Music to Your Ears – Best of 2018: Songs Part Two

Now that you’ve seen half of my favorite songs of the year (don’t forget to vote on them too!), it’s time to reveal the rest, including my favorite – one that lasted a good duration, holding steady to the spot just in time for the full album release last week. Take a look below and vote for these other four face-offs:

First we have my favorite song of the year pitted against one of my new favorite singers:

1) Give Yourself a Try – The 1975

From the moment the whine of Adam Hann’s guitar shrieks through the darkness of the beginning of this song I was intrigued. Then they did something I’ll always love in songs: a brief absence of sound. It turns your head, makes you ask why they paused. It’s always intentional and almost always effectual. That’s just the beginning, though. When Matt Healy breaks in with some of the best poetry this year, his anguished plea for preservation becomes something of a tragic tale. He enlightens us to his insights on aging gracefully, shucking the mistakes of the past and accepting that pain might always linger. Lucky for us we grow out of our distorted phases, hopefully grasping the reality of maturity, being able to deal with the pain. We might struggle some more, but there’s always something to keep us going, if only we give it a try. The thrill doesn’t let up as Hann’s guitar blares like a klaxon underneath the chorus, fading only for Healy’s final plea to hit home. It’s subtle and garish all at once, just like Healy and company want to represent for the millennial experience.

16) Small Talks – Liza Anne

I don’t think I’ve ever related to a song’s lyrics more than this one. Who among us hasn’t been at a party and forced to deal with complete strangers discussing the most mundane of subjects? Liza Anne perfectly puts to song that feeling of ennui brought on by the banter no one wants to deal with. Not only is it a subjectively engaging piece, but her guitar skills almost match her rapid fire repartee. I’m a sucker for female vocalists, as you know, and sardonic wit is the fastest way to my heart. That double dose of power made Liza Anne my favorite new artist of the year.

Music to Your Ears – The 1975, Alessia Cara and the Best of Autumn

Much like last year, December has a dearth of music, so this is essentially the last week for new music to debut. I always thought there were decent new releases, but the truth of the matter is probably that the studios want to ensure their music is nabbed in time for Christmas – or Hanukkah, which began last night. Without further adieu, here’s the last two major releases of 2018:

The 1975 –

“I fight crime online sometimes” is quite the declaration from the 30-something frontman of the 1975, Matty Healy. Confidently spoken towards the end of their third album, on the splendid piano ballad “Mine”, it signifies the progressive mindset of the group as a whole. That progression blends nicely with a bit of an experimental phase the boys have earned after two stand-out albums. A great single can anchor an album or it can sink it. As I lauded their first single earlier this year, you may know that I feel strongly about “Give Yourself a Try”. My anticipation for the full album was at full tilt headed into this weekend, and I have to say, it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the proceedings. Healy clearly has his finger on the pulse of contemporary art, producing what he is assured is good pop sound. Simultaneously nostalgic for their youth but pushing sonic boundaries, the 1975 bounce back and forth between traditional romantic (“Inside Your Mind”) and creepy dissonance (“TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”). They know how good they are, confidently bounding between strange instrumentals (“How to Draw”) and simple acoustics: “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)”. They seem to shine when they dial things down, in “Be My Mistake” or “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)”. If there’s any misstep, it’s in the computer-read story “The Man Who Married a Robot” which might remind some of the time Dennis Hopper read about a monkey with his brain on fire early in Gorillaz’s career. This time the storyteller isn’t quite as effective, and the listener longs for a return to the meat of the music. Lucky for us, this is some of the juiciest meal we’ve gotten in music all year.

Key Tracks: Give Yourself a Try / Sincerity Is Scary / Inside Your Mind

Alessia Cara –

Alessia Cara has settled in nicely to her role as heir apparent to Alicia Keys and Norah Jones. A more sophisticated sound that someone like Rita Ora, she is your older sister’s favorite artists, a young adult answer to those uninterested in heading out to the club. I find myself in that crowd, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I enjoyed her sophomore album. I was lucky enough to happen to catch her live, opening for Coldplay two years ago right after her 2015 single “Here” rocketed her to stardom and top-ten lists worldwide. Heck, she managed to land herself all the way up to number 4 on my albums list that year. So does this hold up to that explosive debut? You may have already guessed so, but in what way? Cara remarkably matured at a fast clip lyrically in the past three years, showcasing a broader template than small-town life on songs like “Wherever I Live” and “Not Today”. She finds a playfulness in her writing, remembering days spent in front of the television in the amusing “Nintendo Game”. She still has time for the romantic longing she infused her debut with in instant classics like “Comfortable” and “Trust My Lonely” while she has a forlorn side after experiencing heartbreak in “Out of Love”. It’s a well-rounded follow-up to Know-it-All and fans of Cara’s should not sleep on this sparkling continuation.

Key Tracks: Easier Said / Comfortable / Out of Love / Girl Next Door

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Finally this week we’re wrapping things up with a playlist of my favorite songs from autumn. These will dovetail immediately on Wednesday into the beginning of the best of season, as we’ll cover my top 16 songs of the year. Part one will cover half of those songs and introduce our Second Annual Music Bracket. You’ll be able to vote each article, and whittle the choices down along with me until we crown the best song of the year. I’ll also sprinkle in my favorite television, films and albums. Cory will pop in with a year-end recap of his top ten as well.

For now, here’s your best of the autumn:

 

Music to Your Ears – Florence and the Machine, Gorillaz and Best of Spring 2018!

Distractions are no fun – with my birthday this past week and work consuming most hours, I fell behind on patching together the next handful of reviews. Let’s dive in to some recent music (really just stuff from the end of June):

Florence + the Machine – High as Hope

Cue the waterworks, Flo is on fire here. I think I mentioned in the preview review for stellar single “Hunger” that I think she’s an even better orator than Adele, pulling off her style with some flair. “Kiss with a Fist” seems a distant grungy memory now, with ten tracks dedicated to rough breakups, hardship, and finding hope in fellow female rock stars. The often serious lyrics are undercut by such melodious intonations that you’re taken aback by the craft presented by the South London performer. This is simply a must listen, an emotional sitdown with one of our most talented singers.

Key Tracks: Hunger / Big God / Patricia

Music to Your Ears – Kanye West, Father John Misty and Gorillaz

Never mind, there was plenty to talk about this week! Owl City is joined by ye himself, in a self-titled personal memoir inscribed with the statement “I hate being bi-polar, it’s awesome”. There’s also new stuff from Gorillaz, Neko Case and a surprisingly deft cover of Toto’s “Africa” by everyone’s favorite California neverbloomers:

Kanye West – ye

A musician’s career is a strange beast. None have been scrutinized in the past decade, I believe, as America’s beloved Kanye West. With his latest album releasing this past Friday, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that he’s either aging out of his own genre or losing grip on reality itself. I know he’s capable of something artistically majestic; he gave us My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. By now, he’s reveling in his broken-ness. It’s somewhat a shame to watch Kanye go down this rabbit hole, as I think there’s still something left in the tank before he’s cast off to the elder statesman role. Maybe he’s just trolling us with the first few tracks, because the real meat of ye is in the second half, where Kid Cudi and Charlie Wilson drop in for “No Mistakes” and there are other uncredited guest spots from Cudi and a phenomenal find in 070 Shake, rescuing the lost cause in “Ghost Town”. I’m actually sort of disappointed that the last track, “Violent Crimes” ends so abruptly, as the album was starting to heat up right at the wrong moment.

Key Tracks: Ghost Town / No Mistakes / Violent Crimes