Monday, January 13, 2014

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 4


London Grammar – Strong
Strong is off of London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait. It is produced by the band as well as Tim Bran and Roy Kerr. The song feels ethereal, finding great heights thanks to Hannah Reid’s big and powerful voice (which is really the band’s greatest attribute). The track is inviting with its easy listening vibe, but Reid’s siren-like vocals create a much more involving experience than merely a song just happily playing in the background. Available for download: here


Mikal Cronin – Weight
Weight is off of Mikal Cronin’s second album MCII. The San Francisco indie rocker finds a great sound with the song (and album); equal parts rock and pop with sort of a slight punk edge. The song is catchy but never feels commercial (which is refreshing). It is a bit softer than his past work, but I think that might be a welcomed change. Available for download: here


MØ – Waste of Time
Waste of Time is off MØ’s debut album No Mythologies to Follow (due February 24, 2014). The Danish singer finds a good balance between electronically influenced pop and her own sound (in a marketplace flooded with similar artists). What works so well for the track is that it feels like a lot of genres sort of forced to cohabitate in the same space, but instead of sounding noisy and chaotic it all comes together. Available for download: here


Pusha T – Nosetalgia
Nosetalgia is off of Pusha T’s solo debut album My Name Is My Name. It features Kendrick Lamar and is produced by Nottz and Kanye West. The beat is a great minimalist track with a shrill guitar lick, but really it is the verses from Pusha and Kendrick that make this song pop. Pusha goes in about his past as a cocaine dealer and how that shaped his life, only to have Kendrick follow up with how his father was a junkie and how that shaped his childhood. The juxtaposition is fantastic and something new. It is one of the best hip hop tracks of 2013. Available for download: here

Sundays – World We Own
World We Own is off of Sundays’ debut EP Of Eros And I. Sundays present a sound that is both sort of celestial and poppy. It feels vast, but you can also dance to it (and it is catchy in a sly sort of way; it just creeps up on you). Available for download: here; Music Video: here

No comments:

Post a Comment