(Getty Images | Illustration by Zimbio)
From artists whose work rightfully resonated with millions to those who remain independent gems, these were the brightest moments in music in the past year. Be sure to check out the full list through the links below.
5. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel
There are no accessible, radio-friendly songs on
Fiona Apple's fourth and finest album, the
The The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. Despite the spare instrumentation on many of its tracks, most of its songs seem to revel in their own complexity, echoing the frantic, dizzying nature of the album's title. There are no obvious melodies, no rhymes for rhyme's sake. It's not an easy listen. But then, who would ever expect an easy listen from Fiona Apple?
Raw confessionalism has been Fiona's game for decades now, but never has it been so very focused. In songs like "Left Alone," Fiona's voice careens and flutters wildly between octaves and tempos, but still manages to sound controlled, like an instrument that absolutely no one else could ever play. Lyrically, too, there's that emotional bareness for which Fiona is so famous, but it's matured since her
When the Pawn days: Apple seems elegantly and eloquently resigned to her own discomfort and emotional isolation. It's painful, yes, but it's lovely, too.
Choice track: "Left Alone"
4. Kishi Bashi: 151aKishi Bashi may have the least name recognition of anyone on this list, but the Norfolk, Virginia-based artist's
151a was far and away the most beloved album in the Zimbio offices this year — perhaps the only album about which all the editors agreed. A former touring musician for of Montreal and Regina Spektor, classically trained violinist Kaoru Ishibashi has created an ebullient experimental pop masterpiece that is as warm and inviting as it is dizzying and weird. Frankly, he's made it impossible not to gush.
Though Kishi frequently draws comparisons to Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett, mostly due to his choice of instrument and the layering technique he uses to construct his songs, his work is far too wild for such categorization (we've yet to hear Pallett pull off a song anything like "Just the Tip," for one). And while the album is exciting in its own right, it must be noted that Kishi Bashi's live show is a thing of wonder: It's not uncommon to see people weeping during his usual closing song, "Manchester," a work of true romance.
Choice track: "Manchester"
3. Beach House: BloomIt seemed unfathomable that Maryland-based duo Beach House could improve on 2010's
Teen Dream, an album that somehow managed to sound both icy and passionate at once. But if the band came into its own with
Teen Dream, it unfolded and revealed itself yet more with
Bloom, evolving without altering its fundamental aesthetic.
The band's music is often described as "ethereal dream pop," and while it's certainly dreamy, there's a very real emotional weight to each of
Bloom's achingly pretty songs, though the lyrics very rarely resonate on paper. The magic is in the writing: The band has cut down on wispy, languid haziness in favor of poppier melodies and tighter songwriting, ultimately making Bloom a more cohesive and refined experience than previous efforts.
Choice track: "Wild"
2. Kendrick Lamar: good kid, m.A.A.d cityAny fears that rapper Kendrick Lamar might have lost control of his creative vision after signing with a major label were immediately assuaged with the release of
good kid, m.A.A.d city. A highly autobiographical concept album that offers a narrative on innocence and adolescence in the gang-riddled streets of Compton, it very deservedly had the the biggest-selling debut of any hip-hop artist in 2012, with approximately 242,000 copies sold in its first week of release.
Lamar has done something remarkable: He's created a stunningly personal concept piece that is not only accessible, but radio-friendly as well. The obvious singles, "Backseat Freestyle" and "Swimming Pools (Drank)," do not sound like they're pandering to the mainstream, as they fit naturally into the album's captivating narrative — having painted the portrait of a posturing adolescent, Kendrick is free to stunt without lasting damage. Everything is just right: The rhymes, the beats, the flow, and in perfect order.
Choice track: "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst"
1. Frank Ocean: channel ORANGEIn July,
Frank Ocean posted a lengthy open letter to his Tumblr, illuminating the primary inspiration behind his debut full-length album c
hannel ORANGE: heartbreak. Ocean revealed that he had first had his heart broken at 19, when he found himself impossibly in love with a man who would never reciprocate. A lesser artist's work might have been overshadowed by the ensuing media circus — endless conversations about the bravery of Ocean's admission in the typically homophobic landscape of urban music, for one — but Ocean had already safeguarded himself from all that. He wrote the album of the year. c
hannel Orange is undeniable.
"[I] knew that if I was going to say what I said, it had to be in concert with one of the most brilliant pieces of art that has come out in my generation. And that's what I did. Why can I say that? Why I don't have to affect all this humility and shit is because I worked my ass off," the singer recently told
GQ.
In the days after Ocean's statement, some fans tried to determine which songs had been written about that failed first love. But Ocean, who has been earning a cushy living as a songwriter in Los Angeles for several years, extends his focus well beyond soul-touching torch songs on
channel ORANGE, painting unsettling vignettes of isolation and discontent from several different narrative perspectives. It's an intense portrait of American alienation that's as funny as it is devastating.
Choice track: "Bad Religion" 
No comments:
Post a Comment