It goes without saying, I suppose, that the showdowns in Tier 3 are going to be, at the very least, thought-provoking. All the albums that have gotten here have been through to this point have already survived two rounds of elimination. The difference here is that these surviving albums are now facing each other! Predictably, there are a few genre crashes here, but there are also several really compelling comparisons.
Mo Troper - Troper Sings Brion VS. The Guess Who - Plein D’Amour
Mo Troper - Troper Sings Brion
This showdown is for the Jellyfish fans out there. Ardent fans of that classic yet obscure group have generally heard about The Guess Who album and justifiably advocate for it. The songwriting, production, and performances on Plein D’Amour inarguably find their inspiration in albums like Bellybutton and Spilt Milk. Jon Brion, whose demos inspired Mo Troper to create this unique tribute album, served as a guitar player on the latter of these two Jellyfish albums, and his 2000 classic Meaningless was the sonic template. While both Plein D’Amour and Troper Sings Brion are compelling extensions of the Jellyfish family tree, Troper’s album has an edginess that distinguishes it from the Guess Who’s relative polish.
Hans Zimmer - Dune 2 OST VS. Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Transcendence Bot
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Transcendence Bot
No doubt about it, Hans Zimmer is a genius. I often contemplate the way in which he hears the world, as his auditory imagination seems to extend endlessly to the horizon. In recent years, he has increasingly showcased his ability to sculpt timbres and sounds in his soundtrack work, sometimes to the detriment of clearly identifiable themes. Dune 2 is an improvement in this regard over its predecessor. His sonic palette for the world of Dune is more developed, giving him the freedom and confidence to shape sounds into melodies. Still, however, as a freestanding experience, Dune 2 feels less satisfying than it does when accompanying the images and narrative of the film. Death’s Dynamic Shroud is, in some ways, similarly imaginative and cinematic, but Transcendence Bot also suggests a narrative that is clearer and more coherent than Dune 2 when experienced as a standalone album.
Hermeto Pascoal y Grupo - Planeterio de Gavea VS. Toe - For Long Tomorrow
Hermeto Pascoal y Grupo - Planeterio de Gavea
Tough call, as both of these albums are at times fantastic and at others problematic. Hermeto’s endless creativity, however, buoys Planeterio de Gavea. That, along with an amazing Spring afternoon spent listening to this album from a hammock, pushed it out in front by a small margin.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of the Last Human Being VS. Zombi - Surface to Air
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of the Last Human Being
Very difficult choice here. Superficially, I LOVE Zombi. They’ve got two of my favorite musical elements right out in front: Analog keyboards and progressive rock drumming. It's like the 3-2-1 Contact theme with Neal Peart on drums. How could I pass that up - especially in lieu of something as avant-garde as Of the Last Human Being? Well, once I recovered from the initial shock of weirdness, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum revealed themselves to be an incredibly musical group that inadvertently shone a bit of light on the shortcomings of Zombi’s formula that I simply didn’t want to acknowledge because I am so attached to the superficial aspects of their concept. Even though Zombi boast incredible chops and an inspiring amount of intensity, they are a bit repetitive and could use a stronger melodic component.
Kebu - Urban Dreams VS. J. Dilla - Donuts
J. Dilla - Donuts
As is sometimes the case with most “genre crash” showdowns, the path that led us here was twisted, indeed, including music from Brian Eno, Madlib, Joe Howe, and ISON. This one was problematic because, although both albums are largely instrumental and could both be compared in terms of their use of texture, the styles are radically divergent. Out of the gate, Kebu seemed to have an advantage. His thematic, “new age” approach to analog synth resonates strongly with the music I heard coming out of my parent’ speakers growing up. J. Dilla, however, also resonates strongly with a different period of my musical development and has the added consideration of J. Dilla’s poor health at the time of its creation. That he was able to keep things playful in light of his own mortality is nothing short of inspiring.
Mauritz Duda - AFR AI D VS. Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond
Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond
Believe it or not, this showdown was the most contentious of the bunch. Again, you have all the issues with inter-genre comparisons and the added weight of Maruitz Duda’s impressive resume. If I were to sit down and list the objective pros and cons of these albums, it would seem to weigh in the direction of AFR AI D. Chronicles of a Diamond, however, wins out only due to its infectious accessibility. I have tunes from this album joyfully beaming in from the Galactic Radio Station on constant repeat. Duda’s album, although an effortlessly creative work, is simply a bit more of a private listen - but one that is inarguably worth a save!
Viewer’s Choice
Timmy Sean - Songs From and Inspired By Noisewater VS. The Guess Who - Plein D’Amour
Timmy Sean - Songs From and Inspired By Noisewater
Nick Hakim - Cometa VS. Hans Zimmer - Dune 2 OST
Nick Hakim - Cometa
Tigran Hamasayan - StandArt VS. Toe - For Long Tomorrow
Toe - For Long Tomorrow
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of the Last Human Being VS. Toehider - I Have Little to No Memory of These Memories
Toehider - I Have Little to No Memory of These Memories
ISON - Inner-Space VS. J. Dilla - Donuts
J. Dilla - Donuts
Mauritz Duda - AFR AI D VS. Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond
Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond
