Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 2

Crystal Castles – Wrath of God

Wrath of God is off Crystal Castles’ album Crystal Castles (III). The electronic track engages the listener enchanting them with its great driving danceable beat, courtesy of Ethan Kath. Alice Glass’s vocals also have a bewitching siren-like quality. Her lyrics carry a strong political message of cruelty in the world. Yet, even with bleak tone, the song is still beautiful as well. Available for download: here

Danny Brown – Grown Up

Grown Up is a non-album single. Danny Brown had a great 2012, appearing on a ton of other people’s albums (plus his album XXX has really started to catch on). He could very well be one of the top hip hop artists of 2013. Party Supplies provides the track with a fantastic beat that is very catchy and fun. In addition to the beat, Brown’s lyrics are strong as he raps about his youth in a very relatable manner (the song also has a brilliant music video, see above). Available for download: here

Dusted – Pale Light

Pale Light is off Dusted’s debut album Total Dust. The Canadian duo of songwriter Brian Borcherdt and producer Leon Taheny capture a wonderful sound with the track. It has a folk sensibility but played through an electronic echoy reverb that gives it a uniqueness and great aesthetic quality. Its soft manner seems to momentarily disguise its power and allure. Available for download: here

Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen

Anything Could Happen is off Ellie Goulding’s album Halcyon. Like a number of artists on this list, Goulding had a breakthrough year in 2012 – both with her new material and her chart climbing single Lights. Anything Could Happen (produced by Goulding and Jim Eliot), the lead single of Halcyon, is probably the best pop song of the year. It just grabs the listener right away, and Goulding’s singular voice just soars. Available for download: here

Family Band – Rest

Rest is off Family Band’s debut album Grace & Lies. The Brooklyn duo of visual artist Kim Krans and metal/thrash guitarist Jonny Ollsin make an unlikely pairing for such a sad, dark slow song. While Night Song is a better single, Rest just has a foreboding power to it that seems to entrance the listener. Krans’s voice is transfixing while Ollsin’s guitar is sheer and grim (and quiet). It is the kind of folk music that one might play after the world has ended – looking out across the wasteland. Available for download: here

Ellie Goulding – Halcyon (2012) – Review

Review: Ellie Goulding’s first album Lights took a while to catch on in the States (as she found success much quicker in her native United Kingdom), with her biggest hit (also titled) Lights climbing the billboard Hot 100 for forty-two weeks, reaching number two. Her sophomore album Halcyon again shows off Goulding’s wonderfully unique voice and electronic pop sensibilities. Goulding started 2012 off releasing her cover of The Weeknd’s High for This (which is fantastic) and followed it up with her cover of Active Child’s Hanging On (which is on the album), setting the stage for Halcyon’s atmospheric dream pop sound and lyrics dealing with love and loss – escaping the dark into the light.

The album is littered with great tracks (which made it difficult for me to pick three for my ‘essential tracks’), showcasing Goulding’s voice – both her singing ability and the use of her voice as an instrument contributing to the music or beat of a song (for example: Explosions and I Know You Care). She has one of the most interesting and different voices in pop music. It has a raw quality to it that seems to add emotion and power to her songs, making them all the more compelling.

Her single Lights and its subsequent remixes have placed her among the most popular dance pop artists right now, but instead of trying to capitalize on that market she has gone another way with her sound. The album is still very much electronically influenced and infused. But it is not a dance album, though there are a few songs that are club ready (and certainly remix ready). It is much more atmospheric, with almost an ethereal feel to many of the tracks. Goulding has great producing chemistry with Jim Elliot who co-produced most of the songs with her. Billboard, Starsmith, Calvin Harris, John Fortis, Justin Parker, and MONSTA also worked on the album.

Unlike many pop artists (especially younger popular singers), Goulding writes her songs. Halcyon is a very personal album. It is not really a commercial pop album in as much as the songs are not particularly catchy in terms of having killer hooks (that fans can sing along with and get stuck in the heads of casual listeners). Again, the album is more a complete work creating a feeling for the listener, and not a collection of singles.

Halcyon is a better album than Lights (I think), with Goulding growing and blossoming as an artist. It is well worth checking out for fans of dream pop/synthpop. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Anything Could Happen – Produced by Ellie Goulding and Jim Elliot

2)      Only You – Produced by Ellie Goulding and Jim Elliot

3)      Hanging On – Produced by Billboard, featuring Tinie Tempah

Available on CD and Digital Download