25. David Bowie – The Next Day
After a 10-year studio album hiatus, Bowie
roared back to somewhere near his brilliant best in 2013 with The Next Day. After a somber and energy
lacking first single entitled Where Are
We Now, I wasn’t getting my hopes up for anything too special. Yet the
package Bowie ended up delivering was full to the brim with cryptic lyrics,
flashy production and nostalgic sentiment. But at the same time it did not
simply sound like an echo from the past. Moments of blissful ecstasy, contrasting
with vulnerability and sadness on songs like Heat, showcase Bowie as an artist who still has a lot to say. There
are definitely some dodgy moments and it is clear that some of David’s
legendary eccentricity has faded over the years. Yet when you compare this
album to his previous few efforts, it stacks up very well indeed.24. Tall Black Guy – 8 Miles To Moneart
A big surprise for me this year was
discovering some really great beat tapes through watching Beezy from Dead End
Hip Hop review many on his personal channel. My favourite was Tall Black Guy’s 8 Miles To Moneart. This tape was an
instrumental project, describing the city of Detroit through soulful, yet often
bleak beats and samples. Often, instrumental projects fail to hold my full
attention throughout. But 8 Miles To
Moneart was such an entrancing listen. Obviously Detroit has been in the
news this year for its bankruptcy, so this project had a certain resonance for
me in that regard. 23. Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle
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Nowadays I find that a lot of the albums I
listen to slowly grow on me the more I expose myself to them. However in the
case of Laura Marling’s 2013 release, Once
I Was An Eagle, I regrettably started going off it the more and more I
listened to it through. The reason for that may have been that I felt like I
understood much of what Laura was saying on the first listen or two, meaning
after that it became slightly stale. Nonetheless, Laura put together a blissful
collection of tracks on this album, for which she must be commended. The
songwriting was classy and the production was nice enough for an album of this
type. I just wish it had more replay value for me.
22. Darkside
– Psychic
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Nicholas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington
teamed up on this project to glorious effect. There is no other way to describe
this record other than pulsating and intoxicating. The seamless blending of
genres that the pair cook up on this make it a real experience to listen to.
With the duo releasing Random Access Memories
Memories earlier in the year, which offered a low fi take on Daft Punk’s
album, I was excited to see what they would do on their proper debut LP. I
think they delivered. The great thing about this partnership is that I can see
even greater things coming out of it in the very near future.
21.
Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady
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A lot was expected of Janelle Monáe after
her incredibly successful debut The ArchAndroid,
which came out in 2010. With The Electric
Lady, Janelle was continuing her Metropolis concept series, but offering a
prequel to the The ArchAndroid instead
of a sequel. The result was a more expansive variety of genres, where Monáe
explored jazz, gospel and hip hop, to name just a few. I liked the overall vibe
of the album, its infectious energy and pop sensibilities. As I was a newcomer
to Janelle’s music, I was pleased to see she had made an album this accessible.
My only major gripe would be that the album lasts a bit too long for my liking,
with a few unnecessary tracks.
20. Death Grips – Government Plates
Death Grips have the habit of doing things
very spontaneously. Even a lot of their music sounds that way. But when they
dropped a brand new album completely out of the blue on their Soundcloud last
month, it sent shockwaves through the underground hip hop world. Like many
others I went crazy when hearing about this project and went on to playing it
about 10 times over the following few days. It was hypnotic, glitchy and just
trade-mark Death Grips. I loved it! But when comparing it to The Money Store and No Love Deep Web, Government
Plates didn’t get me nearly as pumped up. Therefore I have to see it as a
bit of a let down. My expectations are obviously through the roof for Death
Grips, meaning that it’s tough to put this album in perspective. A handful of tracks
on here really impressed me, yet some lacked the tormented, claustrophobic
energy that I always look forward to on a Death Grips release.
19. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels
The combination of Killer Mike and El-P
proved to be more than fruitful last year with the release of R.A.P Music. This
year they released Run The Jewels,
which brought El-P much more into the forefront in regards to rapping. The duo
exchange dope verse after dope verse, with an ever-present air of competition
between them. Both of them spit with such ruthless passion, which seems deep
rooted in their city of Atlanta. The lyrics are clever, witty and metaphor
laden throughout. I definitely preferred the production on R.A.P Music, but it
worked well enough for me. I hope these two continue to work together and put
out more great work in the coming years.
18. The Strokes – Comedown Machine
This may well be the biggest surprise of
the list. The Strokes have certainly been a seminal band for a lot of people
over the last decade or so, but with Comedown
Machine, they appeared to alienate a lot of fans. Rants about Julian’s
falsetto and The Strokes dumbing down their sound down were aplenty. I happen
to think this is a great album. I will admit that Casablancas’ falsetto isn’t
to everybody’s taste, but it definitely evokes certain emotions in me. There
were weak tracks on this album for sure, but the handful of really catchy,
passionately performed songs were enough for me to be impressed by this. It’s
no Is This It, but Comedown Machine was still a great
listen for me this year.
17. Milo – Cavalcade
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After releasing 2 of my favourite EP’s of
the year, when I heard about Milo’s new mixtape Cavalcade, I couldn’t wait to hear it. I love Milo for his qwerky
wordplay. He doesn’t follow any kind of standard hip hop conventions, but
instead raps about quantum physics, geometry and egg fried rice. It’s so random
at times that you have to pause the song and think about what he is actually saying.
On Cavalcade, Milo fleshes out his
production with the help of Riley Lake, whilst still bringing his trademark
rapping style to the table. I didn’t like the lyrics on this mixtape quite as
much as Things That Happen At Day,
but the introduction of much more sampling and heavier production saved it for
me. I am very excited to see where Milo goes next.
16. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
This was a special album, which in any
other year could have easily made the top 10. Immunity could well be seen as Hopkins’ breakthrough record and for
good reason. On this album, Jon blends rigorously engineered electronic
production with an instrumental style that makes this album feel so organic to
listen to. It is intrinsically put together and by no means lacking in energy,
but Immunity has that vulnerability
to it that kept me coming back to hear it again and again. Like many albums on
this list, it requires concentration and repeated listens to truly “experience”
this album. But I think even a casual listener can recognise the beauty that
Hopkins conjures up on his best project to date.
15. Pusha T – My Name Is My Name
I was never a big fan of Clipse, although I
could appreciate some of their stuff. When it comes to Pusha T as a solo
artist, it has certainly taken him time to find his feet and put out his first
major label album, My Name Is My Name.
This album was very solid indeed and definitely worth the wait. With a host of
world class producers at his finger tips, most noticeably Kanye West, this
album was always going to have a certain sound. Kanye’s influence is heard
throughout, although he only features on Hold
On, if you can even call an autotuned hum a feature. This album contained 3
of my favourite hip hop songs of the year; Numbers
On The Boards, Sweet Serenade and No
Regrets. These songs display Pusha’s ambition and hunger as a rapper both
lyrically and vocally, with the production providing the gloss that keeps you
wanting more. Kendrick Lamar makes a spectacular appearance on the song Nosetalgia, although I happen to think
Pusha outshines him; quite a task given Kendrick’s recent history. This was one
of my most played albums of the year and I think a very successful major label
debut for Pusha.
14. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of
the City
Another album that I would have liked to
include in the top 10 is Modern Vampires
of the City. In my opinion Vampire Weekend’s best work to date. Ezra Koenig
manages to stuff so many ideas into this record, but as they settle in your
subconscious, it weirdly doesn’t seem overbearing whatsoever. The song Step is a prime example, seemingly using
a love affair with a girl as a metaphor for a deep obsession with certain
music. Koenig comes out with so many memorable quotes that it’s often hard to
put the pieces of the jigsaw together. For me, this record shows a band finding
a niche in an already overcrowded genre of music. It is also obviously the
brainchild of a young man who has an awful lot to say, and a great way of
saying it. This album has definitely helped me in putting the first two albums
in perspective but has also made me very excited for future releases.
13. Tyler, The Creator – Wolf
Tyler, The Creator has never been afraid to
shock or surprise people. I think this comes from his “I don’t give a fuck” attitude,
which has put many people off a rapper who I actually think is really talented.
Tyler’s previous album, Goblin, was a
big let down for me. I could sense Tyler’s passion and actually liked a lot of
the tracks, but the tacky beats and mediocre lyrics made it almost annoying to
hear more than a few times. With Wolf,
both elements are massively improved. Tyler shows multiple facets of his
abrasive personality, but none of the songs ever come off as fake or corny. For
Instance Awkward actually feels
awkward, which is what I love about it. It’s just so juvenile and real. The
whole album feels like a complete representation of teenage insecurity, with
the attitude to match. Tyler has said in interviews that he borrowed influence
from Tame Impala, which can definitely be heard on songs like Answer. Tyler is always going to be
outrageous. That’s just who he is. But at least on this album he has shown huge
development from Goblin and the
potential for something extraordinary is definitely there.
12.
M.I.A. – Matangi
I applaud artists like M.I.A. for taking a
risk this year. Her album Matangi was
a display of her ability to mix up her influences in the hope of delivering a
really powerful end result. The album is named after the Hindu goddess of the
same name, whom M.I.A. admits she drew inspiration from. This album packs a
punch from track one. Much of the reason for this is the production, which hits
you like a ton of bricks and pushes you into a new, inspiring headspace. The
songs are catchy, but by no means surface level or redundant. One thing about Matangi is that it doesn’t sound like
anything else I’ve heard this year. Not even close. It is a fascinating look
into the mind of a really clever songwriter and producer. My only negative
would be that it felt a bit dragged out towards the end. I would have been
perfectly content with a 40 minute album instead of an hour long one. Overall
though, this was a stellar project.
11. YC The Cynic – GNK
An intriguing hip hop release this year was
YC The Cynic’s GNK. This concept
album explores ideas of power and perception. GNK shows YC’s ability to spit complex rhymes over often simple
beats. I love this album because it takes you in many different directions and
looks at the world both introspectively and through tangible experiences. The
album has an overall feeling of mystery, meaning it definitely took me a
handful of listens to wrap my head around its purpose as a conceptual
collection of tracks. GNK was
definitely an ambitious project, but doesn’t fail in any aspect. It fascinated
me and drew me in. I loved this project.
10. Kanye West – Yeezus
Can I say anything about Yeezus that hasn’t already been said?
I’ve been a fan of Kanye’s erratic musical output since hearing 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. To
top that album would have been a massive feat. But with Yeezus, I don’t think Kanye even wanted the two to be compared.
This album is a departure from its predecessor in almost every facet. Kanye
abandons many of his pop sensibilities and heads into a heavier, noise-hop
centered sound. Although this is by no means a copy of Death Grips, the
influence is blindingly obvious and well executed in general. The album takes
the listener through a musical tunnel of political messages, personal journeys
and braggadocios claims. Lyrically its trademark Kanye, but I don’t think his
verses reflect anywhere near his vintage best. Instead, it’s the dark beats and
abrasive production style that made almost every song on Yeezus worth coming back to. I wish Kanye had spent longer on this
project in order to refine it, especially with regards to the lyrics. But
overall, I have to applaud an artist of Kanye West’s stature for bringing such
a niche sound into mainstream hip hop.
9. Foxygen – We Are The 21st
Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic
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Despite its mouthful of a title, Foxygen
released one of the most simple, but pleasurable albums of the year for me.
This project incorporated some really elegant psych-folk production and
instrumentation. San Francisco has to
be one of my favourite songs of the year, with a really Beach Boys-esque sound
and all round feel-good vibe. At times this band can feel like they wear their
60’s influences on their sleeves, but it doesn’t really sound particularly
unoriginal. You can hear everything from Dylan to The Velvet Underground in
this eclectic mixture of tracks. I would also say that a strong resonance of
Tame Impala’s Lonerism can be heard
throughout. My only complaint would be how short the album is. The catchiness
of these songs meant that I would have loved a couple more tracks. Overall
though, Foxygen were very effective in acting as a soundtrack to the early part
of my year.
8. Clipping – Midcity
Another album released early in the year
was Clipping’s Midcity. This Los
Angeles hip hop trio completely knocked it out of the park with this project.
If you haven’t listened to any noise-hop before then the beats on Midcity may come across as a bit
overwhelming at points. For me however, it didn’t take many listens to really
latch on to the abrasive, pummeling production exhibited on many of the songs.
You know you’re listening to something special when it somehow allows you to
think in a different way, whether that is a good or a bad thing. Midcity gets the blood pumping faster in
your veins and has the capacity to take you into a hyper-paranoid state. At
points, this album gave me the same claustrophobic feeling that The Money Store did, yet perhaps not
quite as consistently. That may sound horrible, but it’s all about experiencing
the tracks on this album. Killer and Story were major highlights for me, but
every track offered something substantial to chew on.
7. Kurt Vile – Wakin on a Pretty Daze
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This album was pretty much a sure thing
after how much I dug Kurt’s 2011 release, Smoke
Ring For My Halo. On Wakin on a Pretty
Daze, Kurt Vile fleshes out his style in epic proportions, developing from
a dissonant, muddy sound to a record that sounds lighter but also more
expansive. The opening track, Wakin on a
Pretty Day sets the album off in amazing fashion. The song is long and at
times just appears to drift about the place, but my attention remains entirely
focused on Vile’s emotive vocals. These continue for pretty much the duration
of the album. It just feels smoother and more mature than his previous releases
to me. It is exactly what I hoped Kurt would do on his follow up to an album I
consider to be one of my favourites from 2011. Hopefully he will go on to make
even better albums in the years to come.
6. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
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Talk about an album that was over hyped! Reflektor became a fan favourite
seemingly before it had even been put out. The title track was nothing short of
spectacular. A song of so many dimensions and layers. Starting off slow and
subdued, it builds into a glorious symphony of art rock. Even David Bowie makes
an appearance! The album was premiered on YouTube, being played over the 1959
film Black Orpheus. The film really
aided in understanding the album for me and after listening to the whole thing
I was completely blown away. A few more listens without the film revealed its
mild redundancy, as it didn’t completely bowl me over like it did first time
around. However, I cannot deny Arcade Fire’s ability to conjure up truly
infectious and sometimes perplexingly emotional songs. Reflektor was very solid overall and I think a step into very
fruitful territory for one of the most promising bands of the future. 5. Danny Brown – Old
Danny Brown put together an album worthy of
being stacked up against its predecessor XXX
this year with Old. This was an album
that truly consisted of two halves. The first side revolving around Danny’s
earlier days in hip hop, when rhyme and flow were of paramount importance. This
comes through impeccably on songs like Side
A (Old) and 25 Bucks. The first
side also uncovered perhaps a divide in Danny Brown’s personality, torn between
two different styles of rapping, but also 2 different lifestyles. You really
get a sense of his personal turmoil on these early tracks, as well as his drug
slanted worldview. On the second side, the production is turned up considerably
and Brown lets loose in his typical extravagant manner. These tracks feel
tailored to the clubbing scene, as opposed to being great lyrical compositions.
I think it was incredibly brave of Danny to do what he did on Old. His spitting is exemplary and the
attitude of the this rapper is striking throughout the entire 19 tracks. Few
albums can hold my complete attention for that period of time.
4. Julia Holter – Loud City Song
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There were very few albums that had such a
profound impact on me this year as Julia Holter’s Loud City Song did. This is the third studio album from the
singer-songwriter and for many people, the album in which she came of age. This record is nothing short of grandiose.
Julia’s voice is enough on its own to take your breath away at times, but with
layer upon layer of lush ambience and delicate instrumentation, it really feels
like you drifting into another world. Julia explores many themes on Loud City Song, from city life to the
concept of celebrity. These help to paint the picture of Julia’s view on the
world and how she manages to escape its many pitfalls through her music. I loved the
way Julia blended her many inspirations on this album to create something very
cohesive and more than worth coming back to.
3. Childish Gambino – Because The Internet
Much like Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid M.A.A.D City last year,
Childish Gambino put out one of my favourite concept albums of the decade with Because The Internet. He released it in
conjunction with an inconspicuous screenplay, designed to add another layer of
understanding to this MC’s cluttered and haunted mind. I read the screenplay
first, which described a few days in the life of “The Boy”. Gambino depicts
this character as a highly depressed rich kid, drifting through often extreme
life experiences with an overwhelming apathy. It does a great job in supporting
the albums complex emotional themes, however, I don’t think it prevents the
album standing on its own two feet. Because
The Internet is technically outstanding too. Gambino’s beats are out of the
box and catchy, whilst the lyrics uncover many layers of his mixed up
personality. Like Kendrick last year, there is a great honesty and humility to
these songs, something a lot of rappers simply don’t manage to achieve. In
short, Because The Internet was a
game changing hip hop album for me. It is a project that rewards many listens,
but when it finally clicks, it is more than worth the investment of time.
2. The Knife – Shaking The Habitual
It is hard for me to put into words why I
love this album so much. At 100 minutes long, I was anticipating a certain
amount of patience would be required on my part to get through listening to
this in one piece. That wasn’t the case. Almost magically, I became entranced
by this music. It is one of those albums that pushes your perception to the
limit and forces you to go deeper. There is something beautifully rough around
the edges about this album. Nowhere is that more true than on the track A Tooth for an Eye, where the beat and
melody make you feel paranoid and awestruck at the same time. As the album
progresses, The Knife fuses infectious drum samples with bursts of raw
electronic energy to create a sound unlike anything else I’ve heard in a long
time. It really is something to behold. 1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
My number 1 album of 2013 comes from the
infamous French duo, Daft Punk. For many hardcore fans, this album represented
a departure from their roots and thus, an alienating project. For me it was
precisely the opposite. Whilst I can admit that it is by no means a Homework or Discovery, I would contest that it is better than both of those
albums. On Random Access Memories,
Daft Punk proved that it is possible to mix the sound of 80’s disco with an
ultra slick, futuristic production that felt undeniably pure. The album
contained everything a listener like me could want; Great features, catchy
singles, funky disco tracks and songs that had huge emotional impact on me. On
top of this, Daft Punk managed to implement live instrumentation on this album
like never before, without diminishing their trademark sound. This really was
an album that changed my life and helped me through some tougher times this
year. I am so excited to see where Daft Punk can go on their future releases.
I hope you enjoyed my list. Let me know some of your favourite albums of the year by tweeting me at @Balzo93 or @MrDylanRecords. Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for a top 10 list.
