Well, another year has come and gone ladies and gentlemen. It's been easily my most productive year yet, and let's finish it off with my favorite albums of the year. Of course, as always, this is all opinion. Let's chat about these albums, and here's to a bigger and better 2018!
Honorable Mentions:
The XX - "I See You"
Jens Lekman - "Life Will See You Now"
King Woman - "Created In An Image of Suffering"
Charli XCX - "Number 1 Angel"
Show Me The Body - "Corpus I"
White Reaper - "The World's Best American Band"
Full Of Hell - "Trumpeting Ecstasy"
Beach Fossils - "Somersault"
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - "The Nashville Sound"
Toro Y Moi - "Boo Boo"
Waxahatchee - "Out In The Storm"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Villians"
Mount Kimbie - "Love What Survives"
Alvvays - Antisociallites"
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - "Lotta Sea Lice"
All Pigs Must Die - "Hostage Animal"
Converge - "The Dusk In Us"
OCS - "Memory Of A Cut Off Head"
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Polygondwanaland"
Baths - "Romaplasm"
The Body & Full of Hell - "Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light"
Miguel - "War & Leisure"
Top 25 Albums of the Year
25. Wavves - “You’re Welcome” - This is an album that I really was excited about every since I heard Wavves were back in the studio. Nathan Williams and the rest of Wavves on this album go for a much glitzier sound with some of the most polished production that the band has ever touched. Of course, that’s going to piss off longtime fans who grew up with the scratchy sounds of Wavves tunes that were most likely performed in Nathan’s bathroom. But I think the much more glamorous production on this one really adds a lot to what makes this album so great. But outside of that, Nathan really brings out some of his best songwriting chops. “No Shade” is upbeat and catchy enough to be an early Wavves tune, and “Million Enemies” is one of the catchiest Rock tunes I’ve heard all year. If you can handle the much more glamorous production, this album may just be for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdI6i4_PCN8
24. Cormorant - "Diaspora" - The absolutely crushing and gigantic Black Metal album that I absolutely needed in my life this year. First things first, this album is absolutely massive, with only four tracks making for over an hour of crushing music. So obviously, if you're not A big fan of Black Metal with a very Progressive twist, this is going to be hell for you. But if you like you Metal very grand and visual, this is an album that you have to listen to. Now, Cormorant do pull out all the stops here. There are exciting and intense Black Metal passages here, but there are also some incredibly beautiful and serene Folk Metal passages. There are wretched Black Metal howls and also some seriously beautiful sung vocals as well. That being said, Cormorant here do bring in a little something for everything when it comes to Metal. But most importantly they pull it together in such a grand fashion that even though you're dealing with 10-15 minute tracks, it's all digestible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AfdrE4K320
23. Father John Misty - “Pure Comedy” - When I originally heard that Father John Misty’s followup to the tremendous “I Love You, Honeybear” would be an album with no love songs on it, I was mighty skeptical. But Josh Tilman came through with an album massively more ambitious without letting any of his unbelievable songwriting go. It’s a protest album, but not the sort of protest album you would think. It’s more of a thinking man’s protest album, one that’s unbelievably well thought out and delivered with deadpan wit and an apathetic attitude. But somehow, even with all of that going on, Father John Misty continues to have an abundance of personality. The sheer amount of detail he goes into on “Ballad of a Dying Man” or the seemingly never-ending “Leaving L.A.” is extraordinary. It’s not a fun album, and at the end of the day will really have you questioning what the Human race has become. But even with all of that, Father John Misty remains just as charming as ever, and “Pure Comedy” will go down as his grandest and most cinematic album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIsT3dJ60Uk
22. The Mountain Goats - “Goths” - I think I was just about as unbelievably skeptical of this album when I first heard about it being worked on as everyone else. For those of you late to the party, The Mountain Goats are a legendary Indie Folk band, and “Goths” is an album without any guitars in sight. John Darnielle has a way of making things work. Whether it be Folk ballads to Death Metal bands or entire albums dedicated to Wrestling, John makes it all come together nicely. The same can be said for “Goths”, which as John promised doesn’t have any guitars anywhere. In their place are dramatic pianos, woozy synths occasionally, luscious strings, and sweet horns. But as with every other Mountain Goats album, the lyrics are indeed the star here, and this album is about, you guessed it, Goths. It’s an hour long endearing collection of songs dedicated to Cure album’s and Black Makeup, and it’s brilliant. I think what makes this work the most, however, is just how close John seems to the culture. Like, hearing just how passionate he gets on “The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement” and just how unbelievably epic things get on “Rain In Soho”, you can tell that these are all subjects close to John’s heart. I can easily say, it’s one of the most epic folk album’s you’re going to hear this year, especially with no guitars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYgTkl1JOO0
21. The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - “Always Foreign” - I feel like TWIABP are constantly getting bigger and more gigantic in their sound. But I really wasn’t expecting how incredible this album was going to be. This is by far the vastest, beautiful, and gigantic album TWIABP have ever put together. But when I say that, I don’t just mean we’re dealing with some bigger guitars and more harmonies. “Always Foreign” at the end of the day is the most mature and well thought out album that TWIABP has come up with. Sure, we’ve had some mature tunes from these Progressive Emo pioneers in the past. But on “Always Foreign”, TWIABP” bring in a slew of thought-provoking lyrics and real-world horrors, and intertwine that with an interesting narrative for a quite frankly stunning album. Tracks like “Marine Tigers” are so vast and epic, while tracks like “Dillon And Her Son” keep it short and sweet and are just catchy punk tunes. This is an album that simply proves that these guys are here to stay in the Emo/Pop Punk world, and shows they’re only going to get bigger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VgfM-MVjkw
20. Blanck Mass - “World Eater” - Electronic album of the year right here! Benjamin John Power has for years not been shy about writing crushing and intense electronic music. “World Eater” however is by far his most destructive and overpowering release yet. This isn’t an album for the weak of heart because quite frankly Blanck Mass here is curating the soundtrack to the end of the world. From the strangely calm and icy opening track “John Doe's Carnival of Error”, to final freakish moments of “Hive Mind”, this album is a trip. For years, I feel like Power could have been darker and more heavy with the music he was producing. Obviously, we’ve gotten that with this album. There aren’t any dance grooves on this album, and the grinding and almost industrial nature of these beats do make a lot of this hard to swallow the first time. But trust me, it’s worth it, with everything culminating in the near 8 minute epic “Silent Treatment”. Choral vocals, blasting synths, the end of the world has really never sounded better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYxjO0LXZqE
19. Julien Baker - “Turn Out The Lights” - This one really came out of nowhere for me. Julien’s music I casually had heard a few years ago, but not enough to go absolutely crazy over. But Julien really knocked it out of the park with her followup. This is just the sort of incredibly emotional and direct Singer/Songwriter album that I could really dive into this year. It’s an incredibly personal Indie record, one that requires a lot of patience. A lot of these tunes are rather quiet and slow, but end up growing into massive and introspective tunes that really make you think. Now, while Julien may be a rather quiet and seemingly shy young girl, she really lets you into her life on this album, and time and time again her incredibly delicate delivery makes you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend letting them vent a little. “Turn Out The Lights” is a heartbreaking album brimming with emotion, but the rewards are actually really incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdBu21i9aEE
18. Lana Del Rey - “Lust For Life” - People have criticized Lana Del Rey since her debut so many years ago. And I’m going to come out and say it if you haven’t liked her music in the past this isn’t going to be much easier for you to swallow. However, if you CAN enjoy her music, I think you’ll agree this is probably the best thing that Lana has done as a whole. There are still tracks like “Love” and “16 Beaches” that are airy and sweet Baroque Pop tunes. But as a whole on this album, Lana seems to have really matured and seems to be on her best behavior. Tracks like “Get Free” and “When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing” are tasteful and current tunes, and the production throughout is slick and shows Lana embracing her Hip Hop roots a little more. Hell, she even has some solid guests on that really end up clicking with her style wonderfully (A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Sean Ono Lennon). Like I said, if you haven't dug Lana’s stuff in the past, this is gonna be more of the same. But if you dig Lana’s material, you’ll find that this is her most expansive and most mature album yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP4eqhWc7sI
17. Protomartyr - “Relatives In Descent” - Protomartyr never cease to amaze me. 40 seconds into this album and they had already created one of the densest and most truly haunting atmospheres of the entire year. This album is intense, with Protomartyr taking their already very chilling sound, but bringing it up to date for 2017. Frontman Joe Case for about 95% of this album sounds like an Insane Asylum patient ranting and raving like a deranged lunatic amongst these very tense and tight instrumentals that never give you much room to breathe. The playing on this album is absolutely fierce, with tracks like “Up The Tower” and “Male Plague” being some of the heaviest tunes I’ve heard in any genre all year. But Joe’s unbelievable chemistry with the rest of the band makes this album one of the best rock album’s of the entire year by far. The progression on “A Private Understanding” is dazzling, Joe’s manic performance on “Here Is The Thing” is absolutely wild, and the atmosphere on tracks like “Corpses In Regalia” is truly unnerving”. Protomartyr with “Relatives In Descent” have officially put themselves on top of the Post Punk world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgvAgWFrC0g
16. The Horrors - “V” - I’ve been a casual fan of The Horrors for years, and I know I’m one of like 20 people who really loved their early Horror Punk phase. But with this album, The Horrors have taken their hazy and dark blend of Shoegaze and blend in some Electronic and Dance elements. Yes I know, the horror!!! To be honest, though, The Horrors pull it off massively and made what I think, is their best album in years. I feel like with the band’s last release or so, they were just trying to hard to make this big culmination of Shoegaze, Gothic Rock, and plenty of other genres. But on “V”, The Horrors just sound refreshed and comfortable. And while yes, there have been synths in The Horrors’ music since day 1, it’s never been this prominent. The result, quite frankly shouldn’t work, but it does. The Horrors here, take their Gothic Vibes and elements of Shoegaze and send them right to the dance floor. The hooks end up being ridiculously catchy, the grooves are ridiculous, and the atmospheres are as starry-eyed as ever. So yes, there may be some Horrors purists that may just think this album is a little too much and that The Horrors have sold out. But at the end of the day, The Horrors are just continuing to write Goth songs for a new generation. If you’re into The Horrors trying something new. give this a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR3ehgQsAVE
15. (Sandy) Alex G - “Rocket” - Alex G has done A LOT over the years. This master of Low-Fi has released tons of albums with all sorts of different sounds here and there, wrote for some big names, and tackled a lot of ground. But through it all, I felt like there was a little more than meets the eye when it came to Alex's unique brand of Low-Fi Singer/Songwriter Rock. “Rocket” seems to me though, to be the end result of the first leg of his career. You get a little bit of every sound here that Alex has ever toyed with, and none of them have ever sounded this good. "Rocket" is by far Alex's most diverse album yet, as Alex brings in charming Southern-Fried ballads ("Bobby"). chaotic experimental music ("Brick"), to somber folk tunes, that Elliot Smith himself would have shed a tear for ("Judge"). But strangely enough, Alex makes this all flow together so wonderfully. Nothing about this album, as varied as it is, comes off as a compilation. Alex strings these tracks together and makes "Rocket" an increasingly easy album to take in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQXwTXld1I
14. The War On Drugs - "A Deeper Understanding" - Now, I had the feeling from hearing some of the opening singles on this one that The War on Drugs was going to pull something together that was special. But the overall Pristine end result is stunning and really special. I'm not going to sit here and compare it to the band's last album, cause I'm still really not sure which one I prefer. But The War on Drugs come through with an album that's for the most part just as charming and timeless in feel. Tracks like "Holding On" continue to blur the lines between numerous sub-genres of Alternative rock, combining elements of old and new. But it's the meticulous crafting on tunes like "Pain" which are the real show and keep me coming back for numerous listens. Now, most of the tracks here are 6-8 minutes long, so there is certainly some patience testers here. But it's just as shimmering and well thought out as you would expect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvmEYgFsgyg
13. Tyler The Creator - “Flower Boy” - I think deep down we all sort of knew that eventually, this was going to happen to Tyler the Creator. On “Flower Boy”, Tyler after years of establishing this ruthless character who fantasizes about rape, and talks openly about which celebrities he would like to “stab in their god damn esophagus”, has let that all go. Tyler on “Flower Boy”, is 100% human. He’s no demon, he’s no serial killer, he’s a young man who quite frankly has years of emotions and feelings bubbling up inside him. And the result is charming, sweet, and incredibly endearing. He goes through numerous tales of some of his first loves, being a shy young man afraid to make the first move a lot of the time. Also, he goes deep into fame and it’s effect on his life on the incredible “Forward”, as well as thoughts on friendship and other topics he really hasn’t touched. Tyler strings a lot of these thoughts together in a colorful strand of Neo-Soul and Alternative R&B. The animalistic side of Tyler does occasionally come out on tracks like “Who Dat Boy” and “I Ain’t Got Time”. At the end of the day, this truly is a side to Tyler I really thought we would never hear, especially not this fleshed out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VgLwAjz4oA
12. Algiers - “The Under Side of Power” - Once again, I sort of had a feeling that this album was going to be great. But I had no Idea how much I was going to end up obsessing over this one. Algiers have an indescribable sound, taking a Post Punk sound and bringing in elements of Gothic Rock, Gospel, Industrial, Punk Rock, and seemingly endless other genres. Frontman Franklin James Fisher's performances are stunning and often exhausting (In the best way). Not to mention, the lyrics and the message behind this album does really make "The Under Side of Power". It's an album that in a lot of ways is hard to put into words, but it's absolutely dazzling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGZXzmM1smM
11. Foxygen - “Hang” - Foxygen with this one quite frankly went back to what they do best, and the result is absolutely wonderful. On their last album “…And Star Power”, while it did have its moments, Foxygen spent way too much time on the plot of the concept album, so much so that none of the rest of it actually made sense. “Hang” though is incredibly concise, with Foxygen dishing out some of their most flamboyant and artsy jams yet. The Psych-Funk of “Follow The Leader” and the Fleetwood Mac sounding “On Lankershim” are just the beginning. No, it’s when we get to tracks like the grandiose “Mrs. Adams” and the progressive and wild “America” that things really get special. Sam France and Jonathan Rado have a true knack for songwriting. And while part of me does wish that maybe a few more tunes here clicked as far as song themes went, this is a concise collection of some of the bands best tracks yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-tZ1gbc2pQ
10. Kelela - “Take Me Apart” - OK, so the Alternative R&B field is mighty crowded at the moment yes. Artists like Frank Ocean and The Weeknd have become mega-stars, but for my liking it’s been so long since an album that came along that really blew my mind. Sort of like the first time I listened to FKA Twigs “LP1”, an album that really questioned where the genre is going. That, my friends, is where Kelela comes in. This album is a bold and beautiful testament to exactly what can be done with Alternative R&B. Kelela here takes tales of late night escapades and fuses them with intergalactic beats and rhythms. She’ll take very old school elements, dating back to the days of Quiet Storm R&B, and pushes them to the absolute limits with some incredible production. When I first heard her “Hallucinogen” EP a few years ago, I knew she was onto something. But I had no idea that “something” would be this huge. The beats are often hulking, Kelela’s vocals are stunning, and Kelela packages it all together in a way that R&B fans of any era can identify with. “Take Me Apart” is an exciting and adventurous look at just how far the Alternative R&B genre can go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjq7x2d_s1w
9. Vince Staples - “Big Fish Theory” - Going into this, Vince Staples was already one of the freshest and most interesting voices in rap. His way of creating an atmosphere is uncanny, and while his verses contain a whole lot of topics we’ve chatted about for years, Vince’s very brash personality makes it come off so new sounding. He brings in everyone from guests who really complement his style (Kilo Kish, Kendrick Lamar, even freakin’ Ty Dolla Sign who I usually can give a shit less about) to producers who end up taking the beats here to ridiculous new levels (Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, SOPHIE, Flume). Now, I wasn’t blown away by some of the singles leading up to this one at first. They sort of seemed to lack the heavy atmosphere and dark subject matter that attracted me to Vince in the first place. But in the end, I certainly got plenty of that dark, depressed nature on tracks like “Crabs In A Bucket”, as well as plenty of bangers like “Yea Right” and Party People”. But Vince himself continues to be one of the sharpest MC’s in the game lyrically, and more importantly fearless. He says what he thinks, he works with artists and producers that work wonderfully with his style and wraps it all up with plenty of fiery attitude. “Big Fish Theory” is insanely good, and Vince Staples continues to be one of Alternative Hip Hop’s freshest faces and intriguing personalities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa4vBlzMaeQ
8. Zola Jesus - “Okovi” - In every way, this is everything that I've ever wanted to hear from Zola. For years, all I wanted to hear from Zola was to branch out a little bit, really let loose with her singing, and take advantage of some much bigger atmospheres. And that's exactly what we got from "Okovi". From the opening intense strings on "Exhumed", to the pulsating and looming "Soak", Zola really does bring in a much more theatrical and epic sound that I had no idea she had in her. There are booming industrial blasts, gigantic string sections, and I'd be lying if I said that Zola sounded anything but incredible. Not to mention, Zola brings in a real personal edge to the lyrics on here, which strangely makes this darker and hit home even harder. I don't think there's any question, this is Zola's biggest and best album by far. If you're into dark music and love big performances and bigger choruses, Zola here is writing Arena sized ballads for Goth kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVtwUxQ1TeA
7. Ariel Pink - "Dedicated to Bobby Jameson" - Ariel Pink reminds us on this one that he's the absolute king of Quirky, Low-Fi pop. One of Pop's most dangerous minds, this album has some of Ariel's most freakish concepts yet and shows him venturing out into more Sub-Genres then ever. However, I think what makes this work is just how focused Ariel is sounding these days. Bobby Jameson was a serious influence on Ariel, and you can tell that from the sheer amount of sincere moments in some of these tunes. Even tracks like "Feels Like Heaven" come off so sweet and tender. But of course, there are also countless completely absurd and ridiculous concepts on here that make this album truly hilarious at times. Whether it be on "Santa's In The Closet" where it's Ariel describes Santa's adventures not in a regular closet but a Water Closet, or on "Bubblegum Dreams" where Ariel's ode to Bubblegum turns into an all-out Mentos commercial by the end of it, there's some seriously Off The Wall stuff here. Ariel Pink after all these years remains completely fearless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEN4qmE8QYY
6. Fleet Foxes - "Crack-Up" - OK, so let's just get this out in the open, there may be one or two more hiccups on this album compared to their last album. But after the few years its been since we've heard from Fleet Foxes, this is still something incredibly special. "Crack-Up" is by far the most instrumentally diverse and atmospheric Fleet Foxes to date. All of the classic elements are all here on display, from the warm melodies of "If You Need to, Keep Time on Me" to the angelic vocal solos of "Kept Woman". Now, like I said, there are a few moments that are maybe a little too far out for my liking. But overall, I think just how progressive and overpowering some of these tunes make this an absolute knock out. The sheer power behind "Fool's Errand" to the absolutely epic "Third of May / Ōdaigahara", Fleet Foxes are still on top of the world of Indie Folk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFVe892acjA
5. Chelsea Wolfe - “Hiss Spun” - Over the years, Chelsea Wolfe has slowly teased that she’s going to release an album that’s Metal to its core. And with each release, it seems like Chelsea has gotten closer to that. With “Hiss Spun”, Chelsea has made that album a reality. This album is straightforward, no bullshit, and certainly doesn’t have a gimmick in sight. There are elements of grimy Sludge Metal, dreamy Gothic Folk, patience-testing Doom Metal, and of course, some the most demonic and soul-crushing Black Metal you’ll hear this year. However, none of it ever seems truly outside of Chelsea’s comfort zone. As a matter of fact, most of this album just comes off as Chelsea being herself. Each track here has it’s own personality, whether it be nightmarish “Vex” or the looming and patient “Offering”, Chelsea hits a whole lot of different styles of Metal throughout “Hiss Spun”. But even when things are at their most brutal, Chelsea has a way of making it strangely beautiful as well. Chelsea Wolfe with “Hiss-Spun” has made her finest album yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWehEZQzvPA
4. Power Trip - “Nightmare Logic” - So we’re at a point in modern Metal where almost every band no matter how “brutal” they seem to have sort of a gimmick or a “Sub-Genre” that they fit into. But sometimes things are just so unbelievably simple, so straightforward, so incredibly obvious. So much so to the point where you’ll sit there thinking “This is almost too easy, why hasn’t anyone else done this recently?”. Power Trip has simplified the Modern Metal sound so much but in the best way possible. On “Nightmare Logic” Power Trip come at you absolutely full force, with no gimmicks and no tricks. It’s nothing short of 8 tracks filled with attitude, raw power, making for one of this year's most perfect Metal albums. Hell, one of the perfect albums in general. Even some of the weaker tunes here have countless elements to it that I absolutely can’t get enough of, and there isn’t a single performance here that isn’t vicious. Do these guys sound like Metallica at their peak? Hell yes, they do. But that doesn’t take anything away from it, making “Nightmare Logic” the most unforgiving yet “must listen” Metal album of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7rzFSjdgs
3. Perfume Genius - “No Shape” - I’ve been a fan of Mike Hadreas for a very, VERY long time. Now, I was expecting a lot of things from this album. I was expecting it to be personal, lavish, and BIG. But the one thing that I wasn’t expecting was from Perfume Genius here, was to completely blow away everything he’s ever done. But that’s exactly what Mike Hadreas has done. He’s compiled an incredibly lush and gorgeous Indie Pop album, filled with stunning instrumentals and pristine production. Everything from shimmering synths to explosive Production fills up these incredible tracks. But on top of that, Mike has come such a long way with showing us his personality, and lyric-wise has become more open with us than ever. I remember listening to Mike’s early recordings, with each track quieter than the last almost coming off as Diary entries he didn’t want anyone else to hear. But then I hear the explosive Baroque and Indie Pop here. I hear the lyrics showing Mike just how comfortable he is with himself and promoting loving yourself, and it’s dazzling. Altogether, this is the most engaging and interesting set of Perfume Genius songs yet, while being the most important album Mike Hadreas has made for himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hbfUSRRbd4
2. Kendrick Lamar - “ DAMN.” - Now, going into this album, I honestly had my doubts on Kendrick, and if he could really pull it off again. These were slight doubts obviously, but there were doubts nonetheless. I thought to myself, these past few years, Kendrick has given us so much, but still seems to be constantly keeping things fresh and exciting. How the hell is he going to remain relevant. As a matter of fact, where DOES an artist go after releasing two of the most critically acclaimed Hip-Hop albums ever? Well, my friends, the answer is to up the stakes. Kendrick on “DAMN.” goes fiercer than ever, hitting out at everyone from Fox News to MC’s who remain nameless. The result is absolutely wild, with Kendrick literally putting everything on the table, and it’s clear that Kendrick has once again completely outdone himself. Kendrick remains lyrically head and shoulders above everyone else in Rap right now, with killer tunes like “ELEMENT.” and of course “HUMBLE.”. But it goes just so much further from that. As far as an album goes, conceptually, Kendrick may as well be a damn God of rap right now, which I don’t want to dive too deep into because I don’t have 3 hours to chat about THAT. But I digress. After releasing a collection of Hip Hop’s most cherished albums, Kendrick has done the unthinkable and released quite possibly his best yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlh-dzB2U4Y
1. Mount Eerie - “A Crow Looked At Me” - So if you know even a sliver of the backstory of this one, you know you’re going to have to brace yourself sitting down to listen to this. I’ve been a fan of Phil Elverum for years, and you know just how incredibly dense and heavy and quite frankly tragic so much of his music is. So when I originally heard of his wife Genevieve’s cancer and eventual death, I knew that this album was going to be absolutely crushing. Not exactly heavy musically, clearly, as Phil’s trademark whisper quiet vocals are present constantly usually alongside one acoustic guitar. So that being said, let’s talk about some of these emotions here. Phil doesn’t sugarcoat anything, starting this album off with the simple yet incredibly powerful statement “Death is Real”. What follows is a series of tracks that go into a day by day almost diary of what Phil Elverum went through alongside his young daughter. Whatever Phil felt, whatever he saw, whatever absolutely crushing thought passed through his mind, we felt too. As this album goes on, Phil goes deep into detail of each stage of coping with the loss of a loved one, bringing in details that quite frankly you would never expect to hear from any artist in any genre. Phil however, brings in all of these themes masterfully though and puts his feeling and thoughts into words that we as humans often try to but can’t. This is easily the most emotionally heavy album I’ve listened to all year. From the moments of “Seaweed” and “Ravens’ where Phil is desperate for a sign from his recently passed away wife, or moments on “Crow” or “Swims” where some of the dialogue between Phil and his daughter is absolutely tear-jerking. This is not an easy album to listen to, by any means. But whether he knows it or not, Phil Elverum has made his most flawless and work under the Mount Eerie name, and one of the most devastating and real albums about Death ever recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2R2Ck8qKWM
No comments:
Post a Comment