By ZACH ADLER
As 2013 comes to an end, it’s time to look back and see the music that shaped the year and triumphed. The music that shaped us.
In many ways, an album is much more than just a bunch of songs piled together and shipped out on vinyl, compact disc or iTunes. An album is a statement from the artist, an assertion of their creative vision that is meant to be savored. An album is weeks of listening, enjoying, sharing and obsessing over. An album is an event, a milestone, a labor of love and a connection between people.
In 2013, there have been plenty of musical achievements but the best ones are statements that have shaped the year and the soundtrack to our lives.
1. Daft Punk, “Random Access Memories”
The inventors of modern dance music return with a rich-sounding album that connects Electronic Dance Music to its roots in ‘70s disco, giving a new approach that makes them sound fresher than the entire EDM movement. The live instruments, constant changes of pace and frequent stops for introspection make this album an instant classic, especially with the dancefloor domination of the upbeat “Get Lucky” and “Lose Yourself To Dance, ” making this the perfect album for both listening and dancing. But the finest moment is the stunning “Touch,” an odyssey of sublime melody and hypnotic build that is beautiful beyond words.
2. David Bowie, “The Next Day”
After a decade in hiding, rock’s most progressive superstar stole back every bit of his thunder with a hard rocking edge and a manic streak that never dies. The drama and bravado with each performance keeps this album rolling through dark psychological territory, but is counterbalanced by “The Stars Are (Out Tonight),” one of Bowie’s best love songs. Bowie’s timeless singing retains its power, making the perfect soundtrack for everyone’s personal end of the world.
3. Paul McCartney, “NEW”
Is there anything that Paul McCartney can’t do? The ex-Beatle teams up with an elite group of A-list producers and lays waste to every other pop album this year with a set of tunes that brings forward every weapon in his musical arsenal, including the title track, his most Beatles-esque song of his post-Beatles career. His superhuman sense of melody and endlessly heartwarming singing bring every tune to life in stunning color. One of his best albums since Band On The Run and the most fun album of the year.
4. James Blake, “Overgrown”
A beautiful EDM head-trip with a sense of melancholy that highlights the best work of Blake, who takes dubstep and turns it into the perfect minimalist vehicle for his subdued tales of isolation and lost love. Every beat sounds giant, and the vocals shimmer in their aching sorrow. A special treat comes in the middle in the form of “DLM,” a track this is completely stripped of electronic backing that shows Blake’s Joni Mitchell-esque emotive power. The perfect album to sit back and wrap yourself up in.
5. Arcade Fire, “Reflektor”
Indescribably genius in a way that only the best music captures. A daring mix of arena-scale rock and roll, island rhythms and dance floor-ready electronics that sounds like the inner workings of the place between heaven and Earth, where emotions run rampant and everything is a costume party.
6. Pearl Jam, “Lightning Bolt”
Just when it seems like a straight-ahead rock album would be the most unexpected breakout of the year, America’s best rock band comes thundering back with another rip-roaring set of angry guitar rockers and stirring ballads that sound like anger incarnate passed through a classic rock and grunge engine. Lead singer, Eddie Vedder guides them through this set with his unbeatable voice, turning up the emotion to 11 on the haunting “Sirens.”
An eclectic mix of folk, country and rockabilly from a 19-year-old English troubador that sounds like he’s been on the mean streets for 50 years, summoning the sounds of Buddy Holly and early Bob Dylan while always sounding new. Bugg contains a sound so timeless, when the song “Lightning Bolt” was used to cover the last 50 years of sports in a Gatorade ad, it seemed to be the only post-Dylan song that ever mattered. An impressive debut to say the least.
8. Justin Timberlake, “The 20/20 Experience”
A double album of endlessly groovy soul-pop and long jams that are impossible to resist dancing to, all sung in a wonderful falsetto and gusto that flows with the super-slick music. The collaboration with Jay Z, “Suit & Tie,” sets the retro-futuristic aesthetic that guides the LP. Timberlake sounds like a Motown bandleader with a futuristic, psychedelic touch and a lust for the night, guiding the music around him into places too progressive for most singles artists.
9. Iron & Wine, “Ghost On Ghost”
A lush collection of indie pop songs that defy time and space in their beauty. The free jazz moments littered throughout provide momentary changes of pace in the mostly breezy romantic run to “Baby Center Stage,” the closing ballad that is a crescendo of strings and vocal harmonies.
10. Atoms For Peace, “Amok”
A clicky, twitchy set of amazing grooves created by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea that forces you to dance along maniacally, like in the upbeat and super-bassy shuffle “Judge Jury and Executioner.” Every song sounds ghostly, like a post-Radiohead nightmare. One listen will be satisfying, but repeated playings will be hypnotizing, finding new nuances of the half live, half electronically manipulated avant-garde masterpiece.
11. Queens Of The Stone Age, “…Like Clockwork”
A plainspoken and emotional record that is loud and energetic with lead singer, Josh Homme musing on the darker side of love and life with wonderfully somber singing. The arrangements sound vast and epic as the guitars build up a tension and then slide across it while still staying intimate and live-sounding. A bevy of guests, including Dave Grohl and Elton John, help this album rock heavier than any LP this year, even in the quietest moments.
12. Elvis Costello & The Roots, “Wise Up Ghost”
Two of the most quirky and literate acts in music team up to make an album that sounds like nothing else ever made. Costello’s rapid fire urban lyrics combine with the Roots’ musical experimentation to make songs that sound fresh and funky like hip-hop beat poetry made by a group that is taking no prisoners in an endlessly groovy march. The leadoff single, “Walk Us Uptown,” is the perfect song for a groovy strut. A soulful breath of fresh air that sounds irreplaceably new.
13. Jim James, “Regions Of Light And Sound Of God”
On an off-year for his band, My Morning Jacket, James delivers a spacey solo effort that is soulful and sonically rich. Instruments and heavily echoed vocals seem to float in . His brilliant falsetto is as clean and shimmering as it has ever been, and the arrangements compliment the vocal richness by being able to move between soft and loud with ease. The opener, “State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U)” is pumping and funky, while the standout “A New Life” is an expansive hippie jam for the ages, complemented by the gorgeous instrumental “Exploding.” In the most freewheeling way, James has found the music that lies between Laurel Canyon and HAL 9000.
