Alvvays are a cute lil indie pop group from Canada. They're like the whitest band ever and this song contains lyrics about student loans and alimony. But regardless this song is FUN and and has a huge amount of energy which unfortunately doesn't last throughout their album. But I mean, it's only their debut and this song feels like the kinda career defining song many acts would release years after starting out.
Plus this song is just so catchy: even if it's you're first listen you'll be singing along to the "hey hey marry me, Archie" and it won't leave your head.
17.
La Roux - Let Me Down Gently
"You're not my life but I want you in it"
It's no 'In For the Kill', but it's a monumental and memorable track, just what you'd expect after a five year break.
"I made your dress/ I laid it out/ on the couch you bought/ that I picked out"
No, I'm not including Queen in my list.
Queen is def the lyrical highlight on the album, but sonically this is my favourite. It starts out as a retro sounding pop song, complete with finger snaps, which would be flawless anyways. But then in the middle the mood of the song completely changes with his falsetto rising so high it could probably shatter glass, backed by a church organ. And the second half is pretty much the same as the first except with with a more unsettling lyrics ("I'm bleeding out..") So yeah, definitely one of the most interesting songs this year.
15.
Kyla La Grange - Cut Your Teeth
"Well I've bled words onto a page for you, and you never knew my name"
So I clicked this song on because the thumbnail looked interesting, and I'm glad I did, not least because the video is definitely my favourite of the year, but also because this is a truly amazing song. The kind of minimal electropop Ellie wishes she made.
Let Me Down Gently is getting tons of ATRL praise in Best Ofs. I mean, I get why, I just think it's pretty interesting. Wasn't a big fan of Perfume Genius's album but Fool is pretty good.
I don't know the other two songs (I think I should check out Kyla) so I gave the tracks a listen and haha you are so right about Alvvays being a white band but the song is catchy indeed and kinda reminds me of... Best Coast maybe? As for Kyla, basically your comment on Ellie is exactly how I feel about it.
Let Me Down Gently is getting tons of ATRL praise in Best Ofs. I mean, I get why, I just think it's pretty interesting. Wasn't a big fan of Perfume Genius's album but Fool is pretty good.
I don't know the other two songs (I think I should check out Kyla) so I gave the tracks a listen and haha you are so right about Alvvays being a white band but the song is catchy indeed and kinda reminds me of... Best Coast maybe? As for Kyla, basically your comment on Ellie is exactly how I feel about it.
!!
Yeah the perfect description for them is Best Coast but without the third grader lyrics.
It's so much effort to do these write ups, so lemme quote my ATRLcritic review:
Quote:
Influenced by the likes of Nina Simone and Muddy Waters, Hozier has a rich, soulful voice, that sounds beyond his years. His lyrics are well thought out and poetic, demonstrated perfectly by his lead single 'Take Me To Church'. A soaring song that immediately commands attention. It makes sense that this track should lead Andrew Hozier-Byrne's debut LP, but it sets the bar high. Nonetheless, then follows a string of highlights, the moody 'Jackie and Wilson' , the playful 'Someone New' and the more stripped back 'From Eden'.
Although I initially gave it a 7/10, the album has grown on me. I still stand by what I said about Take Me to Church Being the best song, but there's still plenty to enjoy here.
17.
Kimbra - The Golden Echo
"Cos honey that hour glass got me thinking/ You ain't no friend of mine"
"A huge disappointment" and "complete trash" are a couple of descriptions I've seen of Kimbra's sophomore album on ATRL. Honestly, I'd assume these only listened to the album, maybe once or twice because that's how I felt at first, too. The songs aren't immediate, with some being quite experimental and several lacking a strong hook. But there are so many unique and interesting ideas here, take 90s Music, which splices so many genres, it's pretty difficult to categorize it. It shouldn't work, but it does, which sums up my feelings of the album overall. Kimbra's influences are clear but she doesn't just mimic them, rather makes the sound her own. Even on As You Are, a simple piano ballad, Kimbra uses futuristic vocal effects, making for an interesting contrast.
The Golden Echo isn't an easy listen, but after time, it was certainly a rewarding one, for me.
The album was deceivingly accessible, with the first few tracks being the most instant. But as the album progresses it becomes more and more strange. Grid has nightmarish screams, while I'm a Mother is made up of inaudible whispers above an eerie, Felt Mountain-esque backdrop, and he rambles about burying 'meat for mama' on Longpig. I get the sense that the good sis is a few cookies short of a full jar, but that only makes the album more enjoyable.
Because the most jaw dropping (Your Love is Killing Me) and the most accesible (Taking Chances) songs are at the beginning, it was hard for me to get into this album at first. But over time, I appreciated the more subtle beauty of tracks like Break Me. This is such a melancholy album, as it's so personal, so it isn't an album I listen to regularly. But it is still a stunning album, full of beautiful, excellently written tracks. If you like depressing female singer-songwriter albums give it a go.