Sunday, October 22, 2023

2023 Album Showdown Results: Tier 6 Week 3


Gruff Rhys -
Seeking New Gods VS. Colin Hay - Going Somewhere

Colin Hay - Going Somewhere


Seeking New Gods is amazing and has survived as a strong contender throughout the year, but Colin Hay’s direct, unadorned songwriting and distinctive voice gives him the edge here.



I

nfinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra VS. Death Grips - Government Plates


Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra

 

Although I am a dedicated advocate for Death Grips in general, King Cobra’s paradoxically avant garde yet old-school approach to beats has caused it to emerge  as an unlikely favorite.




Astronoid - Radiant Bloom VS. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden


Astronoid - Radiant Bloom


I just love Astronoid.  Their “Mew with blast beats” perspective on metal is consistently invigorating and inspiring.




88Kasyo Junrei - SYG88 VS. Crown Lands - Fearless


88Kasyo Junrei - SYG 88


I love Rush, and I stand by Crown Lands as the torchbearer for the sound of their High Progressive Period.  When framed this way, Fearless is thrilling, to say the least, but I also find the way that it plays “guess that Rush lick” throughout the album a bit distracting.   88Kasyo Junrei, on the other hand, feels fresh and has me eagerly anticipating a deeper dive into their back catalog.




Slowdive - Everything is Alive VS. Beauty Pill - Blue Period


Beauty Pill - Blue Period


Everything is Alive is a beautiful, lush, and consistent album, but the songs are interchangeable.  It requires an act of intention to distinguish one from the other.  As a compilation, a case could be built against Blue Period due to the way it seems to conceptually wander through B-sides and alternate takes in the back half.  Every one of the songs on the album, however, have a distinct character that clearly distinguishes one track from another. At the same time, there is a clear coherency due to the distinctive musical character of its members.




Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations VS. Jantra - Synthesized Sudan


Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations


Jantra was poised to be a 2023 favorite when I threw Destinations in front of Synthesized Sudan. I had no real idea about how brilliant a synthesist Lisa Bella Donna actually is when I did this, and the result has been one of the bigger upsets I have had so far this Fall.





Viewer’s Choice


Colin Hay - Going Somewhere VS. Aiming for Enrike - Empty Airports


Aiming for Enrike - Empty Airports



Mong Tong - Tao Fire VS. Death Grips - Government Plates


Mong Tong - Tao Fire




Astronoid - Radiant Bloom VS. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden


Astronoid - Radiant Bloom



88Kasyo Junrei - SYG88 VS. Crown Lands - Fearless


Crown Lands - Fearless




Steve Reich - Runner/Music for Ensemble and Orchestra VS. Slowdive - Everything is Alive


Steve Reich - Runner/Music for Ensemble and Orchestra



Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations VS. Jantra - Synthesized Sudan


Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations


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