The Sprawl

“Doing comedy actually helped because I think the tools I learned through writing 30 Rock and writing plays and writing all that stuff really helped me construct the album. I knew this has to be at the beginning. Ludwig was making fun of me because we would finish a song and I’d go, “Okay, that’s track four.” I just knew where the songs went. I knew “Outside” was going to be the first song since we made it; I knew that “Power” was going to be the last. I just knew structure-wise how movies and books should work.”

- Donald Glover

Honestly, the quote says it all. “Outside” is one of my favorite songs of the year because it is purposefully structured to open an album in epic fashion, and fully achieves that purpose. Reminiscent of “Dark Fantasy,” the near-perfect intro to Kanye’s latest classic, “Outside” begins with a chanting choir, loud and proud. As the drums slam in, however, the choir violently switches up the melody - the heavenly “ohhhs” become darker, frantic wails as Gambino goes into some of his best, most personal lyrics. The song marks Camp as a serious album, created by a serious rapper - who just happens to be hysterical, too.

While I have selected my favorite ten albums of the year, it’s been emotionally difficult for me to rank them in order. So I’m going to give that some more time and thought. But I’ll still be ranking and blurb-ing my top 10 songs of the year, starting with “Rivers and Roads” by The Head And The Heart.

If you clicked play before reading that introductory paragraph, you would now be at the magical moment in the track when The Head And The Heart adds powerful group vocals, pounding drum kicks, and remarkably soulful piano chords; the piano somehow played in a way that manages to convey the same passion and emotion that a singer can.

And the song isn’t even close to finishing its magnificent build, full of endless rises and falls, soaring “ohhhs” and “ahhhhs,” and of course, rousing, climactic chants of “Rivers and Roads.”

It’s the most chill-inducing song on an album full of them. 

It’s been too long since my last tumble, so here I go. It’s pretty liberating once in a while to just sit down and write about music, even if it mostly is for my own enjoyment. So here are some tracks and artists I’ve been digging lately, and why.

We’ll start off with the track I’ve uploaded, Mates of State’s “Maracas,” a jubilant anthem from their forthcoming album Mountaintops. I didn’t really begin to love the married duo until their phenomenal 2008 record Re-Arrange Us, in which they started using far more instruments and orchestration than their previous work. “Maracas” is a step back to the band’s lo-fi roots, but it still works to great effect - it’s crazy fun, but also sung with true passion and emotion.

I’m also currently obsessed with: Watch the Throne. There’s not much more to say about an album that’s been analyzed, dissected, and talked about by every music critic, blogger and fan across the country except this: it’s awesome, it’s a grower, and it’s incredible that Jay-Z and Kanye took the time to make a great album, and not just a throw-away record to make some cash (see Lil’ Wayne’s I Am Not A Human Being).

There are two more albums I can’t stop listening to, one that’s being hailed by many as the album of the year, and another that is much buzzed and blogged about, but hasn’t even been granted a Pitchfork review yet!

The first is Bon Iver’s Bon Iver, Bon Iver. A slightly annoying album title does not take away from the brilliance of the beautiful 10 tracks. I love them all, from the slow-building, tender guitar chords of “Holocene” to the in-your-face, synthy, over-the-top cheesy 80’s rock homage that is “Beth/Rest.”

The second is the afro-pop and male/female harmonies of Givers, whose stunning debut album In Light is full of memorable choruses, instrumentation reminiscent of the Dirty Projectors and Vampire Weekend, and above all, pure, unadulterated summer joy. Check them out. 

Awesome new Death Cab single.

“When there’s a burning in your heart, an endless yearning in your heart, build it bigger than the sun, let it grow, let it grow. When there’s a burning in your heart, don’t be alarmed.”

Here’s the epic, catchy-as-hell new Stokes single that has been on replay for me since the day it came out. Casablancas’ voice is awesome on this, reaching incredible heights particularly in the song’s final seconds, and we’re treated to a rockin’ guitar solo from Albert Hammond, Jr. Better than anything else, this song employs, as NY Mag’s Vulture put it, “that wonderful trick where what you think is a decent chorus is just the lead-in to a great one.” And both of those choruses are stuck in my head right now. Enjoy.