One more item to wrap up my 2012 in music: a rundown of my favorite songs of 2012. I created five playlists, each just tight enough to squeeze onto an 80-minute CD. Each playlist is in no particular order. Now, on to 2013!
Best of 2012 – Rocky
Serpents – Sharon Van Etten from Tramp
Hold On – Alabama Shakes from Boys & Girls
A Simple Answer – Grizzly Bear from Shields
Charmer – Aimee Mann from Charmer
Jackson – Craig Finn from Clear Heart Full Eyes
Used To Rule The World – Bonnie Raitt from Slipstream
Pretty Girl From Michigan – The Avett Brothers from The Carpenter
Pirates – Jenny Owen Youngs from An Unwavering Band of Light
The Way You Were Raised – Admiral Fallow from Tree Bursts in Snow
North Side Gal – J.D. McPherson from Signs & Signifiers
Big Parade – The Lumineers from The Lumineers
Sidecar – Kathleen Edwards from Voyageur
Generals – The Mynabirds from Generals
Nothing To Remember – Neko Case from The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond
You As You Were – Shearwater from Animal Joy
The Only Place – Best Coast from The Only Place
Bend Beyond – Woods from Bend Beyond
Eyeoneye – Andrew Bird from Break It Yourself
Hey Jane – Spiritualized from Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Best of 2012 – Folky
Dyin Day – Anais Mitchell from Young Man In America
Guttersnipe – Bhi Bhiman from Bhiman
Walk the Furrows – Bowerbirds from The Clearing
Mahalla – Carolina Chocolate Drops from Leaving Eden
Harder Before It Gets Easier – David Wax Museum from Knock Knock Get Up
Bun In The Oven – Eleni Mandell from I Can See The Future
Emmylou – First Aid Kit from The Lion’s Roar
Empire Of Our State (featuring Emily Saliers) – Girlyman from Supernova
Milk-Heavy, Pollen-Eyed – Laura Gibson from La Grande
Harlem Roulette – The Mountain Goats from Transcendental Youth
Into Giants – Patrick Watson from Adventures In Your Own Backyard
The Golden Age and the Silver Girl – Tyler Lyle from The Golden Age & The Silver Girl
Live And Die – The Avett Brothers from The Carpenter
Venus – Anais Mitchell from Young Man In America
The Fire – Laura Gibson from La Grande
Chameleon/Comedian – Kathleen Edwards from Voyageur
The Storm, It’s Coming – Glen Hansard from Rhythm And Repose
Call Me the Breeze – Beth Orton from Sugaring Season
September – The Shins from Port Of Morrow
California – Tyler Lyle from The Golden Age & The Silver Girl
This Girl – Punch Brothers from Who’s Feeling Young Now?
Best of 2012 – Poppy
Firewood – Regina Spektor from What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Ghost – Ingrid Michaelson from Human Again
All I Can – Sharon Van Etten from Tramp
King of the World – First Aid Kit from The Lion’s Roar
Lakeside View Apartments Suite – The Mountain Goats from Transcendental Youth
All Alone – Fun. from Some Nights
Friends Of Friends – Hospitality from Hospitality
The Fish and the Bird – Sylvie Lewis from It’s All True
Valle de Magnolias – Gaby Moreno from Postales
Something More Beautiful – Beth Orton from Sugaring Season
I’m Not The Same Without You – Donald Fagen from Sunken Condos
Little Talks – Of Monsters And Men from My Head Is An Animal
Robin – Tennis from Young & Old
Greatest Revenge – The Mynabirds from Generals
Never Ending Happening – Bill Fay from Life Is People
Small Town Moon – Regina Spektor from What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Magic Summertime – Eleni Mandell from I Can See The Future
Mountain Sound – Of Monsters And Men from My Head Is An Animal
Now Is The Start – A Fine Frenzy from Pines
Cut The World – Antony & The Johnsons from Cut The World
Best of 2012 – Quirky
Danse Caribe – Andrew Bird from Break It Yourself
Garden – Lost In The Trees from A Church That Fits Our Needs
Bright Whites – Kishi Bashi from 151a
Stitch the Hem – Bowerbirds from The Clearing
The Good Life (Is Wasted) – Lambchop from Mr. M
Quiet Crowd – Patrick Watson from Adventures In Your Own Backyard
The Forest Awakes – David Byrne & St. Vincent from Love This Giant
Amanaemonesia – Chairlift from Something
Gun Has No Trigger – Dirty Projectors from Swing Lo Magellan
Manhattan – Cat Power from Sun
Dark Star – Poliça from Give You The Ghost
Walking On a Wire – The Casket Girls from Sleepwalking
Valentine – Fiona Apple from The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
This Dead Bird Is Beautiful – Lost In The Trees from A Church That Fits Our Needs
Travelers – Bright Moments from Natives
Marienbad – Julia Holter from Ekstasis
Varúð – Sigur Rós from Valtari
Best of 2012 – Extras (basically the songs that wouldn’t fit onto the other four CDs and that I couldn’t bear to leave out)
Love Is Luck – The Walkmen from Heaven
40 Mark Strasse – The Shins from Port Of Morrow
Fields Of Progeny – Great Lake Swimmers from New Wild Everywhere
I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons from Babel
Nothing Is The News – Damien Jurado from Maraqopa
The Rumors Are True – David Wax Museum from Knock Knock Get Up
High Hope – Glen Hansard from Rhythm And Repose
Something Like Olivia – John Mayer from Born And Raised
Please Be My Third Eye – La Sera from Sees The Light
Missing – The xx from Coexist
Sailingsong – A Fine Frenzy from Pines
Broke – Sea Of Bees from Orangefarben
Radio Song – Esperanza Spalding from Radio Music Society
Video Games – Lana Del Rey from Born To Die
Left Alone – Fiona Apple from The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Keep Your Heart Young – Brandi Carlile from Bear Creek
At last, my list of favorite albums of 2012. This was an odd year for me and music. I listened to a ton of new music, but this blog languished as I spent time learning to play guitar and just listening to music. It was not hard to identify what my favorite albums were, but ranking them was not easy — and singling one out as my #1 favorite was nearly impossible. But, it turns out that I just needed a method and that solved my dilemma. In retrospect, my #1 makes total sense to me now.
By listening to all my 2012 songs randomly and rating each one, I was able to rank all 86 albums I purchased this year. I then added a second value for how many times I listened to the album this year — this arguably provides an unfair benefit for albums released earlier in the year, but I wonder whether the song rating process benefits newer songs more.
In any case here’s my top 30 and honorable mentions, following by my complete list.
#1 : Laura Gibson – La Grande
A hauntingly beautiful album by soft-voiced alt-folk singer-songwriter Laura Gibson. I love everything about every moment of this album, from the drum-driven title track that opens it to the elegiac finale, Feather Lungs. Gibson may be the voice who inspired NPR Music to start the now wildly successful Tiny Desk Concerts series (basically to showcase understated musicians who need an intimate setting to showcase their work), but there is huge depth here and as she assures us in Lion/Lamb that “I am not a lamb/I am a lion.” Truly a masterpiece.
La Grande official video:
Feather Lungs live on KEXP (Seattle):
#2: Bowerbirds – The Clearing
Another album that was just strong from start to finish. Alt-folk with chamber folk tendencies, this North Carolina band produced an album of wonderfully complex songs with multiple layers. A great example is the opening track, Tuck the Darkness In, which exhibits one of my favorite song characteristics: starts quiet, gets loud.
Tuck the Darkness In official video:
Brave World live:
#3: First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
The best Americana album of the year just happens to have been produced by a pair of 20-something sisters from the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. This work by Johanna and Klara Söderberg fits just like an old shoe, instantly comfortable and essentially timeless. It’s fitting that in Emmylou, they name-check two great Americana couples: Johnny & June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris.
The Lion’s Roar live on the streets of Paris:
Emmylou official video:
#4: Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
A great album in the long list of great moving-on-from-a-breakup albums. This one has the interesting twist of being co-produced by Edwards and her new significant other Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. The going and coming emotions of this album may be best summed up by Soft Place to Land and Sidecar.
Soft Place to Land live on CBC:
Sidecar live in a park:
#5: The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
Can “country music for people who don’t like country music” be officially defined as a musical genre? Much like my reaction to First Aid Kit, I liked this album immediately and never stopped liking it. Fun music that just entertains. Oddly, I had the opposite reaction to the very similar Mumford & Sons, which left me cold even though it was widely acclaimed — go figure.
Live and Die official video:
#6: Regina Spektor – What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Really breathtaking piano-based pop of the lyrically rich variety. I was totally captivated by this album, with its many emotional high points — I even forgive the misstep that is Oh Marcello (Russian-American singer adopts really bad Italian accent for one song). Highlights for me were Firewood and How, plus the brilliant two and a half minute The Party.
Firewood song only:
#7: Glen Hansard – Rhythm And Repose
Proof that I’m capable of warming to a male singer-songwriter. This album of guitar-based folk-pop quietly smolders with emotion. It sounds like he and Marketa Irglova will be reuniting (musically though not romantically) for another Swell Season album soon. It seems clear to me from these songs that he’s found his muse in Marketa — almost every song he sings seems like it’s about her.
High Hope official video:
#8: Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
Hypertalented multi-instrumentalist delivers another album of complex and interesting folk-rock. Like Bowerbirds, Bird proves that fascinating and multilayered music can also be thoroughly enjoyable — it’s art and it’s entertainment. Danse Caribe is a great example: Bird plays his amped violin in multiple ways in the same song and the whole thing just rocks.
Danse Caribe live on KCRW:
#9: Of Monsters And Men – My Head Is An Animal
Ultra accessible power pop from Iceland that made a big splash in 2012. Good timesy sound, singalong choruses, male-female vocalists, hooks a-plenty — lots here to like. I knew this band had made it big with their debut album when I saw they were playing a feature about the band on a bank of TVs at a Best Buy I was walking through.
Little Talks live:
#10: Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Like Andrew Bird, a talented musician produces a wonderfully complex album of intricate folk-rock. Each song appears to be carefully crafted, following its own course at its own pace to its own conclusion. This is far from a solo album — Watson’s impossibly high voice anchors things, but he’s got a strong band backing him too.
Into Giants live:
#11: Beth Orton – Sugaring Season
A late release that managed to make it way up the list, thankfully. Orton has said she nearly gave up on music after her last album, but I’m glad to see she’s sticking with it. I love her trio of earlier albums, Trailer Park, Central Reservation, and Daybreaker, but this one may have topped those. Quiet reflective music that deepens with each listen.
Something More Beautiful official video:
#12: Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Yes, the title is a little annoying, but like Regina Spektor’s, this album is impossible to ignore or forget. Like Jesca Hoop way down at #55, Apple is clearly serving a demanding muse (one that asks her to wear a rubber octopus on her head, if the video below is any indication), but the results here are more accessible while just as uncompromising.
Every Single Night official video:
#13: A Fine Frenzy – Pines
An ambitious indie pop concept album about a tree contemplating its future from Alison Sudol, aka A Fine Frenzy. I think there are moments when her reach exceeds her grasp, but overall this is an excellent album that really demands a complete listen without interruption or distraction.
Now is the Start official video:
#14: Lost In The Trees – A Church That Fits Our Needs
I’m a little sad to see this fall to #14, frankly. A brilliant tribute to band leader Ari Picker’s mother that’s got more emotional depth than a carton of albums. Chamber folk at its best — pushing musical boundaries and always challenging their listeners. How many bands out there boast two cellists?
This Dead Bird is Beautiful live:
#15: Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
This album is a milestone for Van Etten, who proves she’s more than a confessional solo artist, but is capable fronting a fully fledged rock band. Her songs lose none of their emotional depth, but now pack a sonic punch. I can’t wait to see where her continued transformation takes her.
All I Can live:
#16: The Mynabirds – Generals
The most outspokenly political album that I was aware of this year. Laura Burhenn, fresh from touring as the keyboardist for Bright Eyes, produces a feminist manifesto that rocks.
Generals live:
#17: The Shins – Port Of Morrow
I’m struggling to find words for this one. Simple and highly effective pop-rock that doesn’t blow you away with its brilliance, but just entertains. Clearly, there’s craftsmanship underneath, but this album for me is all about accessibility — just sit back and enjoy.
The Rifle’s Spiral official video:
#18: Anais Mitchell – Young Man In America
If the Mynabirds had the most outspoken political album, this one may be the most understated political album. Mitchell subtly tells stories that mostly focus on the joys and sorrows of rural life. Folk with a quiet message.
Young Man In America live with good sound, bad video (hey, it’s radio):
#19: Ingrid Michaelson – Human Again
The nice thing about a January release is that it’s possible to rediscover it many times throughout the year. This is wonderful indie pop (or as “indie” as you get with an album that was featured at Whole Foods) with a vulnerable core — a more accessible version of Fiona Apple (but maybe the comparison is unfair to both of them).
Blood Brothers live on Conan:
#20: The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
During a two-decade career, mostly as a solo artist by more recently as a band (but always under the Mountain Goats name), John Darnielle has created absorbing stories of people in the shadows, sung with a fierce urgency and intense empathy that is breathtaking. The opening line of the first song here, a tribute to Amy Winehouse titled Amy AKA Spent Gladiator 1, pretty much sums up this album: “Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive.”
Harlem Roulette explained and performed live in Brooklyn:
#21: Eleni Mandell – I Can See The Future
Another longtime singer-songwriter who just keeps at it, recording this album while pregnant with twins. There are softer edges here than her previous albums — she’s still a great songwriter, but maybe a little more content. After loving Eleni Mandell for years, I was very grateful to be able to see her live this year in a solo show at Passim in Harvard Square.
Magic Summertime official video (with a so Eleni ending):
#22: Admiral Fallow – Tree Bursts in Snow
A Scottish power pop band that I’ve grown to love. After their 2011 debut, Boots Met My Face, they avoid any sophomore slump with a strong followup. Has a lot in common with Of Monsters and Men and The New Pornographers — lots of instruments involved (including flute and clarinet) and catchy as you could ever want.
Isn’t This World Enough?? live:
#23: Tennis – Young & Old
I was pretty shocked to see this album show up so high in my rankings, but the numbers don’t lie. And it makes total sense. Though I’d forgotten about this album, another listen showed me what I like so much about it: female lead vocalist, catchy pop hooks, jangly/fuzzy guitars — they are a carbon copy of Velocity Girl, a late-90s band that I loved until they disappeared after three great albums.
It All Feels the Same live on David Letterman:
#24: Tyler Lyle – The Golden Age & The Silver Girl
Enjoyable acoustic folk that just works for me. This one came out of the blue, but he earned his spot with a debut album that rose above the thousands of other young singer songwriters out there.
Love is Not Enough official video:
#25: David Wax Museum – Knock Knock Get Up
A fun and catchy album of folk pop with a bit of a Mexican accent tossed in. Leaders David Wax and Suz Slezak put together an unusual sound that nonetheless works really well. Schedule conflicts have stymied my efforts to see this Boston-based band live, though I hope that changes in 2013.
Harder Before It Gets Easier live:
#26: Jenny Owen Youngs – An Unwavering Band of Light
You’ve gotta love this woman’s attitude — engaging and charismatic, plus she creates music that absolutely rocks. Every time I played this album, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I just can’t figure out why she isn’t hugely popular — maybe in 10 years, with another half dozen albums under her belt, she’ll be in Eleni Mandell/Mountain Goats/Aimee Mann territory of survivor who just never hit it big.
Pirates song only:
#27: Gaby Moreno – Postales
I love how Moreno defies genre, wandering around ballads, rock, R&B, and jazz. Interestingly, the LA-based Guatemalan singer songwriter seems to be singing more in Spanish as her music career develops. In last year’s Illustrated Songs, she sang mostly in English. Here, every song is in Spanish. Amazing voice.
Valle de Magnolias song only:
#28: Bhi Bhiman – Bhiman
A wonderful discovery whom I’ll be watching closely from now on. Mix witty lyrics with a beautiful wide-ranged voice and you get an astounding singer-songwriter. On Guttersnipe, I always marvel at how he stretches the line in the chorus about “I’m well on my way to feeeeeeeeeeling fine.”
Guttersnipe official video:
#29: fun. – Some Nights
Maybe my indie cred takes a little hit with this one, but it was impossible not to enjoy this album. Much more than just the megahit We Are Young, this one just did everything right.
All Alone live:
#30: Aimee Mann – Charmer
Another survivor who keeps on producing solid music year after year. Master of bitingly witty lyrics with an ear for a catchy melody, this is great stuff. There’s even a duet with James Mercer of The Shins (Living a Lie).
Charmer official video:
Honorable Mentions
Lots of interesting albums fell short of my cut-off at 30, but many of them are still worthy of attention.
Chairlift – Something (#32)
Retro-80s synth pop that I enjoyed a lot. Thanks to my niece who saw them at live SXSW and urged me to stick with them.
Hospitality – Hospitality (#33)
Like Tennis, a hyper-poppy female-fronted band that I liked a lot, though I’d love to see them delve deeper emotionally. Still, a strong debut.
Grizzly Bear – Shields (#36)
This is one I may find myself shaking my head about later — should have ended up higher on the list. Grizzly Bear made a lot of top-10 lists and it is clearly a quality album of complex prog-rock, but it’s a “grower” that’s still growing on me.
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (#37)
This may simply be a case of a few too many slow ballads that drew their score down, but when they turn up the heat there’s no one better. I like this band a lot and they deserve all the acclaim they’ve gotten.
Girlyman – Supernova (#39)
A band that I like a lot that seems to make albums that I like less and less with each release. Their wonderful mix of folky/countrified close harmony is lots of fun, but maybe they feel stuck in a rut to me.
The Lumineers – The Lumineers (#41)
Sorry to see this one drop so far, but it was probably squeezed out a bit by the Avett Brothers in the “good timesy countryish” category. This seems like a very fun band to see live.
Sylvie Lewis – It’s All True (#42)
She may be the poster child of the disadvantages faced by later releases. This album came out in June, but I didn’t stumble upon it until November. Even though I loved it, she drifted down the list to 42. A charming singer-songwriter who’s definitely one to watch.
Kishi Bashi – 151a (#48)
Really thrilling experimental pop by a wildly creative violinist/vocalist who’s got a bright future ahead of him.
Jesca Hoop – The House That Jack Built (#55)
Jesca Hoop is one of those artists who I just know will one day produce an album that will knock all of our socks off. So far, she’s produced three very original albums that boast tons of creative fireworks and an admirable desire to push the envelope, but her masterpiece still awaits.
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan (#57)
This is a case of an album that was brilliant at times, but had some songs that I just found tiresome — “hit and miss” gets penalized pretty badly by my system. But the creative energy of this group is something to behold. Unto Caesar, with its off-the-wall lyrics that eventually cause the backup singers to start questioning (“Uh, that didn’t make any sense, what you just said.”), was one of my favorite songs of the year.
Heartless Bastards – Arrow (#86)
Here it is everyone: officially my least favorite album of 2012. The thing is, this is a pretty good album that I actually enjoy, but maybe my ranking method (rating random songs) just doesn’t do justice to something like this: low-key (but still loud) songs that work much better when played in album format. Erika Wennerstrom’s beyond-languid voice is probably not my cup of tea, but this album deserved better than dead last.
The complete list
Laura Gibson – La Grande
Bowerbirds – The Clearing
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
Regina Spektor – What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Glen Hansard – Rhythm And Repose
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
Of Monsters And Men – My Head Is An Animal
Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Beth Orton – Sugaring Season
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
…In listening to a new CD I often find myself fascinated with the decisions made in setting the order of songs. What an artist selects as the first song says a lot about their expectations for how the listener will experience the music. Often, an musician chooses one of the most accessible songs, eager to make a good impression and not wanting the listener to tune out immediately.
Interestingly, St. Vincent (the musical identity of prog-rock guitarist-singer Annie Clark) chooses a very different strategy on Strange Mercy. Rather than the obvious choice of starting with the listener-friendly Cruel, she starts out with the intense and idiosyncratic Chloe in the Afternoon before moving straight on to Cruel. Chloe is a really odd song to start an album — more of a provocation than an invitation (as if saying, “Don’t get too comfortable here”), consisting of a disjointed blend of keyboards, bass, guitars, drums, and an odd chorus that’s just the song title repeated multiple times. It’s an engaging song that seems to be about the sexual adventures of a femme fatale (“No kisses/No real names”), but it certainly knocks you off-balance the first few listens.
But Clark follows with one of the catchiest songs here in Cruel, which blends so many good things into an engaging mix — a catchy melody, an engaging guitar solo, and interesting lyrics about alienation and social expectations (“They could take or leave you/So they took you and they left you/How could they be so casually cruel?”).
Along the same lines as Cruel is Surgeon, which is built around a line from Marilyn Monroe’s diary (“Best finest surgeon/Come cut me open”). As recounted in an interview, Clark takes that line to build a song about longing for an easy fix to all that is broken in yourself.
Northern Lights is probably my favorite song on the album, a perfect showcase of Clark’s guitar talents. I particularly like how her final over-processed guitar solo of the song seems to push closer and closer toward some sort of breaking point and then… rather than turning back at the last moment, it simply breaks across into chaotic euphoria.
Every song on this album is good for a different reason, from the mellow Strange Mercy and Champagne Year to the hyper-kinetic Neutered Fruit to the steamy Dilettante. But I’ll highlight just one more: Year of the Tiger, which ends the album. Starting with a driving drum beat and the great opening lines “When I was young/Coach called me the tiger/I always had/A knack with the danger” the song proceeds to tell a tale of America in recession (“I had to be the best of the bourgeoisie/Now my kingdom for a cup of coffee”). Musically, the song contains many of the elements found in the rest of the CD, shifting between a long stretch with mellow guitar and keyboards and a drum-fueled ending.
This is one of those albums that contain a potent mix of technical skill, artistic imagination, and catchy songsmithing, but that don’t mix them so well that the various elements disappear — like a stew not a melting pot. Reminds me a lot of Sufjan Stevens’ 2010 album The Age of Adz. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.
…Truly awe-inspiring. A 21 year old British singer songwriter who puts out songs that grab your attention and simply don’t let go. Fascinating lyrics, a strong band of musicians, and a voice that seems remarkably intense and grounded — this is an album of jazz-inflected folk pop to marvel at from someone who appears might be this century’s Joni Mitchell.
The emotional core of the album is certainly an aptly-named song called The Beast. It starts slow and intense with Marling singing quietly “Where did our love go?/you will never know,” but it soon shifts to angry catharsis as drums and guitars come in and almost take over the song. Marling sings “he lies/so sweet that I choke/tonight I choose the beast/and tonight he lies with me.” This Beast may just be an aspect of herself — complemented by Sophia, “Goddess of power,” whom she tries to invoke when the beast approaches and who gets her own song near the end of the album. In any case, utterly amazing stuff.
Here’s the best video I could find of Marling performing The Beast in concert.
It would be tempting to just treat the rest of the album as just the songs that introduce The Beast and the songs that follow. Except each of these songs stands on its own so well. On the first track, The Muse, Marling sardonically recounts meeting a man “that talked to me so candidly/more than I’d choose.” But, after the band goes off on some truly catchy banjo and piano riffs, she comes back to introduce the man (and us) to the beast: “Don’t you be scared of me/I’m nothing but the beast/And I’ll call on you when I need to feast.”
This is a very nice live performance of The Muse on Later… with Jools Holland.
The Beast is such an emotional climax that Marling puts the three most subdued songs on the album right after it. The all acoustic solo Night After Night stands out, but even here, she’s outspoken (“I don’t stand for the devil/I don’t whisper in ears/I stand on the mountains/and call people to hear”).
Another highlight near the end of this album is the song Sophia. It starts slow and quiet with just an acoustic guitar and gradually builds as Marling sings, possibly to an ex-lover, “Where I’ve been lately/Is no concern of yours.” The song has a nice country twang to it.
Here’s the official video of Sophia.
I love how emotionally intense this music is and I marvel at how seasoned Marling seems to be for a singer-songwriter of her age. Looking forward to hearing more from her.
…This is an extremely impressive and entertaining CD of alt country/rock, consisting of 10 solid and varied songs bookended by two long tracks that really stand out. The first of these is Art of Almost, which starts with about a minute of drums and keyboards slowly building to a crescendo — then the music clears and we are left with Jeff Tweedy’s familiar voice singing: “No!/I froze/I can’t be so/Far away from my wasteland.” But the lyrics seem an afterthought — this song is just lush with layers of sound. Just when we sense the song winding down, Nels Cline’s guitar kicks in for an extended solo that’s simply exhilarating.
Here’s the band performing Art of Almost on David Letterman.
After that extended tour de force, we get ten short tracks that showcase the key elements that make Wilco so good: Tweedy’s enigmatic lyrics, the ways the three guitarists play off against each other, and the combination of pop sensibility plus a willingness to experiment. The songs are varied in style from the fast fury of I Might and Standing O to the quiet and mellow Black Moon and Rising Red Lung. Then there are the songs like Dawned On Me and Born Alone that are a little of both and are among the best here.
Here’s a live performance of Born Alone on the Canadian show Q.
Another fine song is the penultimate title track, which finds Tweedy in about the most romantic mode he reaches. He reflects on how he recognizes he’s not perfect: “And I know that I won’t be the one/To securely know when it’s wrong/But I hope I know when it’s past/And I hope I know when to show you my/Whole love.”
The album is rounded out with One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend), which is based on a real conversation Tweedy had with, yes, novelist Jane Smiley’s boyfriend at a party. The song is from the perspective of the boyfriend, recounting his difficult relationship with his religious father, who disapproved of his son’s lifestyle. Over the course of the song’s twelve minutes, we learn the complex set of feelings the son has after his father’s death — relieved that “now he knows he was wrong,” but also missing “being told how to live” and realizing how he learned from his father “how much more I owe than I can give.” Musically, it’s an incredibly simple song, featuring a basic acoustic guitar riff accented by a few notes on a piano. After the raw musical power on the rest of the album, the power here is all in the emotions of a son talking about his father.
…Here’s the final installment of my 25* favorite albums of 2011.
5. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
Hyper intense alt folk from a charismatic 21 year old English singer songwriter who seems to be channeling Joni Mitchell. I bought this CD at the same time I bought the new Feist and Marling’s music just overwhelmed the other CD in getting my attention.
Here she performs Sophia on Later… With Jools Holland. I love listening to her music, but she does have a strangely subdued stage presence that doesn’t match her music. But this is a great song.
4. Wye Oak – Civilian
Dreamy noise pop cooked up by a duo from Baltimore. Like the St. Vincent, this is a perfect combo of edgy artistry, excellent songwriting, and pop sensibility.
This video shows them playing an acoustic version of Civilian on the balcony of an Amsterdam hotel. “I am nothing without pretend” is just a great opening line for a song.
3. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead
A folk rock band I dearly love came out with a great collection of songs this year. More influenced by American folk styles than their more British folk-influence earlier albums, this CD including a guest appearance by Gillian Welch.
Here’s a really good Lord of the Flies-themed video for the song This Is Why We Fight.
2. Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
A one of a kind musician produces an album that’s just flat out unlike anything else out there right now — with long songs that develop at their own pace with a unifying winter theme. Even though she is way less hyperkinetic as she once was, this is still unmistakably Kate, with a 13-minute long song (Misty) about a tryst with a snowman — it doesn’t end well.
I’d love to post a live performance, but the famously reclusive Kate hasn’t been on a stage in a long time — her last appearance may have been when she joined David Gilmour on stage for one song in 2002. Here’s a very nicely done fan video for Snowflake, featuring guess vocals by Kate’s 12 year old son Bertie.
1. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
Each of the my top 6 flirted with being #1, but Bright Eyes prevailed because it was the most ambitious thematically. This album succeeds on two levels, both as a very enjoyable collection of songs and as a deep exploration of the meaning of life. Ultimately, the answer that Conor Oberst comes up with is that we are meant to break down the barriers between each other — as he puts it in the final song “You and Me/That is an awful lie/It’s I and I.”
Here are two live videos of the final two songs of the album. The first is an audience recording of Oberst performing Ladder Song and the second is a professional video of the full band doing One For You, One For Me at the close of a concert in Austin in September.
…Here’s the next installment of my 25* favorite albums of 2011.
10. The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
Somewhat odd, but intense and compelling folk rock from John Darnielle. Where else will you get a wistful song told from the perspective of the Neanderthals (Sourdoire Valley Song) as well as tributes to Charles Bronson, Judy Garland, and Liza Minnelli?
Here, Darnielle and his band performs Prowl Great Cain live.
9. Amanda Shires – Carrying Lightning
Yes, another female singer-songwriter, but Amanda Shires produced a beautiful collection of alt-country (or country folk) songs this year. Consistently strong from start to finish.
This is her entire NPR Tiny Desk concert, where she performs Swimmer…, Shake the Walls, and When You Need a Train It Never Comes.
8. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Hard to describe prog rock from St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) that often teeters on the edge of going completely out of control and yet has plenty of pop hooks. Another “grower” that gradually seduced me completely.
Here’s the official (and oh, so strange) video for Cruel. You gotta admire an artist who can play a guitar solo from inside a car’s trunk while being kidnapped — too bad about her getting buried alive at the end. Great song, though.
7. Admiral Fallow – Boots Met My Face
Power pop from a wonderful Scottish group — fun listening that I never got tired of. This deserved a lot more attention than it seems to have gotten.
This is a live performance of These Barren Years in Glasgow.
6. Wilco – The Whole Love
The best album in a while from the definitive alt-country band. I particular like the way this album is bookended by two songs (Art of Almost and One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)) that just sprawl rather than wrapping up neatly. This one is due for a longer review from me shortly.
I love this video of them performing Art of Almost on David Letterman. I thought network TV wanted every song to be finished within 4 minutes, so it’s refreshing that they let them do this great song in its entirety, including a raucous finish.
