My list of favorites in music this year was nowhere near extensive. I thought I’d probably go into the new year still writing about them, but would be done with it before January’s end. I then (just now, really) decided: fuck that. Let’s get this shit out of the way. If you’ve missed any albums I mentioned previously, you can find them here.
Metronomy – The English Riviera
I love the sound of deep bass paired against slow beats that make you want to slink around all provocative-like. Tracks like We Broke Free embody that. It was songs like Everything Goes my Way or The Look that really sold me on English Riviera, though. They made me giddy with a desire to dance and move, with no sexy pretenses. Just silly, good times. The entire album, regardless of the mood it creates, has a real 70s vibe to it. Trouble especially reminds me of the late 70s Christian music that was the only English-language music my mom allowed me as a very young child. I mean that in a good way, too. Really.
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
I feel like Bon Iver has been around for a while now, although Wikipedia says only 2007. I know at least that friends of mine have loved them, and tried to sell them to me for a long time, but I could never get into how slow they were. In this, their second self-titled album, they are not any faster. Perhaps it’s just been my mood this year, however, that has made me more receptive to slowing down in general. Whatever the case, I loved this. There was something about it that felt bluesy, it had an intimate lounge-like quality. I could just picture the dark corner of some dimly lit space. Perth is perhaps my favorite track on the album. I love how close it feels, like you can feel the instruments turning on and there’s a beautiful discordant layer to it all. Continue reading
