And so it begins! We kick off Tier 5!
Tier 5 consists of Spin-Off challenges between eliminated Tier 1 albums and new music from this Summer. In my opinion, the Summer albums have a disadvantage here due to general familiarity and momentum from this earlier exposure. These new albums, however do have the benefit of novelty and immediacy.
Samaris – Samaris VS. London Grammar – The Greatest
Love
London Grammar – The Greatest Love
In terms of mood, this Spin-Off is a dead heat. Certainly, fans of London Grammar’s twilight
urban landscapes will find a lot of common ground with Samaris’ glacial
somnambulism. London Grammar only wins
out due to their expanded dynamic and sonic palate.
Lucy in Blue – Lucy in Blue VS. Amythyst Kiah – Still
+ Bright
Amythyst Kiah – Still + Bright
My initial impression of Lucy in Blue
was that it was a very solid tribute project to Pink Floyd and that Amythyst
Kiah’s kinetic crossbreeding of blues, folk, and indie rock would easily shut
it down. Lucy in Blue, however,
revealed itself to be much more than a mere Floyd clone and almost caused a
major upset out of the gate. It was only
a couple of minor production quibbles that ended up giving Still + Bright the
edge.
Heilung – Lifa VS. Magma – Udu Wudu
Magma – Udu Wudu
Magma is inarguably an acquired taste, and there are
certainly justifications for critique of their material despite the obvious
musicianship and craft that they invested in their work. Lifa definitely had a path to advance. I have, however, acquired the taste and find their
work fascinating. Add to that the fact
that Heilung is best conceived of as an interdisciplinary project that includes
drama and stagecraft and that Lifa doesn’t express these aspects of the overall
concept in full, and I think a picture forms that puts Udu Wudu in the
lead.
Taugadeildin - Þegar dauðir rísa upp VS.
Clarence Clarity – Vanishing Act II
Taugadeildin - Þegar dauðir rísa upp
Vanishing Act II starts
out incredibly strong. Its melodic,
funky, disorienting, and fun, and superficially it would seem to easily unseat Þegar
dauðir rísa upp. The issue is
that the album’s intensity holds at an incredibly high level throughout, to the
point where songs begin to blend into one another and become interchangeable, rather
like propping one’s eyelids open and staring into a strobe light for 45
minutes. Taugadeildein instead relies on
straightforward, stripped-down, energetic songwriting that seems to transcend
the inevitable language barrier.
Viewer’s Choice
Samaris – Samaris VS. London Grammar – The Greatest
Love
London Grammar – The Greatest Love
Lucy in Blue – Lucy in Blue VS. Amythyst Kiah – Still
+ Bright
Lucy in Blue – Lucy in Blue
Heiling – Lifa VS. Magma – Udu Wudu
Magma – Udu Wudu
Taugadeildin - Þegar dauðir rísa upp VS.
Clarence Clarity – Vanishing Act II
Clarence Clarity – Vanishing Act II
