Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 1

Beyonce – Drunk in Love

Drunk in Love is off Beyonce’s surprise album BEYONCE (which she dropped in December without anyone knowing about it ahead of time – quite an accomplishment).  The track is produced by Detail and Beyonce herself and features Jay-Z. It is one of the standout songs off her new album, as it captures a good balance between Beyonce’s powerful vocals and a fresh, energetic modern R&B/pop track. And, Beyonce is fantastic on the hook. Available for download: here

Big Eyes – Being Unkind

Being Unkind is off Big Eyes’s album Almost Famous. It is a fun and infectious pop-rock song. It has a very upbeat driving force with sort of a 1980s punk sound. Though coming out in May, it has remained a mainstay on my iPhone playlist ever since. Available for download: here

Bleached – Next Stop

Next Stop is off Bleached’s album Ride Your Heart. Like the song above, it is a very fun pop-rock track that too feels influenced by the 1980s punk sound. It is very simple in its construction, but also very catchy. Once heard, it is almost impossible to not continually revisit it. Available for download: here

CHVRCHES – Lies

Lies is off CHVRCHES’s debut album The Bones of What You Believe (my favorite album of 2013 along with Kanye West’s Yeezus). The electronic synthpop track is so very catchy and powerful. Singer Lauren Mayberry’s voice is sweet, yet enchanting. Everything about the song works. CHVRCHES is my favorite new band of the year, and this is my favorite of their songs so far. Available for download: here

Deafheaven – The Pecan Tree

The Pecan Tree ends Deafheaven’s excellent sophomore album Sunbather. The song, like the album, is brutal exhibiting the raw power of black metal yet beautifully fragile with exquisite composition. It is a metal album with the ability to woo non-metal fans to the darkside. Available for download: here

Deafheaven – Sunbather (2013) – Review

Review: Deafheaven has taken a momentous step forward with their second album Sunbather. It is massive is its sonic scope, blending the rawness of black metal with the beauty that can be achieved with post-rock tonal guitars.

The album is unlike anything in metal, daring to be radiant yet tortured. Split into four epic tracks with three more experimental ambiance pieces separating them, it is a journey that asks the listener to accompany the band into the pits of doubt and despair and then back up into the warmth of the sun (and then back down and back up again and again). The songs feature scathing black metal stylized vocals, intricately melodic guitars, and powerfully cascading drums. From my own metal collection, Sunbather reminds me of the beauty and anguish of Dawn’s Slaughtersun (though not as intense) with the tonal depression (in moments) of Daylight Dies’s Dismantling Devotion.

Deafheaven’s album is transformative, an aesthetically masterful piece that will influence the future of black metal. It is not just a record for metal fans; it is a must for fans of music, as this is surely one of 2013’s great works. 5/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Vertigo

2)      The Pecan Tree

3)      Sunbather

Available on: Digital Download