All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2013

It may not actually be true but this year at least seemed to be extensively stacked with follow ups from returning artists rather than a year which overflowed with impressive debuts. Whether those bands/artists had essentially released an album not too long ago (Alessi's Ark, Teitur), followed the traditional release schedule of an album every other year (Arctic Monkeys, Telekinesis) or appeared after a lengthy hiatus (Basia Bulat, Johnny Flynn), 2013 was filled with an impressive series of releases from more established acts. That's not to say there weren't impressive debut records to be found this year but rather, there was deluge of excitement-stirring announcements from bands newly out of the studio or that had finally gotten the go ahead from their label and/or distributor to make this their year. This year's list, like last year's, features a collection of my favorite records released this year in no particular order other than how they came in to memory.

The Dodos - Carrier
San Francisco duo The Dodos might very well be one of the most underrated "popular" bands going right now. Around the release of their albums, there's a justifiable buzz of interest that always seems to fizzle out a week or two after the record. Maybe that's just in my circle but they're a band with an incredible level of consistency while also offering up remarkably good ideas. 2011's No Color was an all around winner and this year's full length Carrier ups the ante a bit. In part a tribute to the recently departed Chris Reimer of Women, the guitar stars on Carrier in a way that it hasn't really been spotlighted before. Sure, there's still the percussive momentum that galvanizes the duo's oddly accessible guitar rock stylings but strives to be and achieves the goal of being the duo's most introspective album. Each of the album's tracks has absolute magnificent moments of beguiling melodic work and Meric Long's expansive experimentation with different guitar tones and curtails Kroeber's energetic drumming for emotional depth and a much more lyrical focus. It's an album that takes what worked well on No Color (backing vocals and strings) and utilizes them again while expanding them and pairing them up with new ideas. Carrier perfectly balances those moments of quiet, rumination ("Relief", "Death", "The Ocean") with moments of liveliness and jubilation ("Substance", "Confidence", "The Current") sometimes doing so in the same song ("Transformer", "Destroyer").

Lucius - Wildewoman
I still remember my initial discovery of female-fronted Brooklyn pop rock quintet Lucius - it was perhaps my most visceral response to live music in my entire history of attending live shows. Normal show etiquette seemed an unfathomable burden to me. Who was this band? Where did they come from and how was I only now discovering them? How the hell were they so damn good? These are the questions I wondered aloud in a crowd of showgoers who probably wanted nothing more than for me to shut the hell up and enjoy the show. Lucius, with their 60s girl group retro rock vibe and infectious melody and head-spinning harmonies, were easily one of my favorite new bands and their live energy was unmatched. While I lamented that last year's self-titled EP failed to capture the true spirit of their live show, I had hope that when the fivesome finally put their debut album into the world all would be well. They didn't. Wildewoman, while featuring all five members as a band instead of focusing merely as a spotlight for Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig future separates the group from their electric live energy. The songs that carried over from the EP are remixed, reproduced toward a far less organic center. "Hey, Doreen", the album's true pop behemoth is a multitude of layers that's notably difficult to pull off live. And yet, even with its production choices, Wildewoman is a gem of an album. The new tracks full of Lucius' trademark smiling, winking charm ("Wildewoman", "Nothing Ordnary) or resonant emotive core ("Tempest", "Monsters").  While others like "Two of Us On the Run" "Until We Get There" and "How Loud Your Heart Gets" spotlight the ladies' ferocious and soulful vocal prowess while relying very little on the group's formidable pop chops. Wildewoman is a balanced effort which feels a whole lot more inclusive than last year's EP. It's a debut album of practically overwhelming strength even if it neglects to make proper use of the band's full potential.

Steve Gunn - Time Off
I would've missed the boat entirely on Steve Gunn's excellent, excellent record Time Off if it didn't come with the highest of recommendations from Daughn Gibson when I tapped him to participate in this year's blog birthday playlist extravaganza. Steve Gunn has and will probably continue to receive comparisons to all the greatest guitar players of all time and for good reason - Gunn's guitar prowess is awe-inspiring. Not in the flashy showman way of rock guitarists but for Time Off's thoughtfully spun narratives, Gunn wields his guitar as an extension of himself - indulging in a great deal of musical world building before the first verses are even sung. His melodies are vibrant and memorable, simple in terms of their pleasant ear-catchingness but complex in the dazzling array of colors he infuses his tunes with his instrument alone. Time Off is all wind-swept sketches that fully embrace less is more and is all the more impressive for it. Gunn's smooth uncomplicated rambles are paired perfectly with his effortlessly clean bluesy guitar lines and the results are pure synergistic excellence where the journey IS the reward.

Little Tybee - For Distant Viewing
Little Tybee's third full length record is a true testament to taking your time to really allow a record to gestate. Originally slated for a release right on the heels of 2011's Humorous to Bees, circumstances caused the album to be delayed and a strong argument can be made for the positive in that. Each song on For Distant Viewing seems to take its time, stretch its legs and hang around for awhile - from its eponymous opening track which luxuriates in its rapidly shifting musical ideas and multitude of layers so much that its climactic "Get down!" is like a jolt to the system, galvanizing not only the track itself but your interest in it. Little Tybee are a band of incredibly competent musicians and For Distant Viewing probably more than any other album gives the band the space to truly display their individual talents as well as the ensemble as a whole - featuring a series of rousing instrumental breaks and intense jams.

Typhoon - White Lighter
Forgive me if it sounds like I'm gushing but bands like Portland's folk rock collective Typhoon are a rarity. Boasting a bewildering 11 member roster, they're stunningly agile - utilizing their members not only effectively but also efficiently refusing to let anyone fall by the wayside or be deployed solely as an ornament. While Kyle Morton's songwriting talents are ultimately beyond reproach, the band gathers around them like moths to a flame letting their talents mingle with his in such a way that Typhoon never feels like just a vehicle for Morton. White Lighter continues the band's life-affirming, soul-rousing brand of highly literate rock while also polishing it in a way it wasn't on previous full length Hunger and Thirst. White Lighter plays with it's own established themes, lyrics, and melodies - recalling them cyclically and climatically with greater purpose than if it discarded them when first applied making White Lighter a much more resonant album than most. It's an album of passionate epiphanous moments freely given though filtered through a rock lens so you're not really aware you've learned anything at all. But Morton's open-armed embrace of sickness, weakness, and death and Typhoon's verisimilitude make White Lighter and album that'll stick with you long after it's done playing.

Golden Suits - Golden Suits
When I heard Fred Nicolaus from Department of Eagles was working on a solo record, I was excited. When I heard Daniel Rossen was assisting with it, I was ecstatic. You see as someone who's been carrying a major torch for Department of Eagles, this was a dream come true. A potential reunion of sorts. But Fred Nicolaus' first solo record under the name Golden Suits isn't a Department of Eagles record. Not in the slightest and that is perhaps it's greatest strength. Alone, Nicolaus' talents are far more out in the open. While Golden Suits follows in a long trend of heartbreak-fueled records, it manages to distinguish itself due to Nicolaus' excellent lyrical gifts, guitar prowess, and uncanny knack for melody. Each track on Golden Suits is composed of a little memorable extra that elevate it from good to great. Considering Fred Nicolaus is no stranger to the music industry/music-making in general, it's not really a shock that the man can craft of considerable worth but what is, and pleasantly, is its subtlety and gentleness in asserting itself as such. The song Cheever-inspired character sketches frankensteined with real life inspiration that never lets itself wallow. Golden Suits is an album of half-smiles, self-aware chuckles, and the occasional frown or two but it's an album that embraces the positives of emotional devastation and starting over again. The songs are casual reflections - never ascending to "baby come back!" level of pining and reverberate with a quiet cathartic strength even as Nicolaus rattles off the occasional self-deprecating lyric. It's also features damn good arrangements that heighten everything from narrative drama to aural pleasure.

Villagers - {Awayland}
There's always talk of singer/songwriters particularly those of the folk variety of being poets but for few people is this actually true than of Conor O'Brien of Villagers. And yet, the simple, quiet resonance of 2010's Becoming A Jackal had clearly done its damage - when O'Brien and company returned late year the game was clearly renaissance. "The Waves" and "Passing A Message" with electronic-stitch sonic tapestries and grooves were a statement of purpose and yet even despite the unexpected 180, O'Brien's narrative voice - of pitch-perfect descriptive lyricism was present if not honed. {Awayland}'s songs cover a dramatically different scope of emotions - no doubt born from the live energy cultivated from a touring behind the first record but also filled with an excitement of new paths tread. {Awayland} manages to keep what has worked well with Villagers in the past while also engaging in a great deal of reinvention. O'Brien's lyricism is clearer, more eloquent, and far more visceral that comes off as a very natural progression for Villagers.

The Heligoats - Back to the Ache
The Heligoat's frontman Chris Otepka has always had a way with the English language - elevating mundane details to high revelance due mostly in part to his own fascination with them and an ability to deftly use his words to make them something of interest. While Goodness Gracious dealt with a lot of the bigger questions we ponder - Back to the Ache shrinks down the focus to a molecular level. While also taking Otepka's curious attention to the details and employing in on whole level entire - that of his band. Back to the Ache functions far more as a band record than Goodness Gracious with those songs not likely to suffer if stripped down and played solo (which Otepka has done) in the latest album, there's an feel that would no doubt be lost. The album is really good old fashioned indie rock - strongly so with the added benefit of Otepka's lyricism. That's essentially what makes the album - the inclusion of a noticeable full band sound while retaining Otepka front and center.

Camp Counselors - Huntress
I'm a sucker for a good, original concept and an album inspired by old horror movie soundtracks was certainly original enough to pique my interest. That it was another effort from Cemeteries mastermind Kyle Reigle was another. Huntress, the debut record from Reigle's offshoot project Camp Counselors manages to create a distinctive brand of accessible synth pop while staying true to its initial inspiration - the lyrics are dark and mysterious, the aura eerie and otherworldly, and the beats undeniable. Huntress is a record as methodically established and embellished as the rules of the genre it sees to emulate. It's the perfect example of how an simple idea - in this case Reigle's lifelong obsession - can flourish into something truly spectacular. A great concept album doesn't have to be epic - it just needs the right mix of ambition and excitement and Huntress is a testament to that. Tremendously enjoyable in its own right while laying the groundwork for Reigle's further experimentation distinguishing it as far more than a fun throwaway and more as a benchmark of innovation.

Son Lux - Lanterns
There's something to be said of composer/arranger Ryan Lott's third outing as Son Lux. Lanterns encapsulates so much about what Lott such an interesting artist. It's no so much that Son Lux has fallen into a consistent groove as it is Lott continuously pushes the boundaries of his own creative process while offering works that are boldly experimental but still intensely engaging. Lanterns is a remarkably complex record, of that there's no question, but it's not a record that requires a lot of superfluous mythology or is challenging enough that its enjoyment isn't immediate. That's essentially my favorite thing about Son Lux and his creative process. There's a hell of a lot going on behind the scenes - as Lott cut, pastes, rearranges, and otherwise toys with the concept of linear songwriting but the end product is always something that is unquestionably beautiful but appears effortlessly so. Lott isn't the kind of experimentalist that thrives on exclusion or inaccessibility and that's always an endearing feature of his works of which Lanterns is no different; even carrying over the illumination theme of lanterns from sophomore effort We Are Rising's "Flickers" and expanding it in a whole new set of ways.

Young Man - Beyond Was All Around Me
After discovering singer/songwriter Colin Caulfield's Young Man project during the last quarter of 2012, I approached Beyond Was All Around Me, the final installation of Caulfield's Young Man moniker, with both a sense of tremendous anticipation and dread. There were, to me, so few male singer/songwriters actually discussing issues that were uniquely pertinent to a twenty-something male and I was both sad to see the project go and exciting as how Caulfield would tidy the whole thing up. One the last full length of the project, Caulfield plunges forward both in terms of his newly implemented band who imbue the album with an immediacy and spirited delivery we hadn't seen before. While Caulfield excelled at thoughtful, careful plotting on previous releases, there's no denying the excitement inducing fast-pacing. Caulfield's approach to the tail end of his saga is delighfully open ended but not frustratingly so. His future may take the form of an eternal ellipses but he does engage in a far bit of speculation. What's more, there's an incredible sense of closure gained from Caulfield's incorporation of many of the hallmarks of his other records - namely the return of string arrangements and themes. Beyond Was All Around Me is not only a perfect end to Caulfield's ruminations but also a stellar record on its own merits.

Young Dreams - Between Places
It's rare that I give in completely to total anticipation than I did upon discovering Norwegian orchestral pop group Young Dreams. Led to them by tourmate/champion Sondre Lerche, I was pretty much sold from fading strains of "Dream alone, wake together" and with each subsequent single release my enthusiasm rose and I became more and more certain that Young Dreams debut full length would be a truly worthwhile listen. Between Places exceeded all my possible expectations - expanding the sextet's tropical-inspired nostalgia-riden vibes into a full on masterpiece. On one end - it works as perfect collection of would be singles but also functions as a cohesive unit and doesn't steer clear of longform song structure - devoting a whopping 18 minutes and change towards the album's conclusion towards artistically plotted experimentations. As if the six songs that proceeded them weren't enough, Young Dreams go all out here - demonstrating their influences and overall musicianship pretty aptly. As a whole, Young Dreams' Between Places is musical escapism at is finest - recalling bright sunny days and balmy temperatures, and the optimism and thrills of youth without any of the poor decision making involved. It's an exceptional debut from a band bursting with ideas but fluent enough in pop to get them all out there patiently.  

Buke & Gase - General Dome
To say there are few bands as innovative and boundary-pushing as Buke & Gase seems a little obvious but also a bit of an understatement. Buke & Gase have essentially through pure ingenuity ultimately created a sound unlike any other, that was essentially the beauty of their debut record Riposte and General Dome proves that there's really no limits as far as the band's creativity is concerned. General Dome both manages to be completely unlike their debut while still sharing a common distinct sound - namely in the cacophonous energetic cerebral sprint that is Buke & Gase's form of music making. There is, of course, a grand arching concept to General Dome but that doesn't distract at all from it's accessibility - an accessibility that is actually rather surprising. While Buke & Gase are one of those truly rare bands where literally no genre can/will stick to them, there is no getting around the fact that their songs are distinct, memorable, and dare I say downright catchy.  General Dome expands the wonderfully psychological elements of Riposte to dramatically levels bordering on paranoia. The result is a heady rush of thrilling rise and falls - from manic screams to hushed whispers that never seems able to shake off its boundless kinetic energy or sense of unease until the album comes sputtering to is exhausted end.    

Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
It's almost bewildering how British folk siren Laura Marling manages to stay so incredibly consistent release after release. Her latest effort Once I Was An Eagle is both a more ambitious and more intimate spin on Marling's distinctive brand of narrative driven folk rambles. While just the first four suite of songs is enough to nominate it for absolutely everyone's surefire favorite, through stripping down Marling and collaborator Ethan Johns get downright creative with the accompaniment. As if her normal way, Marling's songs are both frustrating mysterious and boldly telling at the same time. As the line are further blended between fiction and fact, Marling stays true to a couple of her pre-established fascinations - water, scorned women, and all-consuming passion. In a weird way, it's by noticeably shifting the focus away from her to the super and preternatural that makes Marling's songwriting all the more curious. Despite the unecessary speculation of when/where Marling is talking about her experiences directly or in elaborate metaphor, Marling's songs maintain their simple poetry that remain as relatable as ever.

Mutual Benefit - Love's Crushing Diamond
There is a certain amount of balance and finesse that must be applied to musical catharsis. Too much wallowing and a whole album can feel cloying and claustrophobic maybe even the wrong kind of depressing. Too light and the endeavor can seem a tad bit trite. Like the problems presented aren't worth relating too if the singer themself isn't too bothered by them. But thankfully Mutual Benefit has no such difficultly. Where Jordan Lee and his collaborators succeed is not only in providing a valid and viable alternative to your standard pop in its articulately formed textural layering but in the rather small scale epic presentation. Love's Crushing Diamond is a journey, both of Lee's own experiences and through it's own bit of forward momentum. It's an album that's astonishing relatable; courageously vulnerable without sounding like entries out of a sad boy's diary. There's something to be said for the musicianship of it all - cyclical in its scope and played with pitch-perfect tenderness and managing to captivate not only with Lee's stellar songwriting but with its effortless use of space. Love's Crushing Diamond is a truly special record that manages to reach the perfect balance of rugged individualism and an endearing sense of universality.




Honorable Mentions:
Brazos - Saltwater

Chris Holm - Kilos

Emily Reo - Olive Juice

Friend Roulette - I'm Sorry You Hit Your Head

Genders - Get Lost

Radiation City - Animals in the Median

San Fermin - San Fermin

Secret Mountains - Rainer

Wild Ones - Keep It Safe

Pitstop: Art Decade

                                                            (photo by Hadley Brooks)

  

Back when I interviewed Young Man's Colin Caulfield about his latest album Beyond Was All Around Me, he mentioned the assistance of Boston based composer/arranger Ben Talmi. While I had kind of naturally assumed that was merely all there was to Talmi - a go-to arranger for artist's looking to have the string arrangements on their album really sparkle, I discovered however that Talmi had a project of his own: an orchestral pop rock band by the name of Art Decade.

It's no secret with my love of bands like Friend Roulette and Young Dreams that the way to my heart is with artful utilized strings and that's exactly what Art Decade does so well. Instead of your standard chamber pop bands that seem to rely on certain instruments as mere ornamental fodder, the strings of Art Decade are very much a part of its DNA, at least in terms of their recorded output. 

You see, Art Decade is composed of your standard rock foursome of instruments: Guitar, bass, drums,  a multi-instrumentalist every-man and sometimes that's exactly what you get like in the case of "Weapon" or "Steam Punk Sticker War". It's an interesting juxtaposition to say the least. That Art Decade can go from roaring dance-rock to delicate orchestral pop in the course of a single album. The transitions are less jarring than you'd expect due to Talmi and company blending the rock and orchestral elements so effortlessly, able to strip them back or color them in without it seemingly like anything is really missing. 

What sets Art Decade apart from all the other orchestral pop bands I have heretofore pledged my allegiance to is just how much they lean into a notable rock influence at times. It not all pristine artfully detailed musical moments; there's moments of high intensity grooves and true rock grit. Basically there's a little something for everyone as Art Decade hits every gradation of symphonic rock. 

So if Art Decade's orchestral rock pop sounds like your forte you can stream/buy/download their debut album Western Sunrise here.

Listen/Watch: Young Man - "In A Sense" (Alternate Version)

When I interviewed Young Man's Colin Caulfield, he mentioned that many of the songs on their latest album Beyond Was All Around Me have gone through many incarnations before appearing the way they do on the record. Enter this acoustic version on "In A Sense" shot by Matt Liljegren which features a more lounge rock approach to the somber break up track. Framing a casually sprawled guitar-wielding Caulfield in the center frame, the video also features Caulfield adding the track's additional elements (synth and drum) in a sort of scrolling fashion.

It's a softer, more transparent version of the track which really helps to convey Caulfield's calm epiphanic lyrics. Smoother with a sort of bossa nova lilt thanks to the percussion, I kind of really hope there's plans for this version to make it's way out into the world.

All Around Sound-Off No. 3: Young Man

My introduction to Chicago based band Young Man happened surprisingly enough from a suggestion based purely on my love of Sondre Lerche. I hadn't ever heard of Young Man but man if I wasn't intrigued. I came for the pop jams but stayed for the thoughtful attention to detail and the interesting concept. Where nowadays it seems like lady singer/songwriters get all the fun with creative, atypical, or even just unashamedly intellectual songwriting, I was drawn to Colin Caulfield's arresting, well utilized plainspeak. Vol. 1 reminded me in a rather odd way of Laura Marling's I Speak Because I Can. The two were certainly different and Caulfield strayed toward poppy accessibility and universalness but the idea of young people growing up and learning about life was their common thread. It wasn't exactly I Speak Because I Can from a male point-of-view but it was close enough to pique my interest and make me explore the rest of the Young Man canon. 

Caulfield's always been rather open about the fact that after the release of the final album of his coming of age trilogy, the band Young Man was over. With the release of Beyond Was All Around Me creeping ever nearer until its eventual release and what I could only assume was the band's final tour together it only made sense to try and sit down with Caulfield and discuss the end of the project. Which Caulfield obliged by inviting me to chat right before their headlining set at Glasslands in the front of the band's tour van.   

Dante (All Around Sound): So thanks for meeting with me today. Let’s just dig right in, alright?  

How exactly did the Young Man trilogy start? Did it kind of evolve from the Boy EP?

Colin Caulfield: I wrote a bunch of songs – like the first Young Man songs I wrote, some of which are on Beyond Was All Around Me like “School”, “In Time”, and “Unfair”, I wrote those before Boy and then I started writing Boy. I started to realize the songs that I had written would be better for a full band so I wanted to do something before that kind of as an introduction to the project. But kind of concurrently during the writing and recording of all that I continued to write so all these songs happened in the process of the last four years.

Did you write the whole song cycle at the same time? Or has it taken the whole four years to write all of this?

Colin: The songs that are on this new record that are old have gone through so many different variations. I mean, I wrote versions of them a long time ago but started really drafting them and stuff.  

How was it going back to these older songs? Did you have different feelings about them? Did you have to update them?

Colin: Mm. Yeah, definitely. I mean “Unfair” especially went through a lot of changes but it didn't feel that weird because they were always so new – they always felt so new because we were doing these different versions with the band and stuff.  It was like new territory for me. Even though we were playing songs that I had written prior to that point it was very, I don’t know, exploratory because I didn't know what I was doing with the live stuff yet.

You play a number of instruments; you play guitar and drums and piano, right?

Colin: Yeah.

What made you decide to go with a guitar as basically the main instrument of Young Man?

Colin: I guess the songs that I started writing for Young Man I was writing on guitar and the guitar and voice combination is just very natural for me. I guess it just made sense. I’d love to be a drummer in a band that sings but for this it just wouldn't make sense if the lead singer was the drummer.

On Beyond Was All Around Me and Ideas of Distance you have these pretty beefy string arrangements how much say did you have in that? What’s your musical background?

Colin: I took some theory classes in college. I didn't major or minor in music but I know a good bit about part-writing and stuff like that. But I had help on both of them; especially with the new one. I flew to Boston and did all the arrangements with this string arranger named Ben Talmi who goes to Berklee. He might be graduated now actually but I went there and I spent a week with him and we just sort of workshopped everything in his apartment. I wrote all the lead melodies and then he would write the accompaniments and we kind of just went from there.

Since Boy you’ve pretty much released all of this stuff on a pretty consistent basis of about an album a year. Was there any particular reason why you wanted to get the music out so fast?

Colin: This has been very much a learning process for me, this project. My best album is definitely still in me maybe even in me right now. Songs that I’m writing now are just better; they’re just all around better songs. I think just because it’s about youth and coming out of youth, because I feel like I have done that now, that now I just don’t want to be treading over that material for too much longer. So I felt this compulsion to get everything out really quickly and I think that’s just in my nature too. Hopefully now that I've gotten that out of my system the next release I do, whatever it is, I’ll be ready to really milk that one release, you know? And take it one at a time instead of thinking about the next record.

I mean, it doesn't come across like you just trying to get these songs out of the way. It definitely feels like you've spent time on them.

Colin: Yeah, no doubt. I did and we've spent time working on them but still once they were done I wanted to be like “Okay, let’s do more.”

How long was your recording process?

Colin: We were here for three weeks tracking and then I came back for a week of mixing. So it was like a month.

Each album kind of has a different method that you went through. Ideas of Distance was mostly self-mixed and produced, right?

Colin: Mhm.

And then you had John McEntire on Vol. 1 and then… so is there any particular reason why you went through all these methods and didn't just stick to one producer or one way?

Colin: Well I moved on from doing it myself because I can’t record a full band. I don’t have the equipment to do that and so that was an obvious step. With McEntire it was a good experience but it just didn't gel perfectly, you know? So we started thinking about other people and then Nicolas [Vernhes], yeah I would make another record with Nicolas.

Yeah, everyone pretty much goes to him.

*Laughter*

Colin: Yeah I know, he’s awesome. But yeah it was just kind of out of necessity.

Beyond Was All Around Me is way more band-centric than Vol. 1 was that kind of the intent going into it? Did you want a more band-centric album?

Colin: Yeah. I wanted to somehow balance it being like really personal music with the fact that it was a full band. I mean it got to be weird this dynamic of being the main songwriter in a band that like the live show is like so original in terms of original from the source material. We’d take the songs in such different directions and stuff so I wanted the record to reflect that more instead of just being a representation of me.

I also read that around the recording process of Vol. 1 you were listening to a lot of ambient/electronic music and that kind of comes out in it. Was there any specific thing that you were listening to going into Beyond Was All Around Me that might’ve inspired it?

Colin: I can’t really think of anything to be honest. Beyond Was All Around Me felt the most like a culmination of everything, of all my influences and stuff like that. So there wasn't necessarily one thing.

So if you had to pick three tracks from your whole works that summed up what you were trying to do with Young Man, what would they be?

Colin: Hmm. That’s a good question. I think “Enough” off of Ideas of Distance or maybe “Felt”. Man, that’s a tough question ‘cause there’s so many songs.

I mean if you want to go more than three feel free.

Colin: “Felt”, the closing track on Ideas of Distance…

Which actually counts as “Enough” because there’s the whole it comes back in it…

Colin: That’s true. Good call. So “Felt”, man this is hard. It’s a hard question. Good hard question. Um “Waterford”! Yeah “Waterford”, off the new album, lyrically I think is really strong in terms of that and I think “Five” off of Boy is really clever and deals with the idea of growing up and that  transition really well. Those three: so “Five”, “Felt”, and “Waterford”.

And I’m sure everyone wants to know, what are you doing after this?

Colin: I don’t know. I’m moving to New York but I’m trying to just give myself some time. By the time we’re done with touring with this record, I will have another album done if I want to record it but I don’t want to jump into it too fast and make sure I really really really want to put it out, you know?

Are you planning on going in like a radical new direction?

Colin: I don't know. I've demoed a couple things that could be considered very different. Who knows though. It's so hard to decide on one thing. That's kind of the reason I want to wait and make sure the direction I go in I want to commit to it. 

Thanks again to Colin Caulfield for agreeing to sit down and chat as well as to Hannah May at Sacks & Co for helping coordinate it. If you haven't heard it yet, listen to arguably the best Young Man record to date (and ever, so it seems) Beyond Was All Around Me.  My review here. 

If you have the opportunity to see them on this, their final tour as a band, do so. It's an experience I couldn't recommend any more highly. Dates here. 

Young Man - Beyond Was All Around Me (2013)

It's rather true to form that Beyond Was All Around Me, the last in Colin Caulfield's Young Man trilogy of albums about growing up arrives musically without very much pomp or fireworks. Rather like the sudden realization that you are in someway different than you were before i.e. an "adult", that's pretty much how Beyond Was All Around Me proceeds.

While many of the trappings of Young Man past are present in the album's patient build-ups and plods and casual glide of one song into another, album opener "It's Alright" starts on a dynamically different note than its counterpart in Vol. 1's "Heading. Where a half minute goes by before any sort of cohesive musical thought takes shape and nearly another half minute before its first words is even uttered, "It's Alright" begins right out of the gate with a smooth head-bobbing groove quickly followed by the entrance of Caulfield's vocals. Though even in this main difference, you can hear how alike they are, Caulfield still reveling in the electronic sounds to give the track an added textural layer.

Beyond Was All Around Me proceeds very much in this manner; quick moving pop with insistent toe-tapping grooves. It's clear on this album more than any other that Young Man has become far more of unit than simply a platform for Caulfield's musings. Though lauded as a consummate popsmith, the evidence of that was rarely as readily apparently it is now; Ideas of Distance: a collection of slowly bursting emotional reveries that really relished in the things it had to say and Vol. 1 trying to fuse that thought with a faster pace and more memorable, enjoyable hooks. On Beyond Was All Around Me, Caulfield's ponderings become, for better or worse, mostly secondary. Unlike many of Vol. 1's tracks, Caulfield doesn't see the need to repeat a single verse to give it added importance, instead allowing what's truly important to jump out at you. Just look at definite album standout "In Time" with its blustering prog-rock leanings which allows its singular theme to percolate at just the right moment: "I'd like to be a better man in time".

The album doesn't really slow down, not truly anyway, until "Being Alone" with sweeping string ornaments and unobstructed acoustic guitar. It's a much needed opportunity to appreciate what Young Man has offered up in its past releases: lush instrumentation cushioning a strong lyrical prowess. It's a major turning point in what to, up until this point, had been an album relying more on the familiarity of a band that's played together for awhile and really, truly, allowing the lyrics to motivate the action. It's not done in a manner that undoes any of the good work done in the first part but it's clear everything has changed. Songs are slower, the lyrics far more prevalent, and we get more clues as to what Caulfield's trying to leave us with.

While it requires an additional sort of diligence to catch everything that is happening lyrically and frame it in relation to Caulfield's ongoing narrative. It's easy to get so incredibly bogged down with a concept that it doesn't allow the music to really stand on its own but thankfully, Caulfield allows a little opportunity to enjoy the album for what it is: an elegantly crafted collection of pop rock gems elevated by earned moments of poignancy. With Young Man function in a lot of ways as a sort of musical young adult novel, the real twist is how far Colin Caulfield's come with this project. Able to recall the best things about each previous release to better benefit his last, Beyond Was All Around Me sees the return of Ideas of Distances' more diverse instrumentation choices, Vol. 1's cohesive sprawl and more accessible arrangements, but it's more than just cherry-picking things that worked. Caulfield has learned from his own experiences and puts them almost flawlessly into action. The result is a work that's special not only in its intentions but for just how good it manages to come out.

You can stream the album on Rolling Stone. Beyond Was All Around Me is out now and you can buy it via Frenchkiss, on iTunes or most other digital retailers which I strongly recommend because it is excellent.

Listen: Young Man - "Unfair"

I'm sure we've all at sometime in our youth regarded something as being unfair only to be chided by our adult overseer (parents, teacher, babysitter, et. al) that life isn't fair. That's sort of what's happening in this new track by Chicago based singer/songwriter Colin Caulfield aka Young Man. Rather instead of the external force needing to give the reality check, Caulfield is wholly capable of doing it himself and does so.

Featuring the same production team as Vol. 1, Beyond Was All Around Me - the final chapter in Caulfield's adolescent ruminations, seems a whole lot less introspective. Sure, the songs are still borne out of Caulfield's inward looking but the arrangements, at least that from what we've seen on "In A Sense" and now "Unfair" seem to be a lot more outwardly poppy than we've glimpsed thus far. Caulfield still comments on his thoughts and inner workings but the music around them doesn't attempt to force you to do the same. It's a balance reached rather precisely on "Unfair". The truly important lyrics like Caulfield's "Where am I supposed to go? Because I've always done what I'm told" percolate to the surface among the myriad of instrumental parts - the laid-back drums, the grooving bass, the weaving summery guitar that surround it. 

Young Man's Beyond Was All Around Me is out April 9th on Frenchkiss.

(via Stereogum)

Listen: Young Man - "In A Sense"

The time for Colin Caulfield's final album under the Young Man moniker is almost nigh and while that's most assuredly the biggest bummer, Caulfield intends to go out on a high note. The first single from the upcoming album Beyond Was All Around Me continues with the carefully constructed pop-drenched introspection of Vol. 1. Which is fitting considering each album is a closely related narration of Caulfield journey into adulthood. With it's more rocking pulse, the track establishes itself as separate from any of the Vol. 1 cuts while still recalling the talented arrangements that made that record so undeniably enjoyable. It'll be interesting to see the path Caulfield explores on the final installment of Young Man but if "In A Sense" is any indication, it's sure to be a interesting one.



Young Man's third (and final!) album Beyond Was All Around Me will be out April 9th on Frenchkiss.

(via Stereogum)

All Around Sound's Most Anticipated Albums of 2013 Playlist

It's a whole new year which means a whole new release calendar to look forward to! A handful of bands have recently started unearthing album details and waking up each day to a new announcement is the bee's knees. It's still rather early in the year meaning more are sure to roll in as well as more details and previews but until then these are the releases I'm most juiced for based not on mere speculation but an announcement of some kind. Because if it was based on who I thought was releasing an album this year, this playlist would be hours long.

The Acorn 
This year will see the end of Canadian band The Acorn's hibernation. Brought to my attention a mere couple months ago by my friend Corey it was the perfect time to get into them it seems. Without having to wait the three years since the release of No Ghost while also having enough time to explore their discography, I'm excited at what the new album Vieux Loup will sound like. No release date at present but a working title is a step in the right direction. Here's hoping more details are on the horizon.


ARMS
If you've been to any of their shows, this won't come as particularly shocking news to you but if you haven't, you might want to brace yourself. Maybe take a seat. After 2011's incredible underrated and criminally ignored sophomore record Summer Skills, ARMS are releasing an EP. When? The verdict is soon and for all intents and purposes it could drop any day now but a release is nigh. Any live show attendees might have heard a track or two or three or four from the upcoming five-song EP and well, I'm be straight with you: They're pretty damn great. Capturing the dramatic literary lyricism that drew me to them to the first place and pairing it with some absolutely astounding musical moment of the powerpop persuasion, I couldn't speak more highly of the forthcoming EP if I tried. And I haven't even heard it yet. But based off the 3 or 4 songs I've been lucky enough to hear, I'm willing to stake my reputation of it being one of the best releases slated for release this year. Get ready because you might never love another band more ever again. Until we can hear anything from it, here's the last song ARMS dropped - a self-remix of the title track from their sophomore record Summer Skills:



Brazos
One of my favorite new music discoveries last year was Texan turned native New Yorker Brazos aka singer/songwriter Martin Crane. His lyrics were poetic, his music full, ear-catching, and downright rocking. The strength of the introductory concert was enough to have me kicking myself for not having discovered Crane and his band all that much sooner. And yet with the release of his sophomore follow up to 2009's Phosphorescent Blues on the horizon for this year, maybe it's a good thing I didn't? I couldn't imagine being a long time fan that long having to wait nearly 4 years for new music. For those holding out that long, you have my most heartfelt sympathies. According to all the rave reviews I heard from those lucky enough to have it in their ears, the new record should be well worth the wait and makes me all that more anxious to get it in my own.

The Cave Singers 
When I say that Seattle's folk rock trio The Cave Singers were one of the best opening bands I have ever seen, I hope you don't immediately accuse me of hyperbole. Opening for Fleet Foxes back in 2011, they were a very special kind of opening band. I had heard whispers of their existence before then sure but nothing cemented my interest in them as much as seeing them rock out live. To say that I've been biding my time until they saw fit to return isn't an exaggeration. I have been and I assume when they return their set will be just as fun if not more so than what I experienced. Maybe then I can right the wrongs of a whole sold out seated venue full of people refusing to get up and dance to "Black Leaf" when asked. Maybe.


Friend Roulette 
They may have retired one of my favorite songs in their catalog indefinitely (I'm talking about the Friend Roulette EP's "Sailing Song" by the way) but the songs they've replaced it with are too incredible for me to get sore. The quirky Brooklyn chamber pop sextet has talent bubbling out it's pores and each song they write is pretty darn original and that's cause for excitement. This year, their debut full length I'm Sorry You Hit Your Head should get out of development hell and then the band can get all the praise and accolades they deserve. Seriously. For all the scores of Brooklyn bands there's few with as much originality and vision and passion as Friend Roulette. From Casablanca recalling "Or Berlin" to R&B-esque "Lie", Friend Roulette seem willing to try anything and that versatility and openness is sure to benefit them in the long run.

Guards 
In case you couldn't tell due to my incessant posting about them but I really like Guards. They take what so many bands are trying to do in the nostalgia-fueled rock vein and do so in a way that leaves very little yo be desired. It's almost impossible to explain what makes Guards work so well. Each tune we see from their upcoming debut In Guards We Trust just establishes what we already knew and why we so desperately wanted an album from the New York based trio: they're a damn good band. They manage to be both pleasant and intricate and jammy and simple without falling prey to any of the negative tendencies those involving while giving listeners and fans what they want while not being predictable about it. Guards are kind of an enigma, really but they're a rather friendly, pop song crafting one and that works just fine.

Little Tybee 

It was supposed to come out last year but due to a series of remarkably unfortunate events and the band deciding to take some extra time to make sure it was really offering up gold star material 2013 is the year of Little Tybee's For Distant Viewing. Rather nervous when they announced the album's release right after Humorous to Bees came out in 2011, I'm a little glad they took time to prioritize a stellar release over just another release in general. Especially considering the break between albums is crucial for not burning yoursef out. The few tracks we've been treated to are certainly strong enough but that extra bit of care will undoubtedly result in a far more album than anyone could possibly imagine. I'm rightfully pumped as should you be.
Little Tybee - Mind Grenade from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Local Natives
I didn't really realize how much I missed Local Natives until the emerged triumphant from their latest bout of album recording. I've been a bit careless with my love for Local Natives, I'll confess. Never pouncing on opportunities to see them when I should and as the band seems poised to rocket up to bigger and bigger things, I might've missed my chance. At least without having to hardcore duke it out for my place in the Local Natives lovefest that's sure to follow after the release of their sophomore record Hummingbird. Why? After a remarkable debut, their next offering seems to be (as far as the two singles we've heard thus far will attest to) far better. Which is saying something. It's an album that's on everyone's must-have list and for good reason.


Pattern is Movement 
I'm rather late to Pattern is Movement party but better than never I say. Thanks to a sound guy at Cameo Gallery I heard and fell in love with the incredible All Together and so the news that Pattern is Movement are about to put out a new album this year is simply the best new. No idea when it'll be other than soon or what it'll be because a band like Pattern is Movement is rarely to do the same thing twice, I'm full of excitement just thinking about all the things that could be. Until details emerge this is one thing you can do to find out what you're in for: go see Pattern is Movement live. They're playing a handful of shows and have promised to play some new songs then.


Secret Mountains
A couple years of plying their trade, two EPs and one cassette of new, original material later, Baltimore psychedelic rock outfit Secret Mountains are just about ready to put their debut full length out into the world. It should be cause for excitement. Though a pretty great band from the get-go, Rainer sees Secret Mountains truly coming into their own - exploring emotional depths not yet plumped, tightening up their band sound, and making their jams that much more undeniable. If there's any justice in the world, 2013 will be a big year for Secret Mountains. The progress and sheer strength of their debut makes anything else absolutely unfair. Rainer will be out February 26th on Friends Records.


Typhoon 
After what seemed like a whole year of talking it up, it's finally 2013 and Typhoon's follow up to Hunger and Thirst and A New Kind of House EP is so close you can almost hear it. Actually a couple months ago, the Portland folk orchestra gave us a taste of what to expect from White Lighter with single "Common Sentiments" and while no details have really emerged since then, it's really only a matter of time. And then the massive sensemble will tour and all will be as it should until they disappear to record a new album. Luckily we have some time with them before that's even an option.

The Voluntary Butler Scheme
The music of English multi-instrumentalist Rob Jones is a bit of conundrum. Reading about it or even seeing it, it's a process that's shocking creative and far more complex than it's sound will have you believe. Jones crafts music very much like those of the most radical experimentalists - relying far more heavily on the precise combination of sounds and a deft hand at detail than what you'd think necessary and yet that's all part of the appeal. For the complexity and innovative forethought Jones' process possess, the sound is clear, simple, and most importantly, enjoyable. It's a sound steeped in those of old despite Jones' very current approach. The third album from The Voluntary Butler Scheme A Million Ways to Make Gold seems (at least from its first single) to be a return to form from the futuristic leaning The Grandad Galaxy but rather than be some sort of backpedal just highlights Jones' ability to create smooth, svelte pop from an arduously complex process.


Wildlife 

It's the moment I've been waiting for ever since the Toronto rockers released their debut album Strike Hard, Young Diamond. Wildlife have been hard at work on their sophomore record spiriting away to a cabin to work on songs before splitting their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut to record the thing. Meanwhile they've been keeping us informed on all the update taking wacky pictures, writing blogs, and giving hints at what to come without actually giving us anything substantial to go off of. Not yet anyway. But yesterday  the Canadian quintet revealed the title and cover art for their upcoming record ...On The Heart and I am pumped. The album will be out in the world February 26th and words don't exist to describe my excitement.


Young Dreams
After three absolutely incredible singles, the debut full length Norwegian orchestral pop collective Young Dreams is almost within reach. We've heard the grandiose gladiator-themed first single "Fog of War" and we can probably something equally as majestic, as musical, as excellent of Between Places. What's more the good news is their new album might actually bring the band stateside and that's the only thing I want right now. Between Places will be out March 5th in the states on Modular Recordings.


Young Man 
I know what you're thinking: didn't Young Man just release a new album a couple months ago? Yes, yes they did. And piggybacking an album release right on the heels of an album release is normally very very risky for fear of the songs not being as developed as they should be but if there's anyone that could put out teo amazing albums close together it's most likely Colin Caulfield. He's got such a thoughtful way with words and songwriting that you just know he took time to let the songs gestate naturally. I have complete and utter faith in Young Man that their new record Beyond Was All Around Me out April 9th is going to be super. No word yet on what it'll actually sound like but any news is good news in this case. Due to the lack of a single, I'll just post a track from Young Man's brilliant Vol. 1.

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2012

As mentioned in my favorite tracks year-end round up, 2012 function more so as the year of the single than anything else and more so this year than any other in recent memory. While one or two tracks were pretty spectacular on their own, throw together with a group of like-minded (or not in some cases) tracks saw them floundering for life, attempting to plug up the holes of sinking ships of hastily recorded follow ups or unmethodical debuts.That said, the year was not without it's fair share of brilliant music moments - albums that not only delivered on the potential of their singles but exceeded them by leaps and bounds. Here are, in no particular order, some of the exemplary records that really took the idea of an full length record to heart. Enjoy!

SoftSpot - Enzo
A relatively recent addition to my list of almost obsessively listened to albums, SoftSpot's premiere full length Enzo gets it's name from the Japanese word for "circle" and delivers as much; the album flowing from track to track with unceasing undulating energy. A listen to Enzo, it's not hard to see why it belongs on here: Sarah Kinlaw's vocals are hypnotic, the band not relegated to merely background players. SoftSpot reach an exceptional balance between balls to the wall frenetic jams and organic unfurling introspectives. There's no clear divide between them either as a track metamorphoses into the other almost without warning but not jarringly so. Everything on Enzo seems natural, seems right with no undue kinetic energy explled as SoftSpot demonstrate their prowess as band of patience willing to ride out the mounting waves of their own composition and benefiting greatly from it.

Bro. Stephen - Baptist Girls
If there's anything I've learned from Mad Men (besides how to drink copious amounts of booze, chainsmoke, and commit adultery like an Olympic champion) it's this: Nostalgia is America's chief good. Case it point: Bro. Stephen's nostalgic reveries are simply too good not to enjoy. It's intimate, heart-felt, and more so about beautifully crafted moments that make your heart bang or flutter than anything else. Scott Kirkpatrick is certainly gifted as a singer and a songwriter, of that there's is no question, but what really makes Baptist Girls is how each individual part of it's construction: from the precious melodies, the subtle creak of wood, to Kirkpatrick's beguiling sincerity, it's how they all congeal together to create these moments similar to yours, similar to anyone's that you can relate to. That are so beautifully simple, they make you nod while maybe you tear up a little. Baptist Girls is more than just a collection of songs, its a series of moments lovingly arranged like a family photo album.

Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion 

While it never really pays to cut down another artist in other to praise another artist, damn if only some of that residual buzz from the Alabama Shakes had fallen on Canada's Cold Specks. Her voice crowning the stormy, weathered soul of her own make. Dark atmospheric pieces with brilliant, triumphant moments I Predict A Graceful Expulsion is a quiet, delicate beauty of an album and entirely deserving of as many eager ears as possible. The fact that it hasn't might be the greatest slight of the year. She doesn't have a big band behind her gospel-inspired take on the singer/songwriter idiom but Al Spx's voice is as sagely, pained, and most important of all sincere as a modern soul singers could be. That's not a dig at anybody, Spx just provides a clean, non-showy alternative to what can sometimes become a flashy, spectacle.  

Jessie Baylin - Little Spark 

Layered with sweet Bacharachian sweeps and Dusty Springfield's classy sensuality, Jessie Baylin's sophomore record is one steeped in past influences but instead of playing like a jukebox album, Baylin utilizes her adoration of  60s/70s pop to convey her own troubles which are not all that different from theirs. At times fun and infectious, others serious and heartfelt, Jessie Baylin's Little Spark is a pop album that thoroughly benefits from knowing its history. The Brill Building lushness and orchestral flourishes provide an insatiable base for Baylin's flavorful additions. It's guilt-free pop you'd wish could set some sort of standard. Not only wearing your influences on your sleeve but using them merely to enhance instead of dominate what you're already skilled in. 

Laura Gibson - La Grande 

With more than a handful of releases underneath her belt, La Grande is Laura Gibson's most accomplished. Seeking solace in a rather old-timey sound, La Grande manages to avoid hokey-ness aided completely by her minimalistic approach to songwriting where she says just enough to have every word resonate with purpose while never quite being contrived about it. Each song belongs, each verse and phrase important. Gibson always been a gifted, poetic lyricist but when aided with the rather creative western-y lo-fi leaning sound on La Grande, the whole takes on a very classic feel. 

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams 

A work of unmitigated patience, forethought, and effort, Lord Huron's debut full length Lonesome Dreams could be called a concept album of sorts. While western-tinged instead of the world-inspired sound of their previous EPs, the album fits rather excellently into the Lord Huron canon. Despite the fact that the PR campaign seemed filled with painstakingly thought of detail (a website for the fake author of the novels of which Lonesome Dreams is based on being one of them), Lonesome Dreams is an album that doesn't get bogged down with all that when put into actual practice. The details function more as behind the scenes notes dictating where the story will go without seeing exhaustingly recalled. Lord Huron have a talent for simple-seeming but complexly layered chamber pop and they don't disappoint here. Their sound as full and evenhanded on their sepia-colored opus as any of the more electronic leanings of Ben Schneider's creation, Lonesome Dreams is another stellar example of what a concept album can be: easily to listen to without foreknowledge, enjoyable all around, and tremendously rewarding if you do happen to get it. While I'm sure we've yet to get the full brunt of Lord Huron's innovation, Lonesome Dreams is a particularly wonderful start.  

Daughn Gibson - All Hell 

If you had explained Daughn Gibson to me before playing it for me, I probably would've avoided it like the plague. Electronic/Country hybrid? That sounds relevant to exactly none of my interests. Thankfully no one told me what to expect from Daughn Gibson and I got the pleasant surprise of a wonderful album of unexpected twists and turns and a surprising amount of emotional resonance for such a sample-laden release.    It's rather easy to be dissuaded from an album that feature stories about people appearing on Cops and yet Gibson with his commanding presence, deep booming baritone, and adventurous charm make the album a completely worthwhile endeavor. A rather impressive effort and much appreciate burst of new and interesting in two genres where sameness is commonplace.

Hospitality - Hospitality 

From the angular melodies to the band's tight knit padding for Amber Papini's smart lyrics about city life, post-college, and all sorts of old young people concerns, Hospitality is catchy jangle pop done right. Papini has a real knack for pop hooks that don't quite feel like pop hooks and the band perfectly balances hanging back to give Papini the room her feathery vocals need to alight while making their own presence known and heard. A far different version from the syrupy chamber pop of their EP days, Hospitality provides an excellent base for the band to build upon. An album that proves Hospitality are ones to watch and enjoyable ones at that.

Conveyor - Conveyor
If there was a more vibrant, colorful album released all year, no one certainly told me. Conveyor's self-titled debut is an auditory sunburst, channeling sunny days and unrepressed happiness while building on the group's  minimalistic experimental pop we saw at work on their Sun Ray EP. Quirky but not goofy, Conveyor create exuberant smile-inducing moments of sheer aural bliss while never casting any doubt on their talents as legitimate musicians. Conveyor is a slowly-evolving but always engaging pitch-perfect adventure where every route is the scenic one and every path worth taking. A charming whole filled with tasty, interesting parts.

You Won't - Skeptic Goodbye

Sometimes making truly special folk pop let alone music isn't to try and turn the whole world upside down. It's possible to be creative without necessarily redefining a whole genre of music. Sure, those are what everyone's usually looking for but every once in awhile you stumble upon a record like Skeptic Goodbye from the Massachusetts duo You Won't. It's charming beyond words, fully demonstrative of the twosomes talents, a brilliant collection of songs that works together, but any deviation from pre-established norms is subtle. No look at me attention-grabbing antic here. Josh Arnoudse is a gifted lyricist with the kind of voice that gently commands attention not pleading for it and Raky Sastri is a skilled instrumentalist and well as producer. Their songs are either catchy as all get out or just too good not to want to listen to again and really that's what any good musician to strive for. Skeptic Goodbye is a great smattering of folk pop some with rather anthemic leanings.  

Will Stratton - Post-Empire 

Singer/songwriter Will Stratton is an musician who really gets it. Having great lyrics (which he certainly has in spades) is not all it takes to write a good song. Stratton's approach to songwriting pairs all of his various talents to work to create incredible music moments and excellent mood-changes. In fact, Post-Empire starts with about 2.5 minute orchestral intro before the entrance of the more folk-friendly guitar, a full three before Stratton's first verse is even uttered. This reverence for the actual extra elements of a song is something you'd wish more people cherished, more people employed. Maybe not in such a grand fashion but when an album takes it's time beginning, you know it's going to be a worthwhile listen. In addition to lovely arrangements, Stratton's fingerstyle guitar paired with his rolling, ambling melodies makes for a pretty incredible all-around immersive experience. Post-Empire is the kind of album you can put on and just sit and marvel at the level of musicianship contained within. 

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP 

Most people refrain from putting EPs on an albums list. I'm not most people. Especially not when you have a record like Daniel Rossen's Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP. On his first true solo outing, Rossen expounds upon the epic arrangements of Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear with his own solid voice resulting in five songs that are simply spectacular. Astonishingly poetic turns of phrase that stick with you are paired with larger than life instrumentals that seem to grow larger and more layered with each subsequent listen. Topped off with intensely emotive vocals, the EP is a testament to Rossen's own talents and why others are so lucky to have him a collaborating. A beautiful stirring collection of songs that almost weren't. Thank heavens they were.

Efterklang - Piramida
With three fantastic albums under their belt, there was no doubt in anyone's minds as to Danish trio Efterklang's awesomeness or artistic integrity. Then in a move that couldn't possibly be foreseen, the Danes had the wacky idea to go to an abandoned Russian coal-mining settlement in the far north of Norway where they recorded all sorts of sounds that formed the framework for their brilliant, brilliant fourth studio album Piramida. On it, they combine the accessibility of Magic Chairs with the dreamy, atmospheric air of their orchestral-leaning albums. Piramida is a work of incredible artistic ambition proving Efterklang as master craftsmen and truly creatively leaders. Employing women's choirs and orchestras, Efterklang reach a level of collaboration most can only dream of.

Kishi Bashi - 151a 

With a real sense of overarching themes and a cinematic scope, Kishi Bashi's debut is certainly an impressive one. Especially considering the pit of doubters waiting in the wings to compare him to other violin/loop pedal users Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett. While learning from his predecessors, K. manages to offer up a singular, unique voice. Japanese vocalizations are welcome treat from the "oh" and "ah"'s you find in standard pop music while K.'s psychedelic deviations add a distinctive coloring to what would already be an applause-worthy effort to create a debut so strong it has to be heard to be believed. 151a is an amazingly adventurous debut brimming with talent and life.

Lands & Peoples - Pop Guilt 

Though by no means a proper representation of the brilliant new direction the Baltimore lads have taken since losing some of their members, Pop Guilt is a snapshot of the band in their youth and in it you can trace elements for their rugged experimentalism. That said Pop Guilt is a great album in its own right featuring bustling pop choruses, dynamic textural play, and some rather incredible vocal chops in Caleb Moore and Beau Cole. And yet as pleasant and arresting as the vocals can (and are allowed) to be, Lands & Peoples music isn't nor has it ever been a platform for them. Lands & Peoples make great use of textures and layers, using vocals to add more dimension, more depth to their already seemingly fathomless experimental pop ditties.

Port St. Willow - Holiday 

After my discovery of The Antlers' Hospice, I really wasn't looking for a record like that again. A record that would utterly destroy all my emotional barriers and make me absolutely fatigued from just feeling so much but here we are. While not quite as devasting, Holiday certainly falls into the same category of mood music that is simply too beautiful for words. Each and every listen results is a cathartic release and never do you grow numb to Nick Principe's raw, emotion-shredding work. In musical landscape dominated by senseless, vapid music without real meaning, it's a treat to get something this precious, this heartfelt, this real. Principe places himself completely out in the open and the result is an album of absolute elegance and finely crafted pathos.

Levek - Look A Little Closer 

In addition to being a veritable grab-bag of 70s musical styles, Look A Little Closer builds upon the somewhat cartoon-y vibe of Levek's demos with some pretty solid jams. It also happens to function doubly as a sort of emotional catharsis for Levek mastermind David Levesque while avoiding relying too heavily on that to function. In fact, without that little tidbit of information, it's still entirely possible to enjoy Look A Little Closer without feeling like you're missing something; some crucial piece to the puzzle. Instead the album slopes gently into a multitude of jam-laden 70s psychedelic subgenres while not sounding like it's trying too hard to do so. Levek for all intents and purposes casually eludes any notion of genre seeking the far more rewarding option of simple good music.

Young Man - Vol. 1
As under-represented as female songwriters/arts/bands seem to be in the music industry sometimes it seems like they have the most interesting stories to tell. The most clever spins on their tragic love lives, the most affecting vocals. I wasn't actively looking for an exception to that, for someone to describe the trials and tribulations of manhood when I found Colin Caulfield aka Young Man. In a series detailing his rite of passage into manhood, Vol. 1 isn't even the full scope of the Caulfield's experiences. And yet, it does so so articulately, so universally, so accessibly while sounds so personal that Vol. 1 quickly became a favorite. It's a male songwriter singing about something actually important that isn't your standard heartbreak tale or love song. Wrapping up his sagely observations in smart-pop dressings, Vol. 1 isn't just an album that appeals to young men or even older men. It's got a broad appeal while tackling a subject few explore that actually matters.  It's a well-rounded effort equally displaying Colin Caulfield's intelligent songwriting chops while also showcasing the talents of his collaborators and dressing them up nicely in solely beneficial arrangements.

Bowerbirds - The Clearing 

There comes a time in every band's career when they seek to change some form of what they've been doing either for better or worse. For Bowerbirds, they expanded upon their pastoral reveries by reaching a higher level of universal resonance than ever before. Transforming from mild-mannered folk band to high-minded art rock band, The Clearing in a lot of ways shines a light on where Bowerbirds have been and where they are going. Their third album, the album gives little hints about their roots while detailing their lives together in their trademark nature-laden imagery and artful use of metaphor. And while employing far bigger experimentations to their sound, they also apply it at a smaller level giving resident power harmony gal Beth Tacular her lead debuts in "Hush" and "In the Yard", the result is simply amazing. Beth, Phil Moore, and the rest of the talented crew of musicians are in rare form on The Clearing and create an album that both appeals to the long-standing Bowerbirds fan while also shaking things up to keep things interesting and grab some new ears.  Bowerbirds have always been masters of subtle emotion-stirring moments and the certainly don't disappoint as each lyric, each phrase, each musical flourish pulls at the heart-strings, brings a smile to your lips, or just lets you bask in the glory of a truly good band that knows what it's doing.

Hundred Waters - Hundred Waters 

In a musical climate where things sound more than a little similar and overdone, a band like Hundred Waters is a much needed breath of fresh air. One of my favorite things about the band is the utterly unclassifiable nature of their music. Owing equal parts of their composition to electronics and the ethereal sensuality of Nicole Miglis vocals, the band are rather unlike anything I'd heard before in the best way possible. Imaginative, creative, and expansive, Hundred Waters' debut album plays like an absolute dream - consuming you fully from start to finish with it's mesmerizing textural play. Hundred Waters are a band of artists in a completely nonpretentious sense creating enthralling, intriguing multi-layered masterpieces that don't beat you over the head with how art-y they are. Instead Hundred Waters offer up works of beguiling beauty that all fit together spectacularly in the grand scheme of their album. Their album is downright cosmic - raising perceptions about what art music can be while remaining accessibly so. Their palette of sounds are otherworldly and grand - the soundtrack to epic adventures or grandiose happenings while remaining subtle enough to operate on a smaller level. An absolute behemoth of talent and dazzling display of non-grandstanding musicianship.  

Honorable Mentions:
River Whyless - A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door

Lucius - Lucius EP

Black Girls - Hell Dragon

Daniel Hart - The Orientalist (rerelease)