This week has been very interesting, with a couple of very big upsets and significant divergences between the Viewer’s Choice and the prime list. Read on!
Low - Things We Lost In the Fire VS. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Low - Things We Lost In the Fire
First upset of the week. Low has risen in my esteem in the past few years, and even earned Album of the Year with Hey, What! a couple of years ago. Things We Lost In the Fire predates that album by quite a bit, and initially, I didn’t find it as engaging as I anticipated. Like many albums that returned in Tier 5 from Tier 1, however, it gained a new life in recent months. Beth Gibbons’ album is also quite stellar, but also has some intermittent songwriting shortcomings that allowed the emerging genius of this early Low album to shine more brightly.
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Human Safari really is great, and its 80’s influenced psychedelic dance approach has made it a go-to for family car rides and evening meals. Hotel La Rut, however, hits me a bit closer to home. Its subtly complex pop songwriting and progressive rock interludes remind me of what it is I love about both of those genres while also challenging their conventions.
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate VS. Various Artists - Heiladans 3
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate
The Heiladans 3 compilation is unquestionably an interesting and engaging compilation of electronica. Death’s Dynamic Shroud is simply next-level stuff.
Willow - Empathogen VS. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice
Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice
This was a huge, huge upset, because I genuinely think that Willow’s album is ingenious and going into this showdown, I thought for sure that she would plow right over Mdou. In my research, however, I watched Willow’s Tiny Desk concert in which she played a couple of songs from Empathogen and her performance felt insincere. Don’t misunderstand, I have a huge amount of respect for Willow, especially for pushing on the boundaries of her musicianship. She is obviously on a quest to find her unique voice, and Empathogen is an impressive step forward, but it seems like she still is not quite sure what she is trying to say, even though the way that she is saying it is impressive. When I put that up against Funeral For Justice, an album by a guy who literally taught himself to play guitar in the desert and is using his platform to speak out against colonial power imbalances, the convictions that drive the album add a weight to his musical voice (even though he sings in a non-English language).
Viewer’s Choice
somesuprises - Persieds VS. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
somesuprises - Persieds
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate VS. Various Artists - Heiladans 3
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate
Willow - Empathogen VS. boygenius - the Record
Willow - Empathogen
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