Our Top Album Picks of 2013 (Part 2)

FINALLY, Eryn finished her list.  While there may be some overlap with Jason's list, there are some differences as well, just to prove that we are not the same person (aka Michael & Diana).  Here she goes:

ERYN'S LIST:  BEST ALBUMS OF 2013

1)  WOODKID--The Golden Age
Yoann Lemoine made an indelible mark with this incredible debut record in 2013.  The dramatic music.  The brooding vocals.  The haunting lyrics.  The spectacular videos.  Even Absolut Vodka loves this stuff.  A debut for the record books in sheer amazingness.

2)  JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady
Monae is a one of a kind talent in a world of generic R&B-ers, and while she may not hit the top of the charts as much as Beyonce or Rihanna, she is in a class of her own.  To be able to release this sophomore record and hang tough with the likes of Prince and Erykah Badu, hats off to this disarming charmer.

3)  DAFT PUNK--Random Access Memories
A virtual history lesson in dancepop and disco, Daft Punk had the audacity to eschew pure electronic bliss in favor of layered tracks laced with orchestra, acoustic guitar, piano, and live drums.  Then add disco Gods Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder to the mix with a touch of the legendary Paul Williams and modern contributors Pharrell, Panda Bear, and Julian from the Strokes.  Somehow, it all works.  This puts two albums by French guys in Eryn's top 3.  Guess those years spent learning French continue to resonate...

 

4)  ARCTIC MONKEYS--AM
Are those sound waves, sunglasses, or a bikini top on the cover?  No matter, as Arctic Monkeys created one of the grooviest albums of the year, and well written and sung as well.  Five albums in and they keep getting better.

5)  WILLY MOON--Here's Willy Moon
Fun and very underrated, Willy Moon made some very catchy retro pop in 2013.  "Yeah Yeah" was a monster in advertisements, but there was also a spooky vibe to some of the more downbeat tracks.  He also covers Jack White.  Ballsy.

6)  DAVID BOWIE--The Next Day
Can't say any more about this that I have not already said except you MUST buy this NOW and is MUST be in your collection.  His first work in a decade, but his BEST work in 30 years.  What's your excuse?

7)  FUTURE BIBLE HEROES--Partygoing
Stephen Merritt suffers from tinnitus and cannot play this album live, so you should do the next best thing and get this album.  Dark humor always wins out, and with songs like "Keep Your Children in a Coma", you cannot lose.

8)  ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS--Wise Up Ghost
A kooky idea on paper turns into a brilliant idea on record.  Costello rejigs old lyrics with new while the Roots provide a suitably funky and appropriate background beat.  In a year that saw Jimmy Fallon's backing band advance to the new Tonight Show musical group, there is some serious magic at work here.

9)  SUEDE--Bloodsports
Best reunion album of the year, back with original producer, Ed Buller.  Like they picked things up right after the Trash album of 1996.

10)  NINE INCH NAILS--Hesitation Marks
Brilliant return to form and more mature with more subtleties in the mix, Trent Reznor has not lost his touch for making great records.  Some serious anger is bubbling just below the surface, but Trent does all he can not to show his hand so easily.  Those years of making soundtracks like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo have made his own work that much better.

11)  HAIM--Days Are Gone
12)  VAMPIRE WEEKEND--Modern Vampires of the City
13)  PET SHOP BOYS--Electric
14)  EMPIRE OF THE SUN--Ice on the Dune
15)  ARCADE FIRE--Reflektor
16)  GOLDFRAPP--Tales of Us
17)  PHOENIX--Bankrupt!
18)  FRANZ FERDINAND--Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
19)  CHVRCHES--The Bones of What You Believe
20)  CUT COPY--Free Your Mind
21)  FITZ & THE TANTRUMS--More Than Just a Dream
22)  SHOUT OUT LOUDS--Optica
23)  CAMERA OBSCURA--Desire Lines
24)  HOLY GHOST!--Dynamics
25)  YEAH YEAH YEAHS--Mosquito

Honorable Mentions:
RHYE--Open
JOHN LEGEND--Love in the Future
TEGAN & SARA--Heartthrob
M.I.A.--Matangi
SLEIGH BELLS--Bitter Rivals

Our Top Album Picks of 2013 (Part 1)

As 2013 winds down, we want to take a quick glance back on the year in music that was, and maybe shine a little light on what we thought were the best albums of the year.  Ah, albums...a quaint idea, right?  WRONG.  Nothing in the world of recorded modern popular music makes a bigger statement than an album that plays from beginning to end, taking you on a voyage of emotion specifically plotted and created by the artists involved in making them.  Sure, you could cherry pick singles or tracks you like here and there, but not only would you be missing some of their most vibrant work, you are doing a disservice to yourself by stunting your musical growth by limiting the process of exploration.  There have been many albums with songs that may take a while to seep into our consciousness, and many times, those same songs will become our favorites in the long run because they wear better upon repeated playing.  This process of music discovery is a unique journey, and if it's all too familiar on first listen, what's left to gain? This is why so many of the pop kids sound completely interchangeable these days.  On that note...

Here are Jason's favorites of the year, and check back for Eryn's coming up soon.  Maybe you'll find something you wish to check out for yourself.

JASON'S LIST--BEST ALBUMS OF 2013:

1) PRIMAL SCREAM--More Light
Bobby Gillespie and co. return with the best album of their 20+ year career, mixing the best of their past with dashes of Bowie, Can, Sun Ra, Stones, Zeppelin, dub reggae...and making it all their own.  This is the sound of a great rock & roll band effortlessly blending their best qualities, and what a feat it can be making something so difficult sound so easy to do. 

2) WOODKID--The Golden Age
A conceptual album of the highest artistic order, Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid, released one of the most startling debuts of the year with an album detailing the tale of a young boy fighting against all odds and ultimately losing his tragic battle.  Mixing a little of Nick Cave, Antony Hegarty, and Marc Almond, Lemoine's baritone flexes against the pounding and tribal rhythms in the upbeat songs, while gently smoothing out the ballads with heartfelt tenderness.  While it's seriously difficult to believe this is his first album, one can only wonder where on earth he goes from here.  Brilliant.

3) JOHN GRANT--Pale Green Ghosts
Reading like pages of his diary, Grant's fearlessness comes full force on this album, his followup to 2010's Queen of Denmark (chosen by Mojo Magazine as it's 2010 album of the year).  Both humorous and heartbreaking, Grant's dark and brooding voice is set against downbeat folk rock and stark electronic textures courtesy of Iceland's Gus Gus.  While there is a fair amount of soapboxing going on here, funny songs like "GMF" and "Sensitive New Age Guy" lighten the mood.  Simultaneously, the closing "Glacier" is one of the most transcendent songs in recent memory.  

4) MOONFACE--Julia With Blue Jeans On
Just a guy and his piano, Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) shows off some amazing talent on an album extolling the virtues of an ex-girlfriend in this modern song cycle.  Recalling a mixture of Nick Drake and Nick Cave, these highly personal songs were recorded live and feature no studio overdubs.  This was Krug's first album from all of his projects to be so stripped down, and it's all the better as the songs get the chance to breathe in direct ways.  An astonishing piece of work.

5) PET SHOP BOYS--Electric
Coming a mere 10 months after their previous album, the muted Elysium, this British duo have continued to create fantastic pop music for the past 30 years.  Their latest, Electric, is the first on their own record label (x2), and features production from master electronic producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers).  Expanding some of their songs in a looser format than usual, Electric ultimately continues the trajectory of Tennant-Lowe's history of witty and emotional songwriting that, with such a rich career, should place them in the category with other past luminaries like Lennon and McCartney.

6) DAVID BOWIE--The Next Day
An album most of us never thought would be made, Bowie shocked and surprised at the beginning of the year with his first release in a decade, and what a release it was.  The Next Day is invigorating with a sound that recalls some of his best past work like Heroes or Scary Monsters (Tony Visconti returns as producer), but lyrically stares down the end of a life that sees the number of days ahead shrinking.  Fire and brimstone are the word of the day here, yet the cover belies a flippant reaction to this weighty subject.  In a year that lost Lou Reed, the return of Bowie was almost like a resurrection. 

7) THE KNIFE--Shaking the Habitual
Certainly one of the most dividing records of the year, the Swedish brother-sister duo that make up The Knife returned with their first album of new material in seven years (Fever Ray came in-between).  Most of the songs clock in around the 8-minute mark, as this record stretches over two CDs or three LPs.  There's even an ambient track in the middle running nearly 20 minutes.  Still, the grinding industrial rhythms clash against sounds that seem as though they were created at the bottom of an Asian sea, as these tracks don't always function as songs, more often as sound collages.  Not for the faint of heart.

8) JAGWAR MA--Howlin
A liberating mix of British Oasis-style psychedelic rock mixed with late-80's rave culture, Australia's Jagwar Ma manage to find a sound that sits somewhere between the Stone Roses' debut and Primal Scream's Screamadelica.  These are not shabby reference points, to be sure.  Guitars weave in and out as dubby drums smash against walls of sequencers and trippy looped vocals.  With their debut, JM have managed to create something that references specific sounds of the past while retaining a fair amount of indivuality and originality.  Plus, it's damned catchy.

9) TEGAN & SARA--Heartthrob
Twin sisters Tegan & Sara have been making music for a decade, but it took producer Greg Kurstin (Kylie Minogue, Bird & the Bee) to really turn them on to the poppier side of their sound.  They are all the better for it, making the best pop record of the year (the similar Haim was close, but there's room for both). Recalling 80's Fleetwood Mac at their most melodic (again, see Haim), Tegan & Sara took a chance on alienating their audience, but have found a larger new one in the process, and have shown growth potential while also showing their fans another side of themselves.  This was an album that kept giving all year.

10) NINE INCH NAILS--Hesitation Marks
Nine Inch Nails is no longer the new band it once was--Trent Reznor's project has been active off and on for nearly 25 years now, yet Hesitation Marks is one of his freshest releases to date.  Reznor has shaken some of the shackles of the expectations of what an industrial album must sound like in 2013, with his work on soundtracks like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo an influence.  He doesn't seem to be trying so hard to please here, finding more space in between the sounds, allowing for more creative textural nuances.  It's a slow-burning album with much of the anger tucked under the surface rather than being thrown in your face, and because of that, rewards on repeated listenings.  After a long break, this was another welcome return.


11) NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS--Push the Sky Away
12) CUT COPY--Free Your Mind
13) M.I.A.--Matangi
14) VAMPIRE WEEKEND--Modern Vampires of the City
15) JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady
16) CHVRCHES--The Bones of What You Believe
17) EMPIRE OF THE SUN--Ice on the Dune
18) SUEDE--Bloodsports
19) PREFAB SPROUT--Crimson/Red
20) ARCADE FIRE--Reflektor
21) YEAH YEAH YEAHS--Mosquito
22) SHOUT OUT LOUDS--Optica
23) NEKO CASE--The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight...
24) GOLDFRAPP--Tales of Us
25) OMD--English Electric
26) ALISON MOYET--The Minutes
27) HOLY GHOST!--Dynamics
28) OH LAND--Wishbone
29) HAIM--Days Are Gone
30) VV BROWN--Samson & Delilah
31) ARCTIC MONKEYS--AM
32) JULIA HOLTER--Loud City Song
33) SIGUR ROS--Kveikur
34) THE VEILS--Time Stays, We Go
35) LAURA MARLING--Once I Was an Eagle
36) RHYE--Open
37) DAFT PUNK--Random Access Memories
38) ST. LUCIA--When the Night
39) ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS--Wise Up Ghost
40) SAVAGES--Silence Yourself
41) FUTURE BIBLE HEROES--Partygoing
42) LORDE--Pure Heroine
43) LITTLE BOOTS--Nocturnes
44) LADY GAGA--Artpop
45) YOUNG GALAXY--Ultramarine
46) MARY ONETTES--Hit the Waves
47) DEPECHE MODE--Delta Machine
48) JOSEPH ARTHUR--Ballad of Boogie Christ
49) CAMERA OBSCURA--Desire Lines
50) IAMX--Unified Field

Album Spotlight: SUEDE--Dog Man Star

Suede always seem to get the short end of the stick.  Along with Pulp, they were one of the bands that shifted the early 90's Britpop revival into full gear, a dubious distinction which they themselves might not be too keen on, and would pave the way for mega-bands like Oasis and Blur.  Fusing influences such as The Smiths and David Bowie (and a bit of Pink Floyd here), Suede were unique in that they had a distinct rock edge, while also knowing when a sparse piano ballad would do the trick.  With an enigmatic and charismatic front man, Brett Anderson displayed his individual talent by not only writing lyrics containing tales of the downtrodden and dispossessed, but also infusing them with the right amount of sneer, pathos, and vulnerability.  Bernard Butler was his highly talented sideman, a guitarist (and sometime pianist) with extreme talents who has since gone on to big production gigs (Duffy "Rockferry"), and during his later days with Suede as on the making of Dog Man Star, their second LP, suffered from bouts of depression and social ostracism after the recent death of his father.  This combustible combination of band captains led to the demise of Suede MK1 as this album was being completed, and Butler would soon be replaced by newspaper ad respondent and teenage guitar wunderkind, Richard Oakes.  However, before Butler was sent packing, he helped craft the band's sophomore album, not only a fantastic example of what 90's Britpop had the potential of becoming, but also one of this author's favorite records of all time.

The cover image was considered somewhat controversial at the time of release (October 1994), but suits the music perfectly, and is typical Suede, as the ambiguous image of their debut LP featured two androgynous women sharing a passionate kiss.  "Introducing the Band" is an apt way to open the record, showing Suede in a more psych-drone-y way than they've been before or since.  When they released "The Wild Ones" as a single, "Introducing the Band" became a B-side with a 15-minute Brian Eno ambient remix, but here it has more punch, laying out the band's intentions in a couple minutes with some riveting opening lyrics ("Dog man star took a suck on a pill, and stabbed a cerebellum with a curious quill...").  This was followed by the glam-rocking "We Are the Pigs", a song which halted their run of big hit singles in the UK.  Not the best choice for a lead single, British kids just didn't get know what to do with it, and knowing that Butler was out of the band already did not help.  Additionally, the song has a darker political and psychedelic tone than anything from their debut's era, but even Lady Gaga would appreciate the chorus lyrics ("We Are the Pigs, We Are the Swine, We Are the Stars of the Firing Line"), and the song closes with children chanting the words "We'll watch them burn".  "Heroine" really lifts the album up a bit where needed, and reflects the glammier side of Suede with tales of lust and debauchery.  Butler's guitar absolutely cuts through the dense textures and "Heroine" remains one of the albums most rousing moments for it.

"The Wild Ones" follows, and will stand as one of the best songs of the 90's Britpop era.  Opening with Butler's strummed acoustic guitar and Anderson's croon in a lower register, the song gradually builds over five minutes into something magical that closely resembles this era's "Heroes"(Bowie), and probably should have been the lead single.  An elegant ballad with nuances that Oasis could have only hoped to reach, "The Wild Ones" was their second consecutive single not to reach the British top 10, even though the album still managed a UK number three placing.  "Daddy's Speeding" is an atmospheric ballad detailing a reckless drive behind the wheel backed by haunting piano lines and a scuzzy building guitar over five minutes of little-to-no drums, ending with the sound of a car crash.  "The Power" closes the first half, and remains bittersweet for the band as it is the only track not to feature Butler on guitar.  It's a swaying ballad that would not have been out of place on Bowie's Hunky Dory, and it's "lalala" closing refrains let in just a little light from all the sadness, anger, and longing up to this point.

"New Generation" begins Side 2 with something a bit more optimistically pounding and catchy.  It was the third single not to make the top 10 (it peaked at #21 while previous singles both made #18), but by this point the band were on their way to America to promote the album (they never registered with US listeners much, besides the fact they were still fighting name recognition against Maryland folk singer Suede, being forced to operate under the name "The London Suede" to avoid confusion).  The heaviest rocker on the album, "This Hollywood Life", is up next, and with tales of fantastic icons of the silver screen with a super-glam treatment, builds to a massive cliff of a climax.

What follows is what some would consider ballad heavy.  However, if ballads such as these are the stock in trade, they could have written and recorded album after album of them.  That this album does not sag under their weight belies just how strong the arrangements and material sound 20 years later.  "The 2 of Us" is a dark ballad that absolutely haunts, bridging the gap between glam and goth with its deep atmosphere.  Followed by the slightly lighter "Black or Blue", there is still an air of something gone awry, lovers lost to drugs, or something much worse.  The nearly 10-minute "Asphalt World", the centerpiece of the album, manages to hold your attention for the full running time with a prog-rock build containing some of Butler's best guitar work on record, some of Anderson's best singing, and while the band were literally coming apart at the seams, they continued to create some of their most vital and intriguing work.  The album closes with the epic string-drenched "Still Life", one of the best album closers of all time.  A song so good it could never be a radio single, cascades of orchestra mixed with Ed Buller's sometimes eerie production and Anderson's most sensitive singing that  hint at regret and loss.  It's a chilling tearjerker of the highest order.

Fans of Suede know the castoffs from their first two albums which were used as B-sides were generally as good as the album tracks, and most were included on the Sci-Fi Lullabies compilation.  However, Dog Man Star remains the favorite album of most Suede fans, even though it was generally misunderstood at the time it was released.  It is so highly regarded today that it was recently ranked the #31 album of all time by the NME staff of reviewers in England ahead of Paul's Boutique, Abbey Road, and London Calling.  Originally released on indie Nude Records in the UK and Columbia in the US, Edsel Records did a big remaster program on the Suede catalog a couple years ago as triple disc packages, crammed with bonus tracks and a DVD featuring concert footage from each of their five albums up to their extended hiatus after 2002's A New Morning.  This year's Bloodsports saw most of Suede (excepting Butler) reunited to channel some of that magic again, yet Anderson has said he feels they have yet to make their masterpiece.  With albums like Dog Man Star, they may be trying to top it for many years to come.

Album Spotlight: JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady

There have been many reviews of Janelle Monae's recent albums written and published.  So why do I feel so possessed to write another one?  Because Monae's talent is so undeniable, that regardless of what style of music you are into, you should not deny yourself the ability to experience her music.  Growing up through much of her childhood in Kansas City, KS (go Kansas!), Monae's father had drug problems, and her mother was a housekeeper in a hotel, a job Janelle also took alongside her as a teenager.  Using music as an escape, Janelle eventually got to go away to college in Atlanta where she met many of the people in her band that still play on her records.  Sean Combs (P. Diddy) was so impressed, he took a chance and signed her to his record label, which would allow her the artistic freedom to explore all sides of her music personalities.  While artists like Stevie Wonder and Prince loom large in the Monae-verse of inspirations, other styles she inhabits include pop, jazz, funk, hip-hop, folk, psychedelic rock, rockabilly, R&B, Bond-style balladry, and all shades in-between.  Her visual style sees her in numerous uniform-style outfits and tuxedos (mostly black and white), throwbacks to her uniform-wearing days from her hotel job.  She has the stage presence, energy, and dancing ability of James Brown or Prince in their prime.  The Electric Lady is technically her second album, although she had an early EP (Suite I) previously released.  That effort featured a few tracks which collectively introduced the Archandroid concept that Monae has mined ever since.  A Messianic android from the future (2719 to be exact), Monae has been genoraped and cloned, then time travels back to our current world as Cindi Mayweather, the android who will lead the oppressed out of Metropolis (another inspiration), alter the course of the future, and be reunited with her true love, Sir Anthony Greendown.  (This is further explained in the liner notes from her last full length, The Archandroid (2010), featuring Suites II and III).

Admittedly, all of this highbrow conceptualism would hopelessly fail if Monae didn't have the musical chops to back it up.  She does, and then some.  The Electric Lady is a tighter record than it's predecessor, and while it does feature many of similar stylistic diversions, they are less expansive, allowing Monae to clarify her vision a bit more.  While moments of wild experimentation from the previous album ("Mushrooms & Roses", "Wondaland", BaBopByeYa") are less prominent, Monae amps up the energy a bit here, still has her experimental moments, and does so without veering too distantly from her template.  The specter of Prince still looms large, and here he even guests on opening dirty-funk track, "Givin Em What They Love".  Tracks that follow continue in the funk genre with guests like Erykah Badu (the supreme "Q.U.E.E.N."), Solange (the title track), and Miguel (the Prince-ly ballad, "Primetime").  "We Were Rock and Roll" and "Dance Apocalyptic" flesh out Suite IV, with the former a pop-rock track and the latter a kooky retro-futuristic smash in the waiting.  The suite closes with the Bond-esque ballad, "Look Into My Eyes", which Shirley Bassey would have been proud to sing.  The track is kept at a minimal 2:18 in an effort to streamline the album so it does not drag, but this song certainly left this listener wanting even more.

Suite V (as with Suite III from the last record) is more varying with tempo and character, however this group of songs feels the most indebted to a singular artist:  Stevie Wonder.  Songs like "It's Code" and "Victory" have an ease and affability with their quietly melting chord progressions and instrumental parts, including more guitar solos from her supporting cast.  "Ghetto Woman" and "Can't Live Without Your Love" are pure-70's Stevie, while "Sally Ride" and "Dorothy Dandrige Eyes" add to themes of female empowerment and history simultaneously, and the optimistic "What An Experience" closes the album in what harkens back to songs like Janet Jackson's "Whoops Now", the hidden closing track at the end of her 1993 blockbuster, Janet.  We feel like we have come so far with the Cindi Mayweather story, and while we aren't sure if there will be more story or not (yes, please!), it is a time to stop and reflect on the happiness we have felt through her musical journey so far.

The other Janet-referencing additions to this album are the hysterical comic skits which take place at an urban radio station from the future.  Radio callers either support or criticize the android cause, questioning whether or not they can actually function or embody similar values as humans (It's all a bit Battlestar Galactica-Cylon-ey).  When a caller insists "Robot love is queer", and the DJ runs to defend androids, one cannot help drawing parallels to the gay community today and how they are becoming able to marry and have equal rights (in some cases) that straight people have had for centuries.  It's just one more deep and provocative angle on Monae's vision.  Her records may have yet to sell in stacks, but Monae is a unique and special talent deserving of our attention.  She really is an artist ahead of her time.

Best albums of the Third Quarter (or July--September 2013)

Maybe you've been wondering, 'where is that album of the week?' for the past couple weeks.  Maybe you have not, and unless you are among the few brave souls that read our updates here, you probably could not care less.  That's all fine and good, but we care enough to have taken a few extra days here to ruminate about the best music we've heard in the past three months.  A quarter of a year goes by in such a flash, but the amount of great music being made always seems to be a full meal.  While the third quarter is typically one of the slower release periods of the year, some really great music is usually unleashed during this time as artists are usually wanting to hit the road to promote their projects from late summer into early autumn.  2013 seems to be no exception, and we could probably make a best-of-the-year list out of what's here alone, but we will be gearing up for that in December.  (You may have seen our extensive half-year list a few months back.)

So, here are our favorites.  Remember, this list is TOTALLY subjective and only reflects our opinions.  You may have an opinion of your own.  That's fine, and we would like to see your lists as well if you feel like adding a comment.  We're sure there will be some great lists by the end of the year.  Here's a recent roundup then:

20) MAN MAN--On Oni Pond
19) BASTILLE--Bad Blood
18) EDITORS--Weight of Your Love
17) HAIM--Days Are Gone
16) FRANZ FERDINAND--Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
15) ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS--Wise Up Ghost
14) LITTLE BOOTS--Nocturnes
13) ELTON JOHN--The Diving Board
12) ARCTIC MONKEYS--AM
11) JULIA HOLTER--Loud City Song
10) OH LAND--Wishbone
9) JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady
8) NEKO CASE--The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Try, The Harder I Try, the More I Love You
7) CHVRCHES--Bones of What You Believe
6) HOLY GHOST!--Dynamics
5) GOLDFRAPP--Tales of Us
4) VV BROWN--Samson & Delilah
3) JAGWAR MA--Howlin'
2) NINE INCH NAILS--Hesitation Marks
1) PET SHOP BOYS--Electric

Album of the Week #7: Goldfrapp--Tales of Us

Fall has arrived and so has a landslide of new music titles.  This week, I'm taking a look at Goldfrapp's sixth album, Tales of Us.  If you are not familiar with who Goldfrapp are, it's OK.  America has yet to really wake up to this band, and they seem to like it that way.  They tour rather infrequently, and are most certainly not out to compete with Lady Gaga or Katy Perry for chart domination here.  Alison Goldfrapp was a sometime singer with UK trip-hop artist Tricky, and Will Gregory mainly a studio musician who played saxophone on Tears For Fears Songs from the Big Chair (see "Working Hour").  Will also played keyboards (lots of them), and Alison was a songwriter with operatic training, and they eventually formed a partnership that sees her as the face and stage presence aside Will's cinematic soundscapes.  Their first album, Felt Mountain, appeared in 2000 to rave reviews.  An atmospheric record, it featured lots of haunting strings, a bit of dark acoustic guitar and bass (courtesy of Portishead friend Adrien Utley), and a little bit of electronica on songs like "Utopia".  This sound was blasted open with their sophomore effort, Black Cherry (2003), filled with buzzing synthesizers and slamming drum machines ("Strict Machine" for one).

Goldfrapp (the band) made it clear that every album would be a little bit different from here.  Supernature (2005) blended sounds from both albums into a great hybrid that brought them their biggest sales in the UK, while Seventh Tree (2008) recoiled from all the synthetic dance music, opting for pastoral English countryside folktronica, coming off like a mix of Cocteau Twins etherealism and Nick Drake's sad reflection.  Head First (2010) has now been criticised by both Alison and Will for being too hastily recorded and too blatantly pop.  To some extent, they may be right, although that album isn't nearly as bad as they would have you believe, as it was their most direct statement, written while Alison was very in love, and it shows.

Like all other Goldfrapp records, Tales of Us is a reaction to what came before, and is Goldfrapp's most elegiac and haunting record yet.  The cover art sets the tone, with Alison strolling through a group of parked cars at night, headlights trained on her, in black and white.  It's in stark contrast to Head First's pinky-blue sky with her head floating in the middle, and the music is just as representative of the cover art as the cover art is of the music.  All the songs feature one word titles, namely names (a possible indirect reference to Cocteau Twins' Treasure album, in which every song featured a Greek name).  It's a mood piece and a collection, one that works much more effectively as a full length album than single tracks.  "Jo" sets the tone with a much more acoustic based sound than the previous album's pop-tronica.  It's quickly followed by "Annabel" and "Drew", two of the best and most beautiful songs on the album.  The former is quite sad, based on a harpsichord riff, and spins at length in sonic reference to Felt Mountain's lush textures.  The latter is a melodic centerpiece of the first half of the album, and features some of Alison's most intriguing lyrics and beautiful lyrics and singing to date.  "Ulla" and "Alvar" round out the first half with lush strings and Goldfrapp's sensual coo.  It becomes apparent that she disguises many of her lyrics through the delivery so the listener can make their own conclusions as to what she might be saying.  It's an open-ended gambit, but makes you want to listen closer just to pin down the meaning in the lyrics.

"Thea" has been described as a traditional Goldfrapp stomper, although I think that is a bit of a misnomer and an oversell.  It is, however, a great song, and the most energetic moment to be found here.  "Simone" and "Stranger" are quite different in character, but both have beautiful melodies and string textures.  "Laurel" is the most ambiguous song on the album, with Alison's lyrics quite obscured, and "Clay" ends things on a musical up note, with rushing melodies and a bit of synth pulse underneath the epic arrangements.  However, while "Annabel" is based on a Patricia Highsmith novel about a hermaphrodite forced to choose to become male, "Clay" is about a true story of two young male soldiers who met and fell in love during WWII, only for one to be quickly killed by the enemy, leaving the other to live on in sadness.  In these tales of us, nobody gets out unscathed, and nobody can be truly happy.  Loss is a theme that haunts this record just like ghosts of our loved ones that refuse to leave.  It's an amazing concept for a pop record, and may be the most truthful Goldfrapp album yet.  Where they go from here is anyone's guess.

Album of the Week #6: Nine Inch Nails--Hesitation Marks

Pennsylvania native Trent Reznor returns this week with one of the best albums of his career, Hesitation Marks.  Coming off a five year hiatus from the band, Reznor has started a family, begun a new band with his wife called How to Destroy Angels (their debut album was released a couple months ago), and recorded movie soundtracks for high profile films The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (the former won him an Academy Award).  One other major change was getting sober in 2005, and after years of already great music, it seemed like he was tired and just needed a break.  All of these elements combine here to create one of Reznor's most mature and focused efforts of his twenty-five year career.

Nine Inch Nails have always been known for the ability to synthesize rock and technology by going from a whisper to a scream instantaneously.  That happens here as well, but in more subtle ways, and with fewer histrionics.  "Copy of A" is a great example of a song that glides and builds from moment to moment, and while it's a masterclass in programming, it also moves along effortlessly, showing just how well Reznor has internalized his craft and the ability to construct a song.  This is followed by "Came Back Haunted", the lead single from the album--one of the catchiest and most insistent songs here.  The fact that the David Lynch directed video came with a disclaimer that epileptics may be in danger of seizures might make it difficult for some to watch, but it's one of Reznor's best lead singles in a while, yet in a world with Miley Cyrus, he may have to keep working harder to get your attention.  "Find My Way" follows with a sound that is generally more indicative of the album by melding softer keyboard lines and tuned percussion to a lightly throbbing beat.  Here, Reznor find a seamless way to integrate his soundtrack skills and his industrial side into a passionate whole with tinkly piano lines and moody atmospherics.  "Everything", serving as a mid-point palate cleanser, is noteworthy not only for it's brevity and buzziness, but also for being the first song this writer can recall that he has written in a major key, echoing his newfound cautious optimism.

"All Time Low" and "Satellite" address the more aggressive and funky sides of NIN respectively, while "Disappointed" is all clangy precussion and softer rhythms.  While "Various Methods of Escape" is one of the most melodically tuneful songs here (and would make a good single), "I Would For You" and "In Two" are two of the albums best songs, coming late and showing how far Reznor's writing has come since the days of "Head Like a Hole" (Bow down before the one you serve/You're gonna get what you deserve).  They are aggressive without hitting the button marked ANGER, and are followed by the most alarming song on the album, closer "While I'm Still Here".  Notable in its quietude, this song plays like a mantra expressing Reznor's current mental state, and features a skronking sax riff by Reznor himself.  There is also a bit of guitar noodlery courtesy of Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham.  In fact, Buckingham, along with guitar maestro Adrien Belew, appear all over Hesitation Marks.  These might seems like strange reference points, but they integrate perfectly into the sonic palate Reznor envisions.  There are also songs tucked within like "Running" that feature nobody else but Reznor (with the possible aid of a studio tech), and illustrate just how self-sufficient and talented this man is.  Now in his early fifties, it feels like he is finally reaching his stride.  Hesitation Marks is a mini-masterpiece sonically more connected to Pretty Hate Machine than anything else he's done, bringing his sound full circle.  Here's hoping the next album isn't another five year wait.