mayberry's voice alone will put you in an upbeat mood, but upon further inspection, the group's songs deal mostly with fractured relationships and trying to regain trust in loved ones. These hard-nosed lyrics go perfectly with fluttery numbers like "Gun," where Mayberry sings, "Hide, hide, I will burn your bridges/ Now I'll be a gun, and it's you I'll come for." On The Bones of What You Believe, CHVRCHES have put together an astonishingly solid first outing that will leave you pushing for these guys and wondering why Top 40 radio can't sound this good.
9. Chance The Rapper- Acid Rap
It's almost dizzying how talented Chance The Rapper can be sometimes. Acid Rap finds the young Chicago MC tripping out and going in on cosmic beats. You can imagine him in the booth, jumping up and down like the spaz he is on "Good Ass Intro." He goes straight through the roof on "Chain Smoker," only to float safely down to earth by the end. "Everybody's Something" is a beautifully removed, ultimately uplifting song that everyone from Chief Keef to your high school english teacher can appreciate. The true jaw dropper, however, is "Pusha Man." What starts off as a light-hearted nod to Curtis Mayfield ends up changing the tone of the entire album with the switch of a beat. If he’s not careful, he might change the tone of the whole damn genre.
8. Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience (Part One)
Let’s make this clear: Part two of The 20/20 Experience was a major disappointment, but can we just return to that moment in March when JT slid onto the SNL stage and did such a slick rendition of “Suit and Tie” that even my dad had to give him props? Can we go back there, when everything was awesome? Timberlake teams up with Timbaland again, but rather than trying to recreate 2007's Future Sex/Love Sounds, the duo have cooked up a batch of songs with great variety. "Spaceship Coupe" finds him ridin' round Mars, and the very next track, "That Girl," finds him in a musty Memphis bar. Yes, some of these songs are far too long if you’re going to sit down and listen to this thing all the way through, but this ain’t that kind of album. Even at its most heartfelt (“Tunnel Vision,” “Mirrors”), this album, like any good Timberlake album, commands you to dance. So for the love of Christ, shut up and let the groove get in.
7. Earl Sweatshirt- Doris
Earl Sweatshirt has always struck me as the least weird of the weirdos in Odd Future. It seems like he's the one of the bunch that got unknowingly roped into all of the madness. Earl's Doris tries to organize the many complicated emotions this young group has experienced since their whirlwind rise to stardom. "Burgundy," "Sunday," "Hive," and "Chum" are among the group's greatest cuts to date, and while Earl doesn't necessarily have an answer to every problem he brings up here, that's perfectly alright. This guy has a long career ahead of him, and as impressive as Doris is, you have to remember that this kid is only 19, and these journeys into his psyche are only going to get clearer and clearer as time goes on. Maybe that's why so many people find Earl so appealing: he's a normal kid trying to make sense of a strange situation. Or maybe it's because he raps about screwing nuns.
6. Danny Brown- Old
Old is about as bipolar as any album released this year. The first half finds Danny Brown returning to his Detroit roots, a run of the mill gangster with a deep voice who transports us to the horrors of the streets. He roles through the destruction with no mercy on songs like the Outkast homage "The Return" with Freddie Gibbs ("Done rose out them ashes, drinking Fiji water/ Wanna pull me in that fire when I'm tryna feed my daughter/ Wanna snatch my momma's plate, and tell her she can't eat/ And we gone have us some discrepancies right here in this skreet"), and walks us through his nightmares on "Torture" ("Gunshots outside was sorta like fireworks/ We know they ain't fireworks; it's December 21st/ Cold winter with a kerosene heater/ On the couch so cold you can't take off your sneakers"). But at some point in the middle, perhaps during the onslaught of "Red 2 Go," something snaps, and the second half sees the Adderall Admiral go on a drug-fueled bender no mere mortal could ever survive ("Dip," "Break It [Go]," "Handstand," "Kush Coma"). It all comes to a close with Danny Brown rising above both halves of his persona in a moment of clarity on "Float On." "Pray I get old just to hear I been the future/ Just to see my influence in this genre of music," he mumbles at the end, and considering Old's compelling character portrait and innovative production, there's no doubt that his influence will be quite large.
5. Daft Punk- Random Access Memories
Welcome to Boogie Nights as seen by two robots. Random Access Memories is much more than Daft Punk's disco album, it's an alternate dimension where two supernatural producers have crash-landed into 1970's America in order to spread funk to the masses. Collaboration with other artists has not always been a selling point for this duo (the helmets must put up some social barriers), but all the greatest moments on their latest album come when they are able to transport their guests back in time. Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams hit the dance floor on the summer smash "Get Lucky" and "Lose Yourself To Dance." Paul Williams trembles on the haunting "Touch." Even indie stars Julian Casablancas of the Strokes ("Instant Crush") and Panda Bear of Animal Collective ("Doin' It Right") get in on the fun. RAM is an inter-gallactic jam-fest, one that will have you electing to get beamed up again and again.
4. Pusha T- My Name Is My Name
Call it a coke rap classic. After multiple release date push-backs, Pusha-T finally went solo with My Name Is My Name, and the results are phenomenal. Everything you could want from a hip-hop CD is right here. "Numbers On The Boards" showcases Push's talents over a hard-knocking Kanye West beat. "Sweet Serenade" is a strong candidate for strip club anthem of the year. The-Dream assisted "40 Acres" is about holding on to your dignity. "Who I Am," with 2 Chainz and Big Sean, is about holding on to DI$ MONEY! But all of these issues play second-fiddle to what is really paramount to Pusha-T, and that is the business. The blaring "Nosetalgia" and the vengeful "S.N.I.T.C.H" are harrowing reminders of how inescapable the drug culture is in America once you have been immersed in it. On "Numbers On The Boards," a quick Jay-Z sample interjects, "Motherfuckers can't rhyme no more, bout crime no more." Pusha-T makes him eat those words.
3. Arcade Fire- Reflektor
It's only once you get to "Afterlife," the immensely satisfying penultimate track on Reflektor, that Arcade Fire really start to sound like Arcade Fire again. Up until this point, we get 70's Bowie ("Reflektor"), Haitian dance music ("Flashbulb Eyes," "Here Comes The Night Time"), and garage blues reminiscent of the White Stripes ("Normal Person"). With James Murphy coaching them on the sideline, they even take a stab at playing the role of LCD Soundsystem on "Porno." Instead of releasing another spectacular arena-rock album that everyone knows they are capable of making, they have taken the high road and made something that lives up to its name and reflects the work of other artists right back at them. Reflektor is Arcade Fire desperately trying to be something, ANYTHING other than Arcade Fire. The end product is a bit of an overwhelming mess the first time you sift through it, but this double album proves to be incredibly cohesive with additional listening. Arcade Fire try on many masks and disguises on Reflektor, but the best costume they dawn here, on songs like "Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)" and "It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)," is the all too elusive "timeless band" suit. Guess what, it fits them perfectly.
2. Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City
You don't have to totally jump ship and redefine your style to make a great album. Vampire Weekend's latest work finds them doing exactly what they’ve done in the past, but this time they do it to perfection. There are so many fine lines these guys walk in their music, and they do it all so gracefully. To balance traditional African rhythms and happy-go-lucky rock, baroque compositions and Cape Cod summer playlist material, lyrics that a literature scholar can pour over and lines like "Baby, baby, baby, baby, right on time,"…. there are a million wrong turns they could take, but they manage to avoid every single one. The spectrum of emotions you feel throughout this album is huge. One moment you’ll want to light a car on fire (“Diane Young”), the next all you’ll want is a hug (“Hannah Hunt,” “Everlasting Arms”), and not a single transition feels forced. After releasing Modern Vampires of the City, VW could have easily taken the traditional indie route and become a bunch of pompous recluses. Instead, they did a cover of "Blurred Lines." If you still think these dudes are a bunch of uppity Columbia grads after seeing everything they've accomplished in 2013, I hate to break it to you friend, but it's time to have that stick up your ass removed.
1. Kanye West- Yeezus
I refuse to contribute any more talking points (like there are any left that haven't been covered) to the massive ongoing discussion surrounding Kanye West and Yeezus. Simply put, Yeezus is the best album of 2013. It rocks. Nothing beat it this year. If you want to know why, look at any credible music publication's review (you can also check mine out here). Say what you want about Kanye West as a person, you'd be certifiably insane if you thought he's 100% normal or right about EVERYTHING he says, but the music is still there. It's demanding, entertaining, and it's begging you to listen to it. Heed the call.
Honorable Mention:
A$AP Rocky- Long.Live.A$AP:
Just missed the cut. While not quite as good as the mixtape that put him on the map, Rocky proves he can be a superstar on his debut album.
Disclosure- Settle:
The best EDM of the year. And you don't feel like a douchebag listening to it.
Run The Jewels- Run The Jewels:
Killer Mike and El-P: Fuck boys know the combination ain't healthy.
Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady:
Why she hasn't become a household name by now honestly boggles my mind. Janelle delivers again.
Savages- Silence Yourself:
Their performance on Fallon made me a believer. A real "cut the shit and let us play" type of band.
Thundercat- Apocalypse:
He'll break your mind with his bass guitar, and then piece it back together with his falsetto.
The National- Trouble Will Find Me:
More baritone blundering. It's the best dad-rock money can buy.
HAIM- Days Are Gone:
Jewish girls rock! Something tells me these three sisters are going to be around for a long time.
Kendrick’s Verse on “Control”:
Why not? It has more memorable moments than most full albums, right?
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