When I started compiling this list earlier this month, I
had some trouble because 2013 was such a hard year to focus on the good music.
I mean, there was just so much bad.
Bad music with a bad message (“Blurred Lines”), good music with bad
connotations (“Wrecking Ball”), bad, bad music with a fair message ripping off
about eight 80s songs (“Roar”). That’s not even addressing the Biebs.
But
New Years is about new beginnings, so let’s avoid the bad. I regret posting
this the day after the Grammys because—unbelievably—they got it right at least
once and it looks like I’m following along. But good was good this year.
Here they are, the best albums
of 2013, according to me.
Best Album of 2013
Daft Punk—Random
Access Memories
Unavoidable.
I could try to bump up one of my Honourable Mentions and write a long explanation
for not doing the obvious but, aw screw it, I’m doing the obvious. These guys have
always been game changers, but to come leaping out at dance expectation
with funk re-imagining is bold,
surprising, and almost makes it easy to ignore their employment of Pharrell
Williams—forever marred by his appearance in Robin Thicke’s dinosaur song no
matter how many Despicable Mes he
does—or of the actual lyrics of “Get Lucky.” It’s too good.
Choice track: Okay, well, ignoring Pharrell and the fact
that this song is pretty much the summer anthem of 2013, “Get Lucky” is your
choice track. But the rest of the album is solid gold, and I’m currently into
“Contact.”
Honourable Mention 1
Sykamore—Petal
If I
chose simply on number of listens, this is my runaway winner. It was tough not
choosing this as
Choice track: “Slow Dancing”
Honourable Mention 2
Pearl Jam—Lightning
Bolt
I’m
not going to defend my bias: I’m a huge PJ fan. This is a great PJ album, but for
different reasons than their last few. There are about five magnificent songs
on this, as good as any of their best in the past ten years. But “Mind Your
Manners” and “Sirens” are two of the best songs in the entire Pearl Jam canon.
Supreme, and that much greater because they’re so different. The album is good,
great even, but these two tracks stand out so far that the rest of the album is
in their shadow.
Choice track: Yeah, well, when you spend the whole thing
talking about two songs . . . but looking past
them, give yourself some time to indulge in a band that’s still better than
most. Try out the title track.
Honourable Mention 3
The Civil Wars—The
Civil Wars
Apparently this is a very
apt name for the band and the album. The two things I know about this duo are that
they sound great (also flirting at times with that country sound, but it’s
okay) and apparently they can’t stand each other. They’ve gone on hiatus—which
long time fans are used to. But if you want to hear male and female leads and
harmonies that complement each other perfectly, and both singers are capable (I’m looking at you Of Monsters and Men), this is your stop. Well, a stop. See below.
Choice Track: “The One that Got Away”—but don’t miss the
cover of Smashing Pumpkins “Disarm.”
Honourable Mention 4
Nine Inch Nails—Hesitation
Marks
This
album got a lot of great reviews, but many of them—like Rolling Stone’s for example—make the foolish claim that it’s good
because it’s reminiscent of The Downward
Spiral. That completely ignores Trent Reznor’s growth as an artist, how far
he’s come in his song writing and arrangements. One need only listen to his
other 2013 release with How to Destroy Angels or listen to one of his film
soundtracks or see him preforming to a stadium full of confused 30+ year old
stoners to understand that the teenage angst has been buried. It may not be
better than that seminal work, but it’s richer. As involved a listen as Daft
Punk, NIN has grown up with us.
Choice track: “Copy of A.”
Honourable Mention 5
Me & the Mrs. The
Ghosts of What Became
So,
imagine if you took the good of Mumford and Sons and the Civil Wars, wrapped
around themes of marriage, love, loss, and faith. What would you get? This. A
great little indy release tucked away in Southern Alberta and available on
bandcamp.com (meandthemrs), it’s worth more than a few listens to hear the
tricks of timing changes, and two capable vocalists—this was the year of
female/male vocal match-ups. But unlike the Civil Wars, these guys will be
sticking around as they’re just getting started, and embarking on a major
recording project in 2014.
Choice track: “I Lose Heart.” It’s like folk prog.
The Rest of the Good
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite—Get Up!
Ben’s
always been a guy to experiment. Forays into pop and gospel, slide guitar. But
since he last recorded with the Innocent Criminals—his most commercial
material—he’s been deeply entrenched in the blues. Introducing the wider world
to virtuoso harmonica player Musselwhite was a fine move, but it does feel like
Harper’s limiting himself a little.
Choice Track: “I Ride at Dawn”
Hayden—Us Alone
I
was in the demography of mopey late teens who sat girlfriendless in our rooms
and listened to “Bad As They Seem” on repeat. I followed him for a while, saw
him live once, but somewhere around the turn of the century I lost track of
Hayden. Apparently I wasn’t alone. His reclusion is so chronic that for a while
he was rumoured dead. Nope, all that died was his gravelly voice, but still
give his Jack Johnson phase a chance.
Choice track: “Rainy Saturday”
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis—The Heist
Perhaps
you’ve heard of this one. Hey, is Ryan Lewis the most useless celebrity since
the Kardashians? This album has some great songs, but really, that’s all I can
listen to. The filler is just that, and hip-hop filler is worse than most. But,
he’s (they’re?) to be forgiven for writing a song with a message as good as
“Same Love” as satirical as “Thrift Shop” or as good as the choice track.
Choice track: “Ceiling Can’t Hold Us” is one of the best
tunes of the year.
Biffy Clyro—Opposites
AND
Arcade Fire—Reflektor
Here’s
the thing about a double album: if you’re going to release one, you better make
dang sure that you’ve got great material to justify your pomposity. Arcade Fire
and the lesser-know Biffy Clyro both were coming off of superb previous
releases of the all killer, no filler variety. But they’ve gone with the kiss
of death. As good as these albums are—and they are good—they’re bloated, full of random extras and musical
navel-gazing. Had they been trimmed to the length of their last releases, they’d
be as good and maybe better.
Choice tracks:
Biffy—“Stingin’ Belle”
Arcade—“Normal Person”
Iron and Wine--Ghost on Ghost
As good as this was when it first came out, it just didn't stick with me. He sort of has that one sound syndrome, and once you've had you're fill, there's no returning to it. However, enough growth between albums that I'm hopeful that he's on to something great.
Choice track: "Grace for Saints and Ramblers"
Dream Theater—Dream
Theater
I’ll
eat some crow. If you read these every year (and I’m not narcissistic enough to
think anyone—including my mom—does) you’ll know that two years ago I ragged
pretty hard on this band’s first release after founding drummer Mike Portnoy jumped
ship. It was weak, even though prog metal is kind of like pizza: even when it’s
bad. . . . They sounded like they were covering themselves. No new ideas. Well,
they wrote that before signing drummer Mike Mangini and on this self-titled
album his contribution is wondrous. It’s like they’ve rediscovered time
signatures.
Choice track: And yet, my favourite is the power-ballad “Along
For the Ride”
Apologies to Blue Rodeo, the Winery Dogs, and Atoms for Peace--I'm focused on the good.
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