30 Albums for 2011
Y’know what, 2011 was a pretty good year in music. There was definitely some unadultered shit released this year - the fact that Katy Perry had another 3 massive hits, anything and everything done by Lana Del Rey, the stateless standing army that are the Beliebers, the faux-outrage and pseudo-cyber bullying that followed ‘Friday’, the ironic fame and fortune that followed ‘Friday’, the fact Tyler never actually stabbed Bruno Mars in his “god damned oesophagus”, One Direction and the beginning of Tumblr-pop, Skrillex and the beginning of dubcore, Kreayshawn, Lil B, ASAP Rocky and the rest of swag-rap scene, and the amphetamine fueled ear fuck meme that was ‘Nyan Cat’.
Apart from all of that, there was some big bright spots, and across most genres. I had the pleasure of listening to some great rock, punk, hip hop, folk, R ‘n’ B, experimental and dance albums over the year. And hence this list, my 30 favourite albums of 2011. Enjoy y’all.
30. Radiohead - King Of Limbs
Seems to me that this album was met with a universal - “oh, really?” when it was released earlier this year. And yet, I see it popping up on a lot of end-of-year lists. No it’s clearly not their best, but what can you expect? If you aren’t filled with a greater peace after the guitar noodling of ‘Separator’ than there’s something wrong with you, not Radiohead.
29. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?
If I understand this correctly, The Vaccines are one of the bigger buzz bands in England. Anointed by the ever-relevant (sarcasm) taste makers at NME, their debut fell a little flat amongst the British music press. Thankfully, I was able to enjoy What Did You Expect… without the overseas hype. And whilst their Beatles-cum-Ramones-cum-Jesus and Mary Chain style may induce some rolling of some cynic’s eyeballs, you can’t argue that tracks like ‘If You Wanna’, ‘Norgaard’ and the album’s closer ‘Family Friend’ get stuck in your head like no other songs in 2011. For some, that’s not enough. For others, it’s too much. For me, it’s just right.
28. Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx II
Hardcore punk band creates a Mariachi side project. All fun and games, right? Maybe not. II is the product of a band that takes themselves very seriously. With instrumental songs, slower tracks about death and a chopping and changing of styles, Mariachi El Bronx are showing themselves to be quite versatile and talented. Of course the overly dramatic love songs remain (see ‘48 Roses’ and ‘Revolution Girls’), but they compliment the groups sound well. I am a massive Bronx fan and I’m very biased picking this, but II is just a fun and harmless collection of songs, and in the end, what more can you ask from an album?
27. Battles - Gloss Drop
The departure of your lead singer is usually not a good sign. Add to that the pressure of producing the follow up to one of the most critically acclaimed debut albums of the last decade. Apparently the challenge isn’t big enough for Battles, who continue to seamlessly merge rock, dance and experimental influences into something that is entirely enjoyable and without pretension.
26. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
The debut album by this American producer harks back to the early ambient works of acts like Aphex Twin, the main difference being that this album is even more minimalist. With obscure film references, Ray Charles samples or seemingly random saxophone solos, Jaar has created a form of electronic music that seems to resemble free jazz more than it does traditional dance music.
25. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
I once heard a description of WU LYF as “just an indie band with screaming”. It basically holds true, but WU LYF are definitely more fun than the blurb suggests. The Edge-like guitar work and heavy organ use give the record depth, but the active rhythm section and mass gang vocals on tracks like ‘Spitting Blood’ keep the record jumping. Whether WU LYF are in it for the long run will remain to be seen, yet for now they add a good dose of fun to an increasingly pretentious scene.
24. James Blake - James Blake
It’s hard to find a more buzz-filled act in 2011 than James Blake. Throughout the his debut LP, Blake displays an ear for texture and subtlety that is rarely matched by any producer, let alone someone of his age and experience. He is equally capable of making others’ songs his own, as is the case on ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ and ‘Limit To Your Love’, as he is able to produce his own challenging pieces of electronica like ‘Unluck’ and ‘I Mind’. In one album Blake has managed to bridge together fans of intelligent dance music with fans of sensitive pop music (think Bon Iver). Is it any wonder he got so much buzz?
23. Touche Amore - Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
Any band singed to Deathwish Inc., the record label of Jacob Bannon of Converge fame, is bound to be good. Touche’s second album confirms this. The band produces what truly is emotional hardcore, with vocalist Jeremy Bolm sounding like he is on the verge of a mental breakdown on each track with lyrics like “it’s become clear that what keeps me here, is that sense of failure and other nightmares”. Add to this the driving instrumentation, especially Elliott Babin’s frantic drumming, and you have a winning combination.
22. Cults - Cults
We all like to piss on pop music, don’t we? The lack of originality, overuse of cliches, the superficiality etc. The fact remains that to create truly great pop music, something so simple that it can sit in a the pocket and stay there, is a pretty hard thing to do. Cults is a nostalgic pop music love-fest. It’s not like the ideas here are all that new or daring, much of it dates back to the 50’s. It’s just that they are executed so well. Anyone that argues that “Go Outside” or “Oh My God” are anything less than pop genius is a straight liar. On top of this is Madeline Follin, the only person who could sing of a stockholm syndrome romance-like on “Abducted”, then back it up with a line like “I could never heal myself enough….so fuck you”.
21. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Kurt Vile’s fourth album is the definition of chill. So much so it became my go to music for late night bus/train trips. As a result I’m conditioned to fall asleep upon hearing ‘On Tour’. When I do fight this conditioning I am rewarded handsomely. Over just ten tracks, Vile hovers between folk and psychedelic influences. His guitar work is a stand out with the uber-catchy licks on ‘Jesus Fever’, and the return of the “cool” guitar solo on ‘In My Time’. His slurred delivery seems to say “I’m too cool to sing, what of it?” The result is a classic indie rock record, that cares little for what you think.
20. Frank Ocean - nostalgia, Ultra
Any honest measure of an artist’s success would show that 2011 was the year of Frank Ocean. Beginning the year as the little known sole R ‘n’ B act in the Odd Future collective (who, lets face it, were no where near as popular at the start of the year) to ending it with a major record deal and being one of just three guest artists guesting on Watch The Throne with Kanye West and Jay Z. That’s a massive leap, and it’s all due to nostalgia, Ultra. It’s a classic R ‘n’ B album. The smooth beats allow Ocean to show off his vocal talents in full. He also differentiates himself with his superb, and often quite dark songwriting. Whether he’s recounting a drugged-out hook up in ‘Novacaine’, or describing his melodramatic suicide in ‘Swim Good’, Frank Ocean remains one of the years best new talents.
19. Iceage - New Brigade
This is what I imagine Mars sounds like. Cold, cruel, unrelenting and fucking noisy! The fact that the band is made up of Danish teenagers fresh out of high school makes it even more remarkable. New Brigade is characterised first and foremost by dirty noise-punk. There is a verified hurricane of guitars on the title track, while the drums on ‘Count Me In’ are headache inducing. There is the occasional catchy moment, like on ‘Remember’ or the brilliant closer, ‘You’re Blessed’, but they are few and far between. The only reprieve is frontman Elias Ronnenfelt’s vocal which is consistently indecipherable and apathetic. Though after a while even that becomes scary - “how is he so calm? What is he planning?!”.
18. The Roots - Undun
When you get the Undun CD you are greeted with a sticker informing you that the album is an existential retelling of the life of Redford Stevens. Intimidating to say the least. Yet what The Roots have created is an album that is highly listenable even with a dense and dramatic story line. All the things that make the group so great are here - Questlove’s flawless production, Black Thoughts insightful and underrated lyricism, the verses and vocals of long time collaborators like Dice Raw, Phonte, P.O.R.N. and Bilal. Yet Undun at no point feels like it’s treading worn ground, a testament to its great songwriting. Considering this is the groups 11th studio album, produced 18 months after their last output (the instant classic How I Got Over), all whilst the group performs as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Undun is further proof that not only are The Roots one of the hardest working groups of the last two decades, but one of the best.
17. Trash Talk - The Awake EP
There’s a reason Keith Morris loves these guys. They are a classic hardcore punk band with the benefit of modern production. Frontman Lee Spielman and bassist Spencer Pollard’s vocals bounce off one another with venom, dropping classic hardcore lines like “I am your hammer and sickle, I am your ball and chain, I am your brain on drugs” and “I don’t care where you’re going I just care that you’re gone”. This is the sound that an alienated, bitter and sexually frustrated 15 year old me was looking for, and it is what an alienated, bitter and sexually frustrated present me is still looking for. Trash Talk seems to have filled that void.
16. Bomb The Music Industry! - Vacation
Last year my guilty pleasure was Motion City Soundtrack’s My Dinosaur Life. This year, Bomb the Music Industry! takes that titled, but I’m proud of it. I’m proud to like something that is so unnecessarily bombastic. I’m proud to like something that has gang vocal sing-a-long’s. I’m proud to like something that has an excess of guitar tracks, synth breaks, horn sections and glockenspiels. And I’m proud that is shamelessly pushed threw a pop punk filter. Why? Because it’s fun! Very fun! Too fun. So when Jeff Rosenstock says “when I show up at 6 am, I hope somebody lets me in. I know I’ve been gone a long time, but you know I’m still your friend” I will say “I know you are Jeff, come in”.
15. Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
The bolter in my list.
This British four piece play a simple form of shoegaze pop. Their debut self titled record is desolate and lonely, but beautiful at the same time. Often compared to record label contempories, The Pains At Being of Heart, for their prominent boy-girl duel harmonies, Veronica Falls play a more stripped down, pop-orientation form of shoegaze, similar to how I imagine the Velvet Underground would have sounded if they followed My Bloody Valentine.
Yet unlike many of these bands there is no distortion, or delay effects or even cymbals, giving the band a fragile sound. The soundtrack is the perfect compliment to the band’s lyrics, which tend to revolve around desire in an innocent and sincere way. One can’t help but feel for the protagonist in ‘Come On Over’ with lines like ‘Hey, it’s getting colder. Come on over, until the summer, until we’re older. Old forever”.
With an innocent sense of love and lost, Veronica Falls sounds like the indie pop equivalent of Lost In Translation. It isn’t perfect, nor is it the most consistent record I’ve ever heard, but it is endearing - and what more can you ask from an album?
14. The Mountain Goats - All Eternal Decks
This is singer-songwriter John Darnielle 13th record under The Mountain Goats moniker (the 8th since the Mountain Goats became an actual band). As a result of his prolific song writing, Darnielle has produced a dedicated following over the last 17 years, strengthening his fanbase particularly over thet last 10 years.
All Eternal Decks is yet another strong Mountain Goats release. Darnielle again shows his genius by doing little to do a lot. The instrumentation is simple, usually just piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums. The vocal is characteristically out of key, one of the most endearing parts of the band’s music for fans. The lyrics are typical Darnielle - simple stories, soaked in imagery that seem to hit the most basic of nerves. Even when he’s discussing the victims of vampires on the opening track, there is a genuine sense of sorrow and frustration. Tracks like ‘Estate Sale Sign’ and ‘For Charles Bronson’ are a reminder of why so many love the Mountain Goats, one a bitter recount of a couple going through a divorce, the other, a tale of pure optimism that reminds you to “set your sights on good fortune”.
If you aren’t a fan of the Mountain Goats, or at least predisposed to liking their brand of indie-folk, I don’t know if All Eternal Decks is the album for you. But for those seeking simple story telling with a distinctive DIY feel, you can’t go further than this record.
13. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man
Apart from having the fucking BEST band name in the world, it just so happens that Andrew Jackson Jihad make some great music. The folk-punk’s fourth full length album is a very entertaining battle between cynicism and sincerity.
Dark humour is the order of the day on Knife Man. For christ’s sake the album begins with the line “the Michael Jordan of drunk driving played his final game tonight”. Frontman Sean Bonnette tell’s stories about men leaving their wives to hang out poolside and “scope out the talent”, the homeless being kept dependent on “the Saints” by being fed high-fructose corn syrup and how he’s hero told him never to write a sad song because it will send him broke.
At times Bonnette turns his razor sharp insight on himself. Sometimes with wit (providing the albums best line: “the first month after you left, I drank and jerked off ‘til I slept”) but often in genuine reflection. The closing song, ‘Big Bird’ is five and half minutes of Bonnette confessing his deepest fears, ranging from a fear that his dog doesn’t love him to a confession that his mothers cancer and his grandmothers “dying arm” terrify him.
In many ways when Bonnette confesses that it is “harder to be yourself then it is to be anyone else” he effectively wraps up the album - under all the cynicism and disdain, there is a simple honesty. And like any good comedy movie, it’s this heart that makes Knife Man special.
12. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx - We’re New Here
I was not confident about this album at all. I’m not a The xx fan, there, I admit it. On top of this, the source material, Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here was easily one of the best of 2010, with an ageing Scott-Heron crooning over quite unique production, lost some where between hip hop and intelligent dance music.
I will gladly eat my words. Jamie xx, who showed consistently over 2011 that he is an immensely talented producer, runs a delicate tight rope between stamping his authority on the record whilst protecting and respecting Scott-Heron’s work. What he produces is a thorough re-imagination of I’m New Here. He produces an ambient reworking of the Scott-Heron classic ‘Home’, while the dark dubstep beat on the track ‘NY Is Killing Me’ serves to enhance the paranoia of the original material. Closing the album with an almost 90’s dance remix, ‘I’ll Take Care Of U’, Jamie xx concludes his work with his talents on full display.
To the great loss of the music world, Gil Scott-Heron passed away on May 27th. He left behind a superb back catalogue that helped form much of modern hip hop and beat poetry. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about We’re Not Here, and Jamie xx’s production, is that it stands up beautifully against Scott-Heron’s past work. While Scott-Heron is no longer with us, We’re Not Here will remain as a testament of one of the previous generation’s greatest artists, and one of this generation’s brightest talents.
11. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Girls are a band that are maturing at a lightning pace. Their debut record Album was a pop pleasure. The release last year of the Broken Dreams Club EP showed the band leaving behind much of their light tone in favour of a more serious, even if still poppy sound.
Father, Son, Holy Ghost continues down this path, but a rate no one could have predicted. The old Girls, the band fascinated with simple 50’s and 60’s pop is still here on tracks like ‘Honey Bunny’, ‘Magic’ and my favourite, ‘Love Life’. But there is a new Girls here, one that is obsessed with the epic. They can be found on the Zeppelin-esque ‘Die’, the near 8 minute long marathon ‘Forgiveness’, and the debut single ‘Vomit’. These tracks show a willingness for Girls to expand, trekking into more classic rock and psychedelic sounds. These influences have always been present, but never in such a bold and textured form. Complimenting this new sound is some of the best production found on a rock album in years.
For their sophomore record, Girls have produced an album that is simultaneously familiar, yet new. They wear their influences on their sleave, but filter them through the nervous and delicate temperament of Christopher Owens, making the album a definitive Girls record.
10. Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4eva
A big hit amongst hip hop fans in the know, Big K.R.I.T.’s second mixtape provides a guide on how to make a great rap record. Great beats with smooth soul samples, a strong bass drum, catchy hooks, intricate verses and a flow that knows when to go and when to stop. Sounds a lot easier than it actually is, and that’s what so great about Return of 4eva - K.R.I.T. makes it sound so easy.
Over the course of 21 songs, the record is remarkably consistent. The opening tracks, from ‘Rise and Shine’ to ‘Sookie Now’ is one of the best starts to album in 2011. From these initial tracks, K.R.I.T. provides some more insightful tracks in the form of ‘American Rapster’ while still providing some more straight southern hip hop in the form of ‘Made Alot’ and ‘Time Machine’ (where Charmillionaire provides one of the best verses on the album). Towards the end, a more socially conscious agenda shines through, especially with the masterpieces ‘Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Racism’ and ‘The Vent’.
The album wraps up with a remix of the 2010 track ‘Country Shit’, featuring none less than Ludacris. Cynics are likely to having an eye ball rolling competition at this point, but it proves that K.R.I.T. can still have fun and put together a great pop rap song. And that basically sums up the album - it may not necessarily be the most original sound, but K.R.I.T. does it so well that it can’t be ignored, and that’s hard to do.
9. OFF! - First Four EP’s
16 songs, 17 minutes. Keith Morris on vocals. Former members of Red Kross, Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes and Burning Brides on bass, drums and guitar respectively. Longest song is 93 seconds. 45 minute headlining shows. Songs like “Full OF Shit” and lyrics like “I’m standing in the shadows and I’m pissing in the punchbowl”. Of course this on my list!
Note: observant readers will note that the vinyl and download versions of this album was release on December 14th, 2010, hence cannot possibly be on my list. I would like to remind those readers that the CD version was released in February, 2011, hence making it eligible for my list. Even more observant viewers will note that other albums on my list, like Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra and Big K.R.I.T’s Return of 4eva, weren’t physically released but were simply online mixtapes, hence making a mockery of my selection criteria. I would like to remind said readers that this my fucking blog and I’ll put whatever fucking albums I want on my fucking 2011 list.
8. SBTRKT - SBTRKT
I may not be “down” with the “kids”, but it seems to “me” that this record came from nowhere to become a favourite for many people. So a little background, SBTRKT is Aaron Jerome, an English producer/DJ. He wears masks on stage and tries to separate himself from the music as much as possible (hence the name - i.e. subtract).
The search for anonymity is buried within the producer’s debut LP, as Jerome’s impeccable beats are paired with guest vocalists Jessie Ware and Sampha. The result is a set of very impressive pop songs that combine soulful vocals with easy house/lounge-esque form of dubstep. The album provides some great dance tracks in the form of ‘Wildfire’ and ‘Pharoahs’, whilst maintaining a rare sincerity on tracks like ‘Trials Of The Past’. At the same time, instrumental tracks such as ‘Ready Set Loop’ and ‘Go Bang’ prove Jerome’s production is all you really need.
In a year where producers around the world tried to cram as much wub into tracks as could be physically programmed, the contrast with this album can not be overstated. Far more interested in atmospheres and subtlety, I predict SBTRKT will become a benchmark for dance records for sometime to come.
7. Death Grips - Exmilitary
With a band name like ‘Death Grips’ and an album name like ‘Exmilitary’ you have a lot to live up to. How do you even open an album like that? Well with a Charles Manson sample of course! Then you boast of how evil and selfish you are on a satanic-tinged track entitled ‘Beware’.
Exmilitary is the debut mixtape from the hip hop act. Made up of experimental producers Zach Hill and Andy Morin, as well as a man known only as MC Ride on vocals, the trio have produced a disturbing, uncomfortably energetic and ultimately brilliant album.
For the most part, Exmilitary seems like a battle for who can be the most outrageous. Ride basically screams every lyric, yet can still keep a mean flow. Whether he’s describing drugged-out sex rampages on ‘I Want It I Need It (Death Heated)’, or yelling nonsense countdowns like “Triple 6-5-forked tongue!” on ‘Takyon (Death Yon)’, Ride remains convincingly terrifying, like a young DMX before he started barking like a dog on every track. Meanwhile Morin and Hill produced some of the most complex and original beats of any hip hop record in sometime. Distinct dubstep, noise, southern hip hop and even punk influences are found on most tracks (the track ‘Klink’ even samples Black Flag’s ‘Rise Above’).
Exmilitary is out there, but familiar enough to remain fun. In a year where the Odd Future collective dominated discussions about hip hop, Death Grips provide an in-your-face and refreshing take on the genre. It’s possible they will eventually just become a novelty over time, but for now they are doing something that is new, and it’s exciting.
6. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
As Sub Pop’s first ever hip hop act, Shabazz Palaces was always bound to produce substantial interest. Their debut record, Black Up provides ample justification for the hype. Consisting of MC Ishmael Butler and producer Tendai Maraire have produced a daring piece of music.
The most immediate feature is the production. Massively heavy on the bass, but with little bass drum of snare, it is indeed a bizarre record within modern hip hop. Many of the songs don’t actually maintain a single beat throughout the song, slowing morphing into something completely new through the track. Butler’s vocals are often kept low in the mix, often with substantial voice modulation. As a result the whole record has a dream-like atmosphere, hard to pin point and keep down.
In fact, it’s rare that the Black Up ever strays into a more mainstream form. There are some great hooks but they are fleeting. What seems like the most conventional track, ‘Swerve… The Reeping Of All That Is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)’ abandons any chorus in favour of an extended neo-soul section.
The result is a groundbreaking hip hop record. One that isn’t interested in bravado and would-be club hits, but would rather explore the musical space and test how far it can subtlety push the boundaries. Whilst ‘Indie-Rap’ has been around for years, this record provides and fresh and almost deconstructionist view of hip hop that hopefully will grow and evolve over the next few years.
5. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
In spite of their consistently frustrating spelling. the tUnE-yArDs make some pretty damn good music. w h o k i l l, the acts sophomore record is a testament to the fact. The record is art-pop in the truest sense of the word - with great hooks and melodies it seamlessly transitions into free reign horn sections, polyrhythms, samples of door and draws opening and closing, and of course, Merrill Garbus’ famous vocal loops. At the same time, Garbus & co. incorporate multiple styles with little effort, with clear funk, dance, hip hop, afrobeat and folk.
Added to this is the fearless political agenda behind the record, which adds substance, in contrast the usual superficial themes found on similar records. The album opens with a clear shot against nationalism with the line “My Country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, how come I cannot see my future with in your arms?”. Garbus goes on to blast police brutality in ‘Riotriot’ and ‘Doorstep’ before closing the album on ‘Killa’, a catchy indictment on modern gender and race relations.
The culmination of all these factors make w h o k i l l a truly fascinating album. Garbus is able to incorporate important subjects and some quite radical instrumentation, while abandoning many parts of traditional song structure, and still produce an album that is catchier and more entertaining than most standard pop records. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the record is that remains authentic, not caught up in its own importance as is the case for most art-pop record. Look, it’s just fucking great. Go get it.
4. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
The story behind Bon Iver’s debut record For Emma, Forever Ago is one of legend. Singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, recently dumped by his girlfriend and ill with glandular fever, hauls himself away in a cabin in Wisconsin during the middle of winter. At some point he thinks “hey, might as well make an album while I’m up here”. With little more than his vulnerable voice over delicate guitar playing, and quite a bit of heartbreak on every track, what he produces is a defining piece of minimalist folk music, one of the best albums, let alone debuts, of the noughties.
The obvious question then becomes - is For Emma… great because Vernon himself is a great songwriter, or is it a product of its context? A hipster variant on nature vs. nurture if you will.
So they’re was just a little bit of pressure on this album, the oh so often cursed sophomore record. So how do you differentiate it from a record like For Emma… without alienating all you fans? Well firstly, Vernon maintains his style of songwriting and for most part his vocal (give or take a few baritone moments) that are sure to remind people why the love the act in the first part. Lines like “once I knew I was not magnificant” will recapture all those fans that fell for lines like “now all your love is wasted? Then who the hell was I?”.
The major difference here is clearly the instrumentation. For the most part, Bon Iver has left much of the minimalist style behind them for a more layered and textured sound. The appearance of Colin Stetson’s distorted bass saxophone during ‘Minnesota, WI’ provides one of the most surprising and rewarding musical moments of the year. They even drop some mad beatz on ‘Michicant’! Well, as mad beatzy as you can get on a Bon Iver record. From the big crash cymbals and multiple guitar tracks in ‘Perth’, to the country riffage of ‘Towers’, to the Tear for Fears-esque synths of ‘Beth/Rest’, the record marks the beginning of Bon Iver as a true band, rather than just Vernon’s pseudonym.
So to the short answer to the question I posed at the beginning is this - it’s Justin Vernon. It’s Bon Iver. The group is more clearly more than what is going on around them. Many acts try to make a stylist jump between their first and second albums, most fail. Bon Iver have succeeded.
3. La Dispute - Wildlife
Post-hardcore has long been on the downfall, cursed by to me bands who are content to mass (re)produce the sounds of previous acts with little to no new creative important. Those bands that do try and push the boundaries have often fallen into the trap of producing increasing machismo music, haunted by breakdowns and Drop-D tuning.
From this fuck-fest emerges La Dispute and their sophomore full length record, Wildlife. The album is a glorious display of originality that enables it to bust through the mediocrity that surrounds it. The band crafts some of the most interesting and dynamic instrumentation found in modern hardcore, leaving behind the cliches in favour of gradual rises and falls, with seemingly little to no traditional song structure.
However, the big star here is front man Jordan Dreyer. His delivery, which is comprised of spoken word occasionally broken up by more traditional screaming, remains unique even if it deviates little from previous La Dispute releases. Instead it is his songwriting that allows Wildlife to shine. From pain of a town falling apart due to economic recession on tracks like “St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues” and “Safer In The Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan”, to the feeling of abandonment in “Edit Your Hometown”, to the tragic characters on “King Park”, “Edward Benz, 27 Times” and “I See Everything”, Dreyer produces a fully fledged investigation of human suffering. The world he paints is one where there is no universal justice, no God, Karma or greater good. Lyrics such as “Can I still get into Heaven if I kill myself? Can i ever be forgiven because I killed that kid? I swear it was an accident it wasn’t meant for him” or “January 19th, we buried our son today. Our youngster child, and while his death was ugly we must not let it scare us from God” may be a serious downer to say the least, but they are vastly more interesting than the general “my ex-girlfriend is slut and I want her to die” that characterises modern hardcore.
As emotionally heavy as it is, Wildlife is a fascinating work of art, one that will stay with you for some time. The initial comparisons to Fugazi, At The Drive-In and Refused that accompanied La Dispute are beginning to show their value, as the band displays that they are clearly one of the most talented, original and promising hardcore bands. Let’s just others take up their challenge and begin breaking down the cliches.
2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Along with Bon Iver’s self titled record, Let England Shake has been anointed as a critics favourite in 2011. And with good cause. On her 10th studio album, Harvey takes on no less than the subject of war and nationalism from seemingly every conceivable angle.
Opening with the title track, Harvey leaves us with in no uncertain terms about how she feels about he home country - “England’s dancing days are done. Another day, Bobby, for you to come home and tell me indifference won”. It’s a theme she returns to throughout the record. In “The Last Living Rose” she paints a scene of England in free fall - “Let me walk through the stinking alleles, to the music of drunken beatings. Past the Thames, river glistening, like gold hastily sold for nothing”. The conflict between her love and hatred for the country and what it has become is born out in the emotional climax of the album, ‘England’, where her shaken, vulnerable voice (aided with some tortured vocal overlays) conveys both a beauty and sadness that reflects Harvey’s own struggle with patriotism.
But it is in the songs based around war that the album really takes of. Harvey spent much time prior to recording the album researching the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, Harvey is able to create in depth and fascinating stories without compromising the great songwriting. Only Harvey can turn lines like “I’ve seen and done things I want to forget” and “What if I take my problem to the United Nations?” into sing-a-longs, as she does in ‘The Words to Maketh Murder’. Not content with just the soldiers point-of-view, Harvey also recounts the tales of the victim in ‘The Glorious Land’, blasting the US and Britain for profiting from the destruction of nations in the albums most haunting moment - “What is the glorious fruit of our land? The fruit is deformed children”. The significance of such a song cannot be overstated considering much of the the last decade was spent on propaganda that has actively ignored the effect of war on civilian life and apologised for imperial conquest.
The albums closing tracks, ‘Hanging In The Wire’, ‘Written On The Forehead’ and ‘The Colour Of The Earth’ provide the record with a surprisingly peaceful ending. The gentle instrumentation of the tracks provide somewhat of a cushioned landing after the emotional riot that is the first two-thirds of the album. However the the tales of people jumping into sewage filled rivers to escape fighting, or having to leave your best friends body upon a hill, because to rescue him would mean certain death, reminds that there is no peace.
In a year were England suffered and ongoing recession, increased austerity and riots, and after a decade of endless war, it seems logical that an album was inevitably going to be release that dealt with the collapsing of a nation (or nations). The threat being that such an album may get so caught up in a message that it would fail to investigate the subjects with the depth it deserves.
Harvey has managed to avoid such a misstep to create what truly is a masterpiece, the most consistently brilliant record of 2011, and if I was an honest and objective reviewer - the best album of the year. Unfortunately, my reviewing is hideously biased, hence Harvey does not claim number 1. But feel rest assured, Let England Shake is a record that will be talked about, and listened too, for many years to come.
And so what is number one? Well it’s right here.
