It's never nice topping this list with a recent deceased so I'll keep it to a minimum:
1. Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker:
yeah, I do feel shitty criticizing what turned out to be his final opus but I still don’t see why critics have hailed this among the year’s best. This was merely Cohen reciting words with some music attached.2. Kaytranada 99.9%:
has some nice beats but even when the guests turn verses in, I’ve heard better 90s house/hop efforts. 3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds The Skeleton Tree:
a record overshadowed by the death of his son last year, and you can hear the grief throughout. Cave works best when there is bitter recollection juxtaposed to spry production and that’s what is missing.4. Car Seat Headrest Teens Of Denial:
the emo appeal is there but Car Seat Headrest’s attempt at spinning one idea in twelve tracks wears one out eventually.5. The 1975 I Like It When You Sleep…:
I call it lukewarm pop!6. Anohni Hopelessness:
starts out well enough but as it goes on, loses firmness.7. Tim Hecker Love Streams:
yet another Hecker lyric-less album, yet another round of universal praise.8. Swans The Glowing Man:
while it hasn’t popped up that often in early year-end lists so far, all the mainstream critic indices continue their inexplicable love affair with this band.9. The Avalanches Wildflower:
sixteen years away is a lifetime, maybe that’s why the album sounds so dated.10. Drake Views:
the biggest-selling hip/hop star in the world and the album couldn’t have been more ordinary.
2 comments:
Hmm. Always love Nick Cave - a true original - but this does not sound the best. As for Leonard Cohen, he was one of our most-loved singers in college days (I have his first album on vinyl!) but I confess I have found him hard going in the last few years. The reciting gets a bit too much. I'm afraid I know nothing about any of the other artists in this list, so I'll take your word for it!!
Cohen bored me with this drawn-out recital style too...may he rest in peace though!
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