Monday, December 26, 2016

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums Of 2016

I don't think anyone who pays any attention to music trends could've have predicted that after last year's terrific year that we were poised for another great year for music and yet here we are. 2016 offered up an absolute smorgasbord of releases for music lovers of every possible type: Rihanna, Gaga, and Zayn for the pop obsessed; ANOHNI, Okkervil River, Radiohead, for the indie lover; Beyonce, Blood Orange, and Solange for the politically minded. And yet this year, like almost every year, my favorite stand out albums happen to be ones that I felt were unfortunately overlooked. Considering how many good albums came out this year that's hardly surprising but hopefully this list of favorite album ranked in no particular order helps you find some truly great records that came out this year even if it's just a brief job down memory lane. Enjoy and as always feel free to chime in with your own.



Alex Izenberg - Harlequin
It's happened more times than I can count - an artist releases a single or several singles and either that single is the best song on the album by a strangely large margin or is just dramatically inconsistent with the songs on the album. In the case of Los Angeles singer/songwriter Alex Izenberg's debut full length Harlequin the singles "To Move On" and "Grace" do not prepare you at all for album in the best way. They paint a picture, intentionally, of your standard singer/songwriter crooning over guitar or piano with just the right amount of strings to ornament the song and give it added depth. And they're not entirely off base as Izenberg sets himself up to be just that but in an exciting twists glimpsed just barely in "Grace", Harlequin offers up something different: a wonderfully off-kilter experimentalism that finds itself in the wide majority of Izenberg's songwriting efforts. There's no attempts to hide it - album opening track "The Farm" sets the scene with dramatic string flourishes and highlighting Izenberg's distinct vocals. "Libra" and "Archer" inhabit that same realm of vivid dream-like imagery and its effectiveness heightened due to collaborator Ari Balouzian's arrangements. On Harlequin, Izenberg essentially breaks down many singer/songwriter tropes just by virtue of being himself - experimenting with sounds and textures as much if not more than his inventive lyricism.



 

Andy Shauf  - The Party
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Andy Shauf's latest effort The Party is just how steep his learning curve was that led to its creation. His debut full length The Bearer Of Bad News was the end result of 100 songs whittled down and still capable of forming coherent narratives and a cohesive flow. On The Party not only did Shauf work with far less songs but he aborted his original plans to record with an orchestra in favor of essentially handling the whole record himself while working although somewhat loosely in a concept. The Party succeeds on so many levels: the concept is simple but Shauf is able to do a lot with it: crafting characters and weaving tales that occasionally reoccur and intersect. His touch is light in every respect from the lyricism to the arrangement that it's immediately clear that's by design not lack of skill. It's impressive and engaging from start to finish and proof that Shauf is definitely a songwriter to watch.




Bayonne - Primitives
With an affinity for bedroom as well as experimental pop, I'm no stranger to loop based music and yet Primitives, the latest album from multi-instrumentalist/composer Roger Sellers, reinvigorates it in such a bold, yet understated way. The first album under his newly adopted Bayonne moniker, Sellers' manages to marry his study of minimalist music with pop songwriting and the result is a next level album that's intricate as well as exciting from beginning to end. Part of that is Sellers' own enthusiasm as he takes an active part in the layering and sequencing imbuing the electronic base with a live, human element that highlights the strengths in both while creating a sound that's new, exciting, and absolutely fascinating to dip into.




Big Thief - Masterpiece
My discovery of Big Thief is purely the result of their label Saddle Creek putting out releases from several of my favorite artists in the past that when they released the news that they were releasing Big Thief's debut album I made a note to check it out and I'm incredibly glad I did. Songwriting is nothing new to Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek who in addition to making music on their own also had another project together, and yet there's something in the alchemy of the full band that pulls even more intriguing songwriting out of Lenker and Meek. It's hard to imagine "Real Love", a beautiful song just lyrically speaking, without the rock grit. Masterpiece doesn't just succeed on those harder moments but also its lovelier, softer folk moments.




Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
After his amazing second mixtape Acid Rap, the only people who weren't eagerly anticipating not only its follow up but anything the man did next were people who hadn't heard his music before. From guest appearances on fellow Save Money members mixtapes to last year's Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment record, Chance The Rapper has been building up a golden reputation. Add an appearance on probably the best song on Kanye's Life Of Pablo "Ultralight Beam" and that's pretty much solidified it. Coloring Book finds Chance The Rapper in a considerably different place than he was three years ago and it shows. Coloring Book is a winning combination of fun and spirituality, social commentary and self critique. With an all star cast as well as highlighting some of Chicago's best up and comers, Coloring Book is a mature work of self growth. Chance is counting his blessings but literally and figuratively and sharing the fruits of his labor in a fashion that's downright celebratory. Each song paints a definitive picture of what Chance The Rapper's been up to for the last couple years and it's a joy to hear him return so absolutely triumphant. Label woes and brushes with drugs behind him, Chance The Rapper's Coloring Book celebrates the music, his city, his family and God in a way that even the most resolved atheist can get behind. In fact the most spiritual moments on the mixtape tend to be its highest points.




Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Despite being a Grammy award-winning artist, Esperanza Spalding is an artist that certainly no one is talking about as much as they should be. Perhaps it's because she's a jazz musician and most people only pretend to listen to jazz? Whatever the case, Spalding put out one of this year's best albums in the form of Emily's D+Evolution. It's a concept record of sorts but even without really knowing the concept which is Spalding inhabiting an alter ego of Emily, it's a record steeped in imagination as well as talent. Separated from the live show which plays much like musical theatre and provides context, it's songs are still just as strong. Beginning with an ode to creativity energy, Emily's D+Evolution is an album of rich ideological ideas and inventive lyricism that uses its roots in funk and jazz fusion to move it along. Spalding tackles deep subjects on the album but in such an unpretentious way that it's easy for the listener to miss them. It's an album that reveals more about itself and it's multitude of wonders the more time you spend with it.





Jinja Safari - Crescent Head (Crescent Sun/Crescent Moon)
Though singer/songwriters Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight met and formed the jungle pop quintet Jinja Safari in 2010, it wasn't until 2013 when they released their debut self-titled. Sure they had released two EPs and compilation double EP in the years prior but Jinja Safari was a milestone moment for the band after several high profile shows and festivals. Unfortunately it also signaled a sort of beginning of the end, the band took a hiatus to work on side projects and otherwise alleviate industry pressures and expectations. When the band reunited they started recording the tunes that would form their double album Crescent Head.  Named after Azon and Knight's hometown and split into two parts Crescent Sun and Crescent Moon, the double album functions as love letter to the music they painstaking crafted, the fans that enjoyed it, and the band itself. It's deeply ambitious: Crescent Sun a collection of the more upbeat pop songs they're known for and Cresccent Moon a more restrained affair and yet it's masterfully done. Jinja Safari embody both the primal rhythms and jubilant energy and also making subtler, more mature musical choices. It's a shame it's their swan song since Crescent Head as a whole paints a picture of a band not only comfortable with their sounds and their choices but also a band that would continue to push itself in service to creating truly entertaining, enjoyable, and most importantly interesting music. It's a hell of a way to go out especially considering most band breakups don't come with such a thoughtful finale.






Kevin Morby - Singing Saw
Considering how practically flawless Kevin Morby's sophomore record Still Life was, I had high hopes for Singing Saw that even then were exceeded beyond my wildest dreams. Singing Saw finds Morby going grander and more cinematic with help from Sam Cohen of Yellowbirds refining his sound with effecting arrangements. Morby continues to be in rare form and his songs are as thoughtful as they are beautiful - capturing emotion stirring moments rather just telling interesting stories. There's a shift subtle as it may be in Morby's lyricism as Morby turns his gaze towards invoking a rich, balanced portrait of the human experience. And yet, there's still a little of both the reverential and referential in Morby as he calls back themes and subjects of Singing Saw on "Black Flowers" much like did on Still Life.





Kishi Bashi - Sonderlust
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about following the career of multi-instrumentalist/producer Kishi Bashi is that none of his releases have sounded all that similar to one another. Sure two songs from his debut Room For Dream EP found their way on his debut full length 151a but were in an excitingly new context with newer songs. His sophomore effort Lighght somersaulted into Ishibashi's love of jazz fusion and prog rock and String Quartet Live! reimagined songs with string quartet accompaniment. Sonderlust is where Ishibashi hit the wall that so many artists normally hit between their first and second album. Where could he take his lush technicolored take on psychedelic dream pop while still staying true to his core sound as Kishi Bashi? The answer was inward. Ishibashi grounded his songs in his life and looked outside of his trademark violin gymnastics for inspiration. The result is an album rooted in real hopes and dreams that resonates. The sound is ambitious and yet not wholly detached from the jazz fusion and prog rock of Lighght. The lightness of tone and melody that characterized a lot of both 151a and Lighght is all but snuffed out returning briefly in the delightful album ender "Honeybody" and its use there is cathartic: the light at the end of the tunnel. Kishi Bashi believes in love and by focusing not only the bright butterflies fluttering feeling but on the actual work that must be put in to maintain it, Sonderlust ends up as an honest, sincere ode to it.




Lucius - Good Grief
Considering how all around great their debut record Wildewoman was Lucius had quite the task ahead of them avoiding a sophomore slump and less time to gather the songs to do so. But by staying the course even when they thought it would drive them insane, Lucius crafted a wonderful follow up that further expands their diverse sonic palette. The 60's girl group influence is still there but updated and not relied upon too heavily. Lucius focus on the real tumult and strife found in relationships to inform their songwriting and it elevates the moments of joyous celebration to ecstatic heights. Good Grief emphasizes the role of pain and struggle in making the moments of ease and comfort feel truly special.




Mal Devisa - Kiid
In this the age of the surprise album I think it's been forgotten that that's largely how music was released from less high profile artists. Indie bands that had no marketing budget, especially in the old Myspace days would just kind of release their music and hope that it'd reach the listeners that wanted it. And that's essentially how Mal Devisa released Kiid. Although truth be told it was a bit of an event among people who had actually seen her live and had been eagerly awaiting for her to release music. And Kiid doesn't disappoint. It captures Deja Carr's eclectic tastes and interests and offers them up in somewhat tidy package. Kiid goes from folky singer/singerwriter to fiery social commentary to deeply moving soul without ever feeling like it's trying too hard or doing too much. The album moves quick but it's not trying to lose you, Carr just has a lot to say and trusts your ability to keep up. It's a trust more art should have in its recipients and the result of that trust is a diverse offering of powerful songcraft.




Margaret Glaspy - Emotions and Math
I have a bad habit of ignoring music my friends are listening to until an embarrassingly long time after the fact. My introduction to Margaret Glaspy was an attempt to course correct. My friend Jeanette of The Miscreant/Miscreant Records have nothing but good things to say about her and so I jumped into her music around the time of her second single and didn't look back. Glaspy is an amazing singer, songwriter, and guitarists. What charmed me, aside from the absolutely infectious melodies she builds her songs around, was a kind of don't-give-a-fuck quality to her singing that reminded me of Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel.... On that album in particular Apple contorted her voice: howled and screamed with no regard for sounding pretty. What mattered was a sincere portrayal of the emotions and Emotions and Math finds Glaspy embarking on a similar journey. It's a portrait of complex woman - a fierce badass still capable of being hurt and wanting to be loved.




Mothers - When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
With singer/songwriter/poets like Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn ranking among my favorite artists, it's hardly surprising that upon learning that Kristine Leschper, the frontwoman of Athens, GA four piece Mothers, is a poet why their songs resonated so much with me. But while Marling's poetic lyricism tends toward vague realism and Flynn's often detached from the self entirely, the most enthralling aspect of Leschper is that many of the lyrics feel lived in. There's also the packaging: complex rhythm and intricate guitar riffs catapult quiet emotive moments into action. When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired tells many stories: of love wanted and rebuked, of crippling self-doubt, of those questionable choices we make despite swearing we know better and yet ultimately, it's one long quest of the self: of finding yourself within yourself and reckoning with it. That's why despite the album's numerous tales of fractured, failing relationships, it manages to be so hopeful and inspiring. Leschper's charted journey isn't about boyfriends and girlfriends - it's about disarming and reversing one of the album's first eye-opening lyrics: "I hate my body/I love your taste". By album's end the certainty of the self is all that's left; all that's real.




Wye Oak - Tween
The fact that Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have elected not to call Tween an album while initially confusing probably aids in its digestion. Essentially a collection of songs they had no home for, the fact that they don't consider it a full length or even a EP enables a sort of lowering of expectations that seems unworthy of how good Tween actually is. Recalling both Jenn Wasner's other side projects as well as Wye Oak's growth in general, it populates a unique place in the band's history in that it paints a picture of Wye Oak in transition. It might be an album of experiments and yet it's clear both in their decision to release it and the fact that songs like "If You Should See" and "Watching The Waiting" have made its way onto their setlists that it's a work of strong songcraft even managing to flow despite its various changes in sound and tone. With the exception of "Out Of Nowhere" which functions more as a place setting piece, Tween is a veritable feast of rock pop stunners. Wye Oak might not consider Tween to be a proper album but they've approached its creation with the same innovation and ear for melody that's made favorites out of their other proper albums.



Honorable Mentions:
Adult Jazz - Earrings Off! EP

Anderson .Paak - Malibu

And The Kids - Friends Share Lovers

Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN

Christopher Tignor - Along A Vanishing Plane

Conveyor - Ready Not Ready

Damien Jurado - Visions of Us on the Land

Golden Suits - Kubla Khan

The Heligoats - Back To The Lake

Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like A Levee

Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch

Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win

Kris Orlowski - Often In The Pause

Kyle Morton - What Will Destroy You

Laura Gibson - Empire Builder

Lucy Dacus - No Burden

Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller

Marissa Nadler - Strangers

Marlon Williams - Marlon Williams

Moses Sumney - Lamentations EP

Noname - Telefone

Peter Broderick - Partners

Pinegrove - Cardinal

Psychic Twin - Strange Diary

Radiation City - Synesthetica

Steve Gunn - Eyes On The Lines

Sur Back - Kitsch EP

Tiny Ruins - Hurtling Through EP

Tuskha - Tushka

Uni Ika Ai - Keeping a Golden Bullseye in the Corner of My Mind

Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Pitstop: And The Kids


Sometimes musical discoveries come to you by happenstance and you immediately follow the lead and end up finding a band you're super into. Other times you have to be practically bludgeoned by suggestions before you actually pay attention and give the band a listen. Northampton quartet And The Kids are far more of the latter. Despite numerous appearances at my hometown venue BSP Kingston over the past two years, and even a recommendation coupled with a listen to "All Day All Night" from Eamon over at Small Plates Records as recently as last year, it wasn't until they announced a tour with experimental rock faves Palm earlier this year that I finally took the hint. Sort of. While I had plenty of time to acquaint myself with their music between the tour announcement and when they actually hit NY, I neglected to do so and experienced them for the first time live twice in one weekend.





And The Kids are definitely the kind of band that are worth seeing live first, last, and everywhere in between. Even whittled down to a trio, the group is insanely tight knit; their energy utterly vivacious. Their harmonies immaculate and their hooks effortlessly infectious. But their intense live energy would mean nothing if their songs weren't any good and thankfully And The Kids are making tunes that are so incredibly hard to pin down. It helps that Hannah Mohan's vocals are so distinct and so versatile - easily shifting from more meditative folk inspired numbers to the frenetic avant pop that makes up much of their sophomore effort Friends Share Lovers that they released earlier this year. That versatility applies to the band at large often switching gears in the midst of a song. That's perhaps one of the biggest treats of the band's songs - you're never quite sure where the songs will end up or how important some of your favorite musical moments will end up being. Where some bands aim for settling into familiar grooves, And The Kids push themselves towards bigger and bolder musical statements capitalizing on the momentum to pivot from moment to moment perfectly in tune with when to build it up and when to let it go. The result is songs that are rewarding to listen to that are distinct in their progression.



Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Listen: Incan Abraham - "In My Bones"


When last we heard from Los Angeles based pop rock outfit Incan Abraham they had finally put out their debut full length Tolerance after years of work and test driving the songs live. Tolerance's great success, apart from just being a strong collection of songs, was that it pivoted a bit away from the world music infused sounds of their Sunscreen and Ancient Vacation EPs toward a broader pop sound without shedding the elements that made the Incan Abraham such a worthwhile band to watch. 

"In My Bones", the first taste of new music since Tolerance was released a little more than two years ago, finds the band essentially continuing where they left off despite returning to the band's roots to write it and the other songs that'll make up their forthcoming album. Building on Guiliano Pizzulo's synths, "In My Bones" captures the anthemic feel and sentiment of Tolerance tracks like "Concorde" while nudging both their songcraft and lyricism forward. The song with its piecemeal development manages to achieve both a beautiful intimacy and the designs of its larger, more expansive sound. Where his guitar passes in and out of focus, Teddy Cafaro's vocals are resolute; giving the track much of its emotive power, a strength achieved more through its tender softness than pure blunt force and offered up as a rallying cry. 


Much like Tolerance relied on subtle musical moments to move it along, "In My Bones" is a subtler shift in both style and substance for Incan Abraham and one that certainly does pique my curiosity as to  how the rest of the band's new album will sound. Fortunately with Incan Abraham promising it next year it won't be too long before fans get the answer.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Listen: Sondre Lerche - "I'm Always Watching You Too"


Earlier this Fall Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche released "I'm Always Watching You" a single meant to tide fans over until more news on Lerche's follow up to Please was available. While details are still forthcoming, Lerche's serving up another single. "I'm Always Watching You Too" takes after Lerche's most recent Despite The Night EP and Please remixes except in this case Lerche's the one doing the remixing. The remix/rework pairs down many of the overt poppyness of "I'm Always Watching You" and dials up the electronic experimentalism. Lerche's vocals get digitized on the verses while the changes to the choruses are peak Lerche with their skyward reaching vocal flourishes. Considering the song's subject matter of post-relationship digital voyeurism, Lerche's choice to emphasize the electronic elements is a logical step and his touch delightfully light. Rather than making any changes to the song's structure, Lerche instead merely takes the song from day to night, the bright pop melodies dimmed and slipped into more sensual dressings.



Sondre Lerche's new album Pleasure will be out next year. He's celebrating the album by returning to a more rigorous touring schedule next year. Check the dates here.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Pitstop: Yairms


On December 2nd I finally achieved one of my long standing show goals to see Athens GA experimental rocker Mothers live. I'd heard of them from CMJ 2014 but failed to see them both during that CMJ and on their subsequent NY visits. And yet despite their amazing set the most rewarding surprise of the night lied in one of their openers: a trio by the name of Yairms. Considering they've played shows with favorites Big Thief, Palm, WRITER, and Friend Roulette, I'm surprised I hadn't experienced them sooner. The now Brooklyn based band create a narrative driven blend of psychedelic folk reminiscent experimental rock. From the moment they started their first song of the night, it was abundantly clear Yairms was making music practically tailor-made for my interests: incredibly distinct vocals, infectious angular melodies, and curiosity piquing lyrical narratives.



There is, on their debut EP Part One, a delightful keen sense of self, a sidestepping of obvious songwriting tropes and song structure, and an innovative spirit that keeps the songs fresh even after numerous listens. While Yairms' only constant has been singer/songwriter Jerry Rodgers, there is a sense of collaboration as Rodgers enlists the help of friends to fill the ranks of both his live and recording outfit. That collaborative spirit is evidenced in much of Yairms recorded output - the drum parts provided by Andrew Hiller of Alhhla and taken up by Peter McLaughlin live are intricate and impressive: they're partly a showcase of sorts that still fit in perfectly with the songs. And that's part of Yairms appeal - the songs are complementary to Rodgers with no great pains taken to make them so. There is, even at their most frenetic, an ease and comfort and despite the fact that you probably haven't heard what Yairms is doing before there's an effortless feeling of familiarity that hooks you. They're pretty much guaranteed to become your new favorite band.