#I fucking LOVE swan song all the songs on the album are so well crafted and dramatic and flow incredibly well together

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

Need to talk about Freed by The Plot In You before I explode everyone bear with me for a second.

First of all I will always die on the hill that is Landon Tewers because I am obsessed with his voice and his music and the fact that he’s the lead singer of TPIY absolutely fucking blew my mind. What a guy. Chefs kiss. The way he manages to blend a slightly shaky vocal quality with the ping-pulse intro of the song is so beautiful and he manages to get the intent of the song across with just the power of his voice, lyrics non necessary. The tremor and power of his vocals (especially when paired with the slow build of music) is so well done, especially when he manages to make it sound quiet at the same time. And the way he transitions to the mid fry scream for emphasis. Good GOD, it’s only emphasis on the end of two words, but it completely sells the tone. It blends sorrow and anger and is just SO well done.

The transition from fry to clean vocal is also just. Damn bro! He pulls off this powerful emphasis and then shifts back into soft and wavery and watery, which is only one of the first ways the song plays with depth and tone in beautiful ways.

After the first verse the chorus kicks in with a hint of fry in comparison to the pure clean vocals of before and again, it conveys this sense of desperation. He’s gone from mournful to upset, to angry, to a man who is (pardon the lyric reference) about to break. The sound amps up, gets a lot more solid, and crescendos into a drop that solidifies the rest of the song, especially when paired with the steady rumble of guitar.

The second repeat of the chorus is the same but also different; the sound is fuller, the guitar is more present, and the fry is kept solid through Tewers’s voice as he sings this mournful song about a man who has failed and who has been put on display for it and is so very clearly hurting. The blend between clean and scream is toed so beautifully, and then he makes it to the edge of the chorus, and refuses to throw the listener off of it. As compared to the first chorus, the building one, the second is louder and more blatant, but it is hollow, still empty, missing that last, final, crucial lyric. And it never gets added. It’s like musical edging in the most tonally consistent way, because you never get that final line, and the music fades off, back into the sound from the beginning. There’s no guitar, just the pulsing, techy sound.

Anyways, the first chorus is my favourite, because of how it takes the tone set in the verse, and takes it harder, takes it deeper, adds a whole lot of intensity that you wouldn’t have expected from the beginning of the song. The build up of it is incredible, especially with the fry, and the last three lyrics hit no different the second or third or twentieth listen through. The way Tewers screams break to end off the chorus resonates REALLY hard in my soul, especially with the pause between lyrics, the moment where you can hear him inhale-exhale before throwing his whole being into those four words. Anyways stream Swan Song by The Plot In You. Literally the Album of all time <3

[bisexualhobi]

wait I think I agree not today is really bad but now rank all their title tracks from best to worst pls

lmaoohdksjjdjf i love this question so much anon but due to the fact that i’m me this would get way WAY too long. so i’m doing the top 5 best title tracks and then top 5 worst ones okay? i’m looking at google and apparently they have 26 korean singles so yeah that’s too much.

to rank them as objectively as possible I'm gonna try to take into account gp impact (which is not the same as chart impact since the fandom inflates those numbers), production, creative value (how innovative/different from other pop songs was it?) and the concept of the music video/aesthetic in general. 

BTS TITLE TRACKS: TOP 5

5. Black Swan (2020)

am I cheating by putting here a pre release single? maybe. but it would be a disservice to leave this one out so bear with me

⭐gp impact: this song made more noise as a pre release single than the title track. I saw it in at least 3 end of the year editorials for best kpop songs of 2020. and the thing is it could have been WAY bigger but a lot of stuff happened that sadly made it go away too soon. I don't think this one is as famous or recognizable as the others in this list which is why it's going last, but also I think this song is the most underrated gem in bts discography so it's still going here.

⭐production: this song beat out the front runners (I need u, save me, DNA) solely because of its production. there are not a lot of kpop songs out there that manage to pull off what this song does. it's powerful, it's nostalgic, it's a dark and sexy song without being too on the nose. the mixing is SUPERB I remember the first time I heard it I thought "this would blow the fuck up if it was a Travis Scott song" and I will DIE on that hill. this is an example of heavy autotune on a song done right, not like the rest of their super autotuned songs that sometimes come out unrecognizable and empty sounding.

⭐creative value: it's not truly a new concept in pop to make a song about the Death of the Artist. it’s also not something a rookie group can do, this song needed to be released at exactly the time in bts’ career that it was. there’s just no emotional impact if you just sing about how the music makes your hear beat and you’ve been in the industry for,,, 3 years. this is the type of Swan Song you release at the peak of your career, so that really contributes to the message. mixing a trap beat with a ballet motif is GALAXY BRAIN SHIT.

⭐️concept: the ballet influence is just beautifully executed, this song is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship on all fronts. i think they could literally build an entire ALBUM off this concept, so the fact that they jampacked it onto one single song is both amazing and a little sad for me. i wanna hear more of this. i want a literal Black Swan (the darren aranofsky movie) horror concept where the protagonist falls prey to his own madness because he strives for perfection. but yeah, the song itself and the orchestral version just make this a complete golden concept in my book.

4. IDOL (2018).

⭐️gp impact: i think a lot of people that didn’t know anything about kpop vaguely knew about this song when it was released. i know i wasn’t into kpop at all but in my pop culture circle there was a small bleep from this song bc of the concept and the dance. i think it’s a great “embassador of kpop” track, like if you wanna explain to someone with no previous knowledge what kpop is about you can show them a performance of this song.

⭐️production: the production is a little all over the place for me. the instrumentals are amazing and really creative tho, but like in terms of mixing vocals and the structure of it, it might be a little too grating. it’s not the best produced song in ly: answer by any means but it still makes it work

⭐️creative value: the whole hanbok thing is a 10/10. bts weren’t the first ones to do it, but they did it in such a tightly executed way that honestly that “classic korean roots meets the edgy western feel” concept belongs to them now. groups are still recreating it. it’s a really innovative concept in general.

⭐️concept: the music video is,,,, something. you might love it or hate it, but it’s memorable. i think the purposeful way in which they made it as loud and brilliant as possible can be taken either as a camp adjacent or just as the group going nuts with the budget, which props to them. the choreography is also a BIG plus. the south african influence is really well executed and they made sure to do it as cultural appreciation and not appropriation. definitely the most memorable thing from this song is the choreo

3. Run (2015).

⭐️gp impact: this was their second song to have a music show win. it was the lead single from hyyh pt2 and honestly it might be the best song off hyyh as a whole. it cemented bts as not just another kpop group, because it made non fans turn their heads too! from what i gather this really propelled them forward and made the fanbase grow a lot.

⭐️production: hyyh pt2 is super well produced. i feel like this song in particular makes a fine job of mixing the vocals but it’s not outstanding. the best part is the instrumentals. but overall it’s a really good song with amazing lyrics and a great melody.

⭐️creative value: this built off of what they did with pt1 so they were already in a comfortable place, when they found this sound they really explored it well and deep and it works! i’m glad they went this emo pop route because it was a good contrast to what was dominating the charts in kpop in 2015.

⭐️concept: the aesthetic is PERFECT. there’s not a single other thing that i could add or that i wanted gone. it’s the perfect mix of coming of age teen film and heartfelt, dreamy pop. the music video is by no surprises the favorite mv of a lot of the fandom. the cinematography is beautiful and the song and the video perfectly capture that fleeting moment in life when you’re in the brink of adulthood.

2. Mic Drop (2017).

⭐️gp impact: this song was the first bts song to chart on the billboard hot100. back when the fandom had no idea how to chart, mass buy etc. that’s enough said. (personally i think mic drop is the quintessential bts song and their best release so the fact that i’m not putting it first should count as something).

⭐️production: for the purposes of this ranking i’m using the original mic drop and not the steve aoki remix even tho it was the steve remix that was released as the single. the song has the BEST mastering i’ve heard in kpop. the transitions are flawless, the beat is pure fire, the entire first minute is literally the hardest hype rap i’ve heard in kpop. everything about it WORKS.

⭐️creative value: it’s kinda funny how this song got released the same year as kendrick lamar’s humble, because imho it’s the best hiphop song of that year after humble. 2017 was truly the year of the diss tracks. bonus points for including it right after the billboard acceptance speech skit in ly: answer. SUPER refreshing among the ed sheeran type of pop that dominated that year.

⭐️concept: it’s a great concept but not innovative by any means. still, it works and bts managed to exploit it to the max. the choreo, the mv, the styling, everything was amazing!

1. Blood, Sweat & Tears (2016).

⭐️gp impact: it's probably the first song to put bts on the map beyond the kpop sphere. it really set the tone for their 2017. it's one of their most famous and recognizable songs to date.

⭐️production: this song is STUNNINGLY arranged. the mix, the ambience, the progression,,, it's all brought together to make a very well crafted song. it has a distinctive electronic/pop sound to it that still manages to set itself apart from the trend that was going at the time. black swan is probably the closet single they have to this in terms of production.

⭐️creative value: the song itself is very in compliance with the 2015/2016 trend of hype songs with edm influence, (ie. closer, shape of you, cheap thrills, let me love you, something just like this, etc.) but it still packs that punch that makes it sound fresh even for 2021.

⭐️concept: it wasn't the first song to sound like this in kpop ofc but it was the first truly sexy concept for bts. the aesthetic is innovative and very well thought out, the mv is amazing and the choreography too. i read somewhere that j-hope had a lot of input for this choreo so that's amazing. also blond taehyung is literally the best thing to come out of big hit.

WORST BTS TITLE TRACKS

ok so here we go with the worst ones! this is in ascending order as i prepare myself to pick the worst of them all, but please remember this isn’t meant to be mean spirited, i am simply applying the same criteria to their most underwhelming songs but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own merit! it’s just that out of 26 singles, SOME of them have got to come out at the bottom right?

5. Life Goes On (2020)

⭐gp impact: this song is not memorable with the general public, its #1 on the bb was the product of mass buying and even though it's a feel good song made to comfort fans in the times of pandemic it's still bland and boring. I think it had no music show appearances either, and as far as bts ballads go this is just bottom tier. it’s not that it’s terrible, it’s just very underwhelming 

⭐production: the autotune in this song is very poorly executed, it doesn't add to the song the way black swan does for example. it's just off putting and the melody is really forgettable. it's funny bc the chorus is directly pulled from the 2018 reggaeton super hit "La Canción" by J Balvin and Bad bunny lmaooo 💀 so I can't get that out of my head either. the structure is just fine and has nothing of substance 

⭐creative value: the song is attempts to be a heartfelt acoustic song but it really has nothing that sets it apart from other songs product of the pandemic like Justin and ariana's stuck with u. for a song in a self produced album it's the song with the least input from the group. the lyrics are good, but they're not as sincere or groundbreaking as for example Spring day. 

⭐concept: as a ballad ofc I'm not expecting it to have a grand choreography, and the mv being filmed in their personal dorms to reflect the lockdown is actually a nice touch but besides that there is nothing exciting, innovative or even sincerely comforting about the song and the concept. the greatest thing abt it is the fact that jk directed the video, which is actually pretty good.

4. We are bulletproof pt 2 (2013)

⭐gp impact: this song made no noise back in the day and to this day its just beloved by the fandom due to a sense of nostalgia and "remembering bts' roots". don't get me wrong it's amazing that bts still perform it in the year of our lord 2020 because you can't forget where you came from, but it's not a good or memorable song by any means. 

⭐production: I went back to listen to it for this and oh god. I can't remember the mixing being THIS bad. jimin, jin and taehyung sound exceptionally bad, they don't sound like themselves especially jin. it's just a really poorly mastered song, but then again the rest of their debut album isn't far better. 

⭐creative value: this is straight up ripping off early 2000s black culture from the US. not only the music, the styling for this era in general is unfortunately really bad and culturally appropriating and overall it's a mess. 

⭐concept: there is nothing of substance to be said about this song. it's just really a miss. the mv is terrible, the only thing that can be salvaged from this is the choreography, but besides that the whole thing feels sloppy, rushed and is also kinda cringey.

3. N.O. (2013)

⭐gp impact: no noise. this song was just a really weird pick for their first comeback when attack on bangtan or coffee was right there. not to be mean but no wonder they didn't have a music win this year. 

⭐production: it's an objectively bad song. it's just really underwhelming, the whole mixing feels amateur. it's not a good hiphop song and it's not a good vocal arrangement and the chorus is also a rip off of a late 90s American song I can't find right now 

⭐creative value: this song isn't innovative in any way, it's just..... there. very meh in general, I have nothing more to say about it 

⭐concept: the storyline kinda wants to go somewhere with the music video but it doesn't manage to make a connection. the styling is plain, simple and not flattering at all. it tries to make a protest of the Korean school system but it doesn't say anything beyond "school bad" which we already knew

2. Not Today (2017)

⭐gp impact: its a very middle of the list song for a lot of the fandom. I literally know of no one that claims this as their favorite mv/era/song. when you ask people about their least favorite bts songs they won't mention this one either, you know why? because it's that irrelevant. it had no music show wins either. it's precisely because of this why I put it so high up on the list. there's nothing worse than an unmemorable song, if it was widely hated then at least that would be a response. 

⭐production: it's a really mediocre song in terms of structure and melody. it tried to be hype but it falls short. the chorus feels half finished and the message of the song is just “the revolution has begun”? which okay? but it adds nothing to the You never walk alone album either.

⭐creative value: there is nothing exciting about this song, and the chorus is too grating. the rhythm is repetitive and nothing new either in kpop or pop in general. 

⭐concept: sadly there's not a lot to be said for the song. it says nothing of value and what it says falls flat. there's no innovation. you can actually see a lot of idol in this song, and also ON. those two songs are what this one tried to be but failed.

1. War of Hormone (2014)

⭐gp impact: thankfully none. this song got the treatment it deserved, if they had won a music show for this one it would feel tainted lol. now it's just a meme in the fandom but overall it made zero noise and contributed nothing to bts' evolution 

⭐production: the production is very lazy, which is odd because dark & wild has some pretty tight tracks. but this one is just meh, nothing outstanding and the melody is just annoying 

⭐creative value: this is a song that was probably born out of the desperation to have a gp friendly hit. it tries really hard to replicate an outdated idea of what boy bands should be, and it does it badly. simply put this song is very mediocre and misogynistic and the fact that it's a running gag in the fandom that "feminism isn't important when war of hormone comes on" isn't funny and it's actually cringe. please stop 

⭐concept: the styling is so ugly :( the mv is very low budget which isn't surprising but they managed to make more with less in past releases. it's just embarrassing and I wish this song didn't exist, there's a reason why they never play it anymore lol. overall a dark mistake in bts' career

[randomvarious]

Moby - “Bodyrock” Crossing All Over! Volume 10 1999 Big Beat

You all know who Moby is. He’s one of the most successful, talented, and eclectic electronic music producers of his generation. He’s the American who made big beat and sample-laden dance tracks achieve popularity in the US at the turn of the century. He’s an electronic music chameleon; he’s techno, he’s downtempo, he’s big beat, he’s ambient, and he’s even punk and alternative rock. He’s had a long, storied career, with plenty of hits and questionable decisions that have resulted in some really high highs and equally really low lows. 

By the time Moby released his fifth album, Play, which ended up becoming considered by many critics to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded in the history of music, he thought it was his final album. Just four years prior, he had released the critically acclaimed Everything Is Wrong, which Spin named its album of the year. He ended up selling a respectable 250,000 copies of the record worldwide, but for the amount of praise it received, and for being on a major label (Elektra), it was a mediocre showing. From jump, that appeared to be Moby’s curse, as it was for most electronic talents: good music, but bad sales; a niche market conquered, but little else beyond that.

Whatever likability Moby had accrued since the UK success of his 1991 techno track, “Go,” which sampled music from Twin Peaks, nearly disintegrated into thin air with the release of his fourth album, 1996′s Animal Rights, which saw him ditching dance music for a blend of alternative rock, hardcore punk, and ambient music. Fans and critics both hated this turn and washed their hands of him almost entirely. It appeared that everyone was just about done with Moby, and that Moby was just about done with himself. Animal Rights turned out to be an album that brought him within an inch of career suicide.

But by 1999, he had decided to go back to dance and electronic music and the result was Play. However, no one seemed to want to give Play any play at all. Moby shopped it to a number of big record labels, but at that point he was regarded as a has-been; a guy who’d run out of good fortune because of his uncompromising strong will and his insufferable need to be an artist. But Richard Branson’s V2 label, which was only three years old at the time, decided to take a chance on it.

From a quote in Rolling Stone:

First show that I did on the tour for Play was in the basement of the Virgin Megastore in Union Square. Literally playing music while people were waiting in line buying CDs. Maybe forty people came.

Most of the critics adored Play and saw it as a work of contemporary creative genius; a real mover-of-the-sticks kind of album. No one, at least no American, had ever made an album quite like it before. It was uptempo, it was downtempo, it had blues samples, it had breakbeats, it was more than danceable, and it was also quite emotional and vulnerable. It was an amalgamation of a lot of different things, and it was a beautiful representative mess of the post-modern, recently-formed digital age, which, at the time, appeared to be bringing the world closer together than it had ever been before, at least from a cultural standpoint. It was music that had a little something for just about everyone. But that was what initially appeared to have ben its fatal flaw, too. See, Play didn’t fit into any pre-defined, carefully crafted, easily marketable categories; It wasn’t rock, it wasn’t pop, it wasn’t hip hop, and it wasn’t R&B. So radio and MTV passed on every song. The album certainly had no home in America, and it didn’t sell all that well in the UK either. 

So Moby decided to sell the album out, literally. He licensed every single song off of Play for commercials, TV, movies, and video games, which were all industries that were more receptive to the varied sounds of the album. People would be exposed to Play through other indirect and less conventional means. And with every track licensed and songs appearing in nearly every medium that had audio, except for radio and MTV, Play, almost a year after its release, started to finally gain some commercial traction.

Here’s an illuminating Moby quote from that same Rolling Stone article:

Almost a year after it came out in 2000 I was opening up for Bush on an MTV Campus Invasion Tour. It was degrading for the most part. Their audience had less than no interest in me. February in 2000, I was in Minnesota, I was depressed and my manager called me to tell me that Play was number one in the UK, and had beat out Santana's Supernatural. I was like, :But the record came out 10 months ago.” That's when I knew, all of a sudden, that things were different. Then it was number one in France, in Australia, in Germany—it just kept piling on. [...] The week Play was released, it sold, worldwide around 6,000 copies. Eleven months after Play was released, it was selling 150,000 copies a week. I was on tour constantly, drunk pretty much the entire time and it was just a blur. And then all of a sudden movie stars started coming to my concerts and I started getting invited to fancy parties and suddenly the journalists who wouldn't return my publicist's calls were talking about doing cover stories. It was a really odd phenomenon.

Play only peaked at #38 on the Billboard 200, but it sold two million copies in the States alone. It was on charts across the world for several fucking years. And it finally brought dance music to the American mainstream.

There were two songs that almost didn’t make it onto Play though: “Porcelain,” which Moby hated, and “Bodyrock,” which Moby’s two managers hated. His managers complained that “Bodyrock” was a total ripoff of Fatboy Slim, which...fair..., and that it was tacky. But Moby wanted to keep it on there. He had sampled a classic hip hop song by Spoonie Gee and the Treacherous Three for it called “Love Rap,” which held sentimental value for him, and is the only vocal sample on the song (”Non-stop y’all, to the beat y’all, the body rock y’all...”). 

At the top of this post, I called Moby an electronic music chameleon, and “Bodyrock” is the song that saw him almost seamlessly morphing into a god of the big beat sound, somehow briefly placing himself among the ranks of The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and of course, the aforementioned Fatboy Slim. And he managed to do it with just one fucking song. For “Bodyrock,” Moby basically took all the things that got those three big beat acts constantly lumped into the same category, as well as all the things that made them stand apart from each other, and then he mortared-and-pestled it all to death, reducing it all into a fine powder that he could re-arrange and re-apply into his own stunning creation.

“Bodyrock” is a song that’s layered wonderfully and fuses sounds from many different instruments and genres to make something that’s intense as hell, especially for a mainstream audience, but still highly enjoyable. It’s a perfect fusion of rock, hip hop, and dance music, all packaged together into one, solidly cranking song. 

Moby starts with the drum-and-vocal sample from Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three and then adds two layers of guitars, one with an acidified, throttling, crunchy funkiness, a la Fatboy Slim, that’s inspired by Gang of Four’s 1981 track, “What We All Want,” and one with a thin and whining kind of wah that’s also a bit funky, and which later on becomes an integral part of the chorus. Then Moby infuses the track with some hardness, with heavy drums and bass, as well as hand-claps. Rapper Nikki D, who released an album on Def Jam in 1991, then proceeds to appear out of nowhere for the chorus, pretty clearly trying to sound like MC Lyte’s nearly-forgotten 1996 jam, “Cold Rock a Party”. And along with Ms. D comes the most important piece of the recipe, the bow and ribbon that ties the whole song together, the streaming and high-pitched cinematic strings, which replace the Gang of Four-styled guitar, and are underlaid with a rumbling, motoring, thick bassline that also plays along to the string melody itself. 

Two unique and brief pieces then come later on, one that sounds like a combination of clean and dirty aquatics, with a brief, pleasant keyboard melody that sounds submerged in water, but still near the surface, and a swampy and swishy, mud-in-your-galoshes type of rhythm beneath it. Then, before the song’s final push, the other brief piece appears, which sounds like those frequencies you might hear from a hearing test machine, laced with Nikki D’s vocals, the drum break from Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three, and some bounding bass.

To close out the masterpiece, Moby lets the chorus ride, and then adds the “Love Rap” vocal back in. You’d think playing two vocals concurrently would clash and make the song unlistenable at that point, but somehow, they don’t. They happen to work really well, and when played together along with everything else, they yield the most intense and enjoyable part of the song.  

Play ended up having a total of twelve music videos and a quarter of them were for “Bodyrock”. The first two have a similar theme of British guys, all of whom except for one are white, dancing terribly, but also passionately:

The second one features a car explosion at the end!:

And the third one, which has a Run-D.M.C. cameo (!), shows Moby donning special sunglasses that allow him to see talented dancers everywhere:

Even almost a year after Play was released, it appeared that it was going to be Moby’s swan song and the death of his career. But the decision to license changed all of that, and if ever there was some kind of universal music award for “comeback artist of the year,” Moby would have absolutely won that thing. But in the immortal words of LL Cool J, “don’t call it a comeback,” because while the original best hope for Play was to return to the similar sales and critical appeal of Everything Is Wrong, it managed to far exceed that wishful and shortsighted forecast. Moby was comeback artist of the year and damn near MVP also. It was a wild, totally unexpected, and fantastic turn of events for his career and wellbeing. He almost stopped making music, but now he can’t stop making music. He released an album just this year.

I wholeheartedly agree with the critics who list Play as one of the greatest albums ever made. Not only is it fucking tremendous on its own, but It marked a much-needed turning point for Moby’s career, which undoubtedly kept him going, and still keeps him going today. And one of the many amazing songs on that album that makes Play what it is, is that consummate, brief bit of big beat greatness, that banger of a cut that almost didn’t make it onto the album, the one and only “Bodyrock”; a song that still manages to bop as hard as it did when it originally came out 20-plus years ago.

[twilightfansofcolor]

Daisies (Black and Quileute reader)

Based on the Katy Perry song

2006

Ever since you were a child, you had dreams of singing on stage, performing was in your blood and you grew up around music. Your mother was the first black prima ballerina in the Paris Opera Ballet while your dad was the first male indigenous opera singer in Paris, so you grew up watching your parents perform, and it wasn’t shocking that you wanted to follow in their footsteps. Your family was very supportive, and they signed you up for lessons; your mother signed you up for ballet lessons as soon as you started walking and you took to it like a fish to water while your dad signed you up for singing lessons. With each and every lesson you succeeded, and it wasn’t until middle school that you began writing your own songs and playing guitar and piano. You were so talented, and all of your teachers and classmates were sure you were going to be the one to make it out of La Push and be a famous singer.

Everyone thought that, except for your pack. 

Told them your dreams and they all started laughing

Guess you’re out of your mind till it actually happens

I’m the small town

One in seven billion

Why can’t it be me?

“Look Y/N, you’re very talented, but what are the odds of you actually making it? What happens if you don’t?” You had the third watch with Paul as you were tracking the redheaded leech that was after Bella Swan, and after three hours, you had yet to see her though you came close the night before. “Why can’t it be me? Success isn’t an overnight thing, it takes time. And anyway, this gives me more time to perfect my craft.” You had been dancing with the Pacific Northwest Ballet since middle school, and you had auditioned for the New York City Ballet before you turned into a wolf some months ago, but you didn’t get in and he knew that. Damn pack mind collective.

“You already got rejected by New York, and there aren’t any music producers near. All I’m saying is, just have a game plan ready in case things go south.” You knew he meant well, and you do in fact have an alternative, but it’s the fact Paul didn’t believe in you, none of them do except for Leah and Seth, and you swore that if you did end up making it big, you’d take them with you and live in a giant house in Bel Air or Beverly Hills or any glamorous place you could think of.

They told me I was out there

Tried to knock me down

Took those sticks and stones

Showed em I could build a house

They tell me that I’m crazy

But I’ll never let em change me

Till they cover me in daisies

Daisies, daisies

Two days later and you’re hanging out with Leah in Port Angeles at an ice cream shop after seeing the newest Johnny Depp movie. “You know what Y/N? Screw em. Screw all of them. You’re so fucking talented, and the whole town knows that. Who the fuck cares what Paul says? After we catch that redhead, let’s stop phasing.” Yeah, you’re definitely taking Leah with you if you make it. The two of you finish your ice cream cones before driving back to your house to listen to your finished song that you completed a few days ago.

“Oh my god, Y/N, this is amazing, what the actual fuck?” Leah was always your biggest hypewoman, whether it was helping pick out an outfit, setting you up with a guy or when you showed her a new song you were working on. “Glad you think so. What if I am being crazy? Seriously Leah, what are the odds of me landing some record deal or dancing in New York or Paris or London or wherever?” She stuck her head out of your closet, her hands on a floral tube top. “Y/N you can’t be serious. You’re going to listen to Paul, of all people?”

“Well… what if he’s right? What if it never happens, and then I’m the laughing stock of all of La Push?” “Don’t listen to him, Y/N, your time will come, and when you’re accepting Grammys, Paul will just be on his couch. Please, don’t listen to him, just keep working at it.” And that’s exactly what you did. After the redhead was gone, you and Leah packed up and moved into an apartment in Seattle; you and Leah had just started University of Washington and Leah was studying marine biology while you were studying accounting, with a minor in dance.

You were still with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and that’s where it happened. You had just landed the lead as Clara in The Nutcracker, the first black woman in the company’s history, and after the first show of the holiday season, a woman from the Paris Opera Ballet and told you about an opening, in case you were interested, and one thing led to another, and within two weeks, you and Leah were in (somewhat) crappy apartment in Paris but you didn’t mind. You were in Paris of all places with your best friend, and while your French was rusty, the streets crowded, you loved every minute of it.

They told me I was out there

Tried to knock me down

Took those sticks and stones 

Showed em I could build a house 

They tell me that I’m crazy

But I’ll never let em change me

Till they cover me in daisies

Daisies, daisies

2010

“And the Grammy for Song of the Year goes to…” You are actually sitting in the front row at the Grammys, as a first time nominee after years of working your ass off. After a three year stint at the Paris Opera Ballet, you decided that it was time to move on and begin your music career, and you performed original music in cafes around Paris before signing to a record label and immediately began working on your album which came out last year to great reviews. Now you were actually nominated for three Grammys: Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Song of the Year. You won the Best New Artist category but lost BPVA, and now you were clutching Leah’s hand as you anticipated the winner for Song of the Year.

And speaking of Leah, she became a model, walking the runways for some of the biggest fashion designers in the world and gracing magazines like Vogue, Elle, GQ, and British Vogue. “Y/N L/N, Daisies!” A Jonas Brother helped you up the steps and Lionel Richie handed you your trophy. You could see Leah with her phone as she snapped pictures of what was sure to be a big smile on your face. “Wow, I really don’t know what to say. This is… insane. I never thought I would be here. First, I want to say thank you to my parents for encouraging me, for inspiring me, and to my best friend Leah, I’m so grateful to call you my best friend, my soul sister. Thank you for never giving up on me when even I felt giving up on myself, and I’m so glad we’re on this journey together.”

The music played as you walked off the stage. You did it. Against all odds, you, a biracial kid from a reservation in the pacific northwest actually made it in the ever changing music industry.

They said I’m going nowhere

Tried to count me out

Took those sticks and stones

Showed em I could build a house

They tell me that I’m crazy

But I’ll never let em change me

Till they cover me in daisies

Daisies, daisies 

[butiki]

“hey nah, what have you been listening to recently?” well i am so glad you asked, here is a 3x3 sampler, descriptions under the cut:

Paddy McAloon - I Trawl The Megahertz  “repeat after me: happiness is only a habit. i am listening to the face in the mirror, but i don’t think i believe what she is telling me. her words are modern, but her eyes have been weeping in gardens and grottoes since the middle ages.” this album stands out largely due to its 22 minute self-titled opener, which consists of beautiful instrumentals and a spoken-word piece, said by a woman reminiscing about her life in snapshots. the rest of the album is good too, but nothing beats the opener. nothing can beat the opener. i think paddy mcaloon knew that, because everything else fits the mood to the song. there is nothing else it can do.

Paul de Jong - IF ”i am... old. you are... he is... she is... small.” paul de jong, one half of the brilliant band called the books, still carries on in his project of plunderphonic creations. and what he creates solo is just as incredible as what he created when the books were alive. from sampling auctioneer babble to audio english language lessons, it is incredible how well he can speak through the words of others. the latter portion of the song debt free, with a woman’s breathless exclamation of “wow...” really hits you with awe as well.

Ryusuke Seto - Miroku some things cannot be well described by words. this folk album is air itself. a single misplacement could shatter it all in a moment, but it does not shatter. i fear to hype it up in case i bring it crashing down, but this is an album i feel must be listened to.

Anvil Salute - All The Animals of the Forest off all of these, i think this is the one i have the least to say about. its just really really goddamn good folk music. im a sucker for traditional folk and this fucker just absorbed me.

The Field Mice - Snowball “this love is as good as any other, as good as any other. this love is not wrong.” first of all, “this love is not wrong” is a gay anthem. snowball is a great pop album. what pop was meant to be. simple songs, simple lyrics. easily applicable and saccharine. the field mice are doing lyric poetry proud. this ones for you sappho, horace.

Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun i fucking Adore this album this is such a great experience of an album. it’s like boredoms sat down and was like “lets create some weird shit, but Good.” the rhythms are impeccable the whole goddamn way through. i love the chanting of vision! creation! newsun! that hypes me up in the opening and i love their experimentation into other styles. whenever i put it on i know i will be entertained the whole way through. 

Akron/Family & Angels of Light - Akron/Family & Angels of Light “the idea that you were the same when it started as when it is through is the reason that old friends have problems with new thoughts and the new clothes that you bought for them to see you wear.” akron/family is a relatively big name in the freak folk genre, which i suppose doesn’t say much but still. they make some goddamn good music. i find the portion of this album that was led by angels of light (a side-project by michael gira of swans) was lacking, especially compared to the album how i loved you, but akron/family are on top of their fucking game here. easily some of the best writing they’ve done. moment is my favorite song by them, and that’s a really hard thing to say, especially since future myth and dylan pt. 2 are also so goddamn clean. this album should’ve stopped after raising the sparks and then it would’ve been a perfect album :///

Daisuke Tobari - Guitar out of his 3 albums he released, this is the one i like the most. 22 untitled songs recorded with some real shitty devices. just him and his instruments. some songs are fantastic ballads, other songs are incredibly experimental. this album, like all good albums, is meant to be experienced in full. i really like the 7th song most of all, personally. listen to deep-voiced man serenade you through water.

Sir Richard Bishop - Knucklehead Freefall sir richard bishop’s love of mixing middle-eastern music with post rock persists with this record, and his craft is always being further refined. really great rhythms, really great guitar.

[purplesurveys]

1258

Hahahahahaha omg this survey showed up at the right time for me lmao

BTS Survey

survey by kezzievanescence

Who's your favourite member? I love everyone equally and I don’t make it a point to compare the members with one another. That said, the closest way I could answer this question, I guess, is stating my bias - which is V, or Taehyung.

Who's your second favourite member? Like I said, I appreciate all members equally and there’s really no existing internalized feelings of liking someone more than the others. But following what typically comes after one’s bias, my bias wrecker would be Yoongi. Sometimes it’s Jimin, hahaha. It changes.

Who's your least favourite member? :/

What's your favourite song by them? The top 3 I always share are Butterfly, Sea, and Dionysus. I can’t pick an ultimate favorite beyond these.

What's your least favourite song by them? I would honestly skip over Haruman. DNA too.

Who do you think is the most handsome? All of them have their own unique charms, but when it comes to the member who comes closest to my ideal type, it would be Taehyung.

Who do you think is the cutest? Jiminnnnnn for sure. He’s good at that.

Who do you think is the funniest? I think Jin in general is fucking hilarious and can blend well with all types of humor; but Jungkook is funny too, in a very Gen Z way that I can relate to.

Who do you think has the best personality? I can’t possibly choose; they all have something unique about them which I really like and appreciate. Though to somehow touch on the question, the member who most likely has a personality closest to mine would be...Yoongi, maybe? I’d love to have a drink with him and pick at his brain for hours.

Who do you think is the most stylish? Hobi. Without a doubt. Jimin dresses nicely too, but I think Hobi would ultimately have to take the cake on this one.

Who do you think is the best singer? :///// I’m not liking how this survey is forcing me to rank the members lmaooo. ANYWAYYYY, each person on the vocal line is talented in their own way, so it wouldn’t make sense to pick a ‘best’ singer when all of them have their own strengths. Hell even the rapline has given it their shot at singing more frequently these days and they’ve all been great, too.

Who do you think is the worst singer? Byeeeeeeee

Who do you think is the best dancer? Objectively, Hobi or Jimin.

Who do you think is the worst dancer? Nobody is terrible. Everyone’s practice and hard work always pays off and I see that in every performance.

Who do you think is the smartest? I know Namjoon objectively the most intelligent out of all them. His IQ is crazy high.

When did you starting listening to BTS? Spotify recently informed me I listened to them for the first time as early as December 2020, which I can hardly believe and much more harder to recall. I didn’t start looking them up forreals until around late March, when I listened to BE.

Do you have any BTS merchandise? Yeah, lots of them in such a short span of time lmao. I still have several ones on the way here from Korea, as well.

Do you have any BTS CDs? Yup, I currently have 2 Cool 4 Skool, O!RUL8,2?, Skool Luv Affair, Dark & Wild, and the Butter Set. I also have the deluxe version of BE on the way to the country lmao. I’ve stopped buying albums for now since I realized the shipping fees would be a big bitch if I buy them one by one, so I’m currently saving up until I have enough to buy their discography in a bulk order instead.

What is your favourite music video by them? I have a soft spot for I Need U because I loooove the acting chops that the boys showcased. BST is a no-brainer, too.

What is your least favourite music video by them? Only because I’m not a super big fan of the song’s sound, DNA.

Do you prefer any of the Japanese versions to the Korean? The Japanese versions of their Korean songs have always sounded just a tad bit off to me, so no. Their Japanese songs though – as in songs that were penned in Japanese to begin with – are just on a different fucking level. Film Out, Crystal Snow, and Your Eyes Tell are my absolute favorites.

Who do you think is the most overrated member? No one.

Who do you think is the most underrated member? I’m not so sure...maybe Jin? So many continue to underestimate him to this day and there remains to be a lot of unnecessary criticism. He’s gone a really long way and has always been dedicated to his craft, and I wish more people would respect that.

Who do you think is the smartest member? Answered this already.

If you could meet 1 member who would it be and why? Running into any of the seven would be the most wildest dream to ever come true, but I wouldn’t even think of bothering them should that happen.

What is your favourite BTS dance? IDOLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Black Swan and On are both a lot of fun to watch too.

Do you like Cypher? Yessss. I love all of them but Pts 3 and 4 would have to be my favorites.

Who do you think is the craziest? Jungkook, in a totally endearing way. 

Who is your bias wrecker? Yoongi.

[more--than--music]

Albums Of The Decade

Once again, I’m limiting myself to just one sentence about each of these. I have picked 25 albums that I feel were the best of the past decade; I have limited myself to one per artist, and I haven’t ranked them. They appear here in alphabetical order by artist name.

The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

An album for the times if there ever were one, the 1975 here plumb the depths of the millennial consciousness, with awe-inspiring ambition; one can’t help but feel that the 2020s will see them ascend to the stratosphere.

Against All Logic – 2012-2017

What could easily be dismissed as a side-project from Nicholas Jaar, electronic wunderkind and avant-garde darling, 2012-2017 is a gorgeous exploration of house as a genre, replete with flickering samples and breakbeats; you only need listen once, and these tracks will capture you immediately.

Alt-J – This Is All Yours

Each of the 3 albums released by Alt-J this decade could have been here, but I’ve chosen their understated sophomore effort which, despite its ostensible subtleties compared with the rest of their catalogue, is unparalled for moments of sheer beauty; listen to ‘Pusher’ for a perfect example of this kind of subtle beauty.

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Although perhaps best known for the emotive rock grandeur of Funeral, for me The Suburbs is Win Butler & co. at their narrative height; essentially a concept album, it ties together so many themes of coming of age, Americana, and what it is to be teenage, that it transcends genre; put simply, it makes me nostalgic for a past I never had.

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Arctic Monkeys had many directions facing them after the worldbeating rock of 2013’s AM; they chose the path less travelled, in the form of sumptuous lounge rock, and found themselves in possession of the most interesting effort in an already distinguished career, and in Alex Turner, a frontman of prodigial talent.

Blood Orange – Negro Swan

Dev Hynes is one of those artists who exists on a different, rarefied creative plane to their contemporaries; Negro Swan demonstrates this with 49 minutes of astoundingly accomplished R&B, interlocked with a narrative addressing race, gender, sexuality and so much more with an admirably light touch.

Drake – Nothing Was The Same

Many may be surprised to see Drake in the company of others on this list, but although I think he has lost his way for several years now, his earlier output is quite masterful in its blend of pop and R&B; I believe Nothing Was The Same is this at its finest, with genuinely masterful production, delivery and direction- ‘Tuscan Leather’ alone is a statement of intent that belied the stratospheric bearing his career was to take.

Father John Misty – Pure Comedy

I’ve been a fan of Father John Misty for a number of years, but Pure Comedy was my introduction to the singer-songwriter, and I was lost for words; the frankly cosmic scale of his ambitions, elevating the inspection of the minutiae of romance he had undergone for 2015’s I Love You Honeybear to examining the entirety of human existence- many other artists would falter, Tillman rises to the task.

Frank Ocean – Blonde

A genuine innovator, an artist of almost no comparison, Frank Ocean released two albums this decade that could beat out most of the competition on this list without breaking a sweat; however, 2016’s Blonde is a truly remarkable feat, an album I could write essays upon essays about, but we don’t have the time, so I will simply say that if you haven’t heard it, what on Earth are you doing, listen!

IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance

I can’t quite believe I only discovered IDLES last year, their presence in my life seems like it’s been for decades; a more vital album than Joy you won’t find, bursting with love, loss and beautiful, beautiful rage.

Kanye West – Yeezus

It really wouldn’t be a complete list without at least some Kanye on here; the man revolutionised hip-hop time and again over the course of the decade, and although for many My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is his opus, nothing hits me quite as much as this abrasive LP does, he really rewrote the book here.

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

It feels cruel to limit myself to just one Lamar project, but limit I must; little needs to be said about this album, other than that, for me, it is the absolute peak of hip-hop as a genre thus far, and Kendrick does it better than anyone.

King Krule – The OOZ

Patron saint of cooler-than-thou art kids everywhere, Krule crafts a grimy, grey world here, that nonetheless is populated by brief moments of aching beauty (a notable favourite for me is the slow collapse of Slush Puppy); Archy Marshall does that most captivating thing, creating an album that feels like a world unto itself, quite unlike anything else around.

Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Up until this past summer, a Lana album would’ve made this list, but it would’ve been Ultraviolence, or perhaps Honeymoon; NFR! blew any of her past work clean out of the water with understated ease, a supreme album from a songwriter in her prime.

Leonard Cohen – Thanks For The Dance

It comes as no surprise that Cohen, and this album in particular, should make this list; the man was a master of his craft, and the idea of an album finished after his death by his son, with the help of some of the best musicians working today, was irresistible- and, thank god, it was a beautiful, beautiful record.

Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog

Mac has been a favourite of mine for the best part of the decade, but I can’t help but feel that This Old Dog is him operating at his creative peak- mature, airy songwriting, with real emotional heft.

Metronomy – The English Riviera

Put together a frankly immaculate album of pristine synths and guitar leads, centred on a tranquil concept of the British seaside, all held together by Joe Mount’s Midas touch for pop, and you have on your hands an instant classic.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

For many, Ghosteen is the best album of the trio of Nick’s most recent output, but I find Skeleton Tree, in its barren landscape of harsh electronica and shocking grief, the most fascinating project he’s embarked on this decade.

Parquet Courts – Human Performance

An album of some of the most cerebral art-rock around, it reminds me why I fell in love with guitar music to begin with; smart, funny and often moving tracks with real guitar chops and lyrical chutzpah, there’s an overriding feeling that this could be some dusty old 12” found in a record shop, and it’s remarkable to think that it was recorded post-1980 (and that’s a compliment!)

Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps

A supremely melancholy record from a singer-songwriter who is spiritual successor to the likes of Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley, Bridgers delivers a set of songs that will make you weep, laugh, and weep again, even without knowledge of the infuriating tale of abuse of power that surrounds this album- an essential listen.

Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork

Josh Homme and co. are a band that know their sound, and choose here to refine it and refine it until ‘Desert Rock’ feels like a far too meagre label for the pristine sonics here; the guitars roar when necessary, pianos make an appearance, and Homme remains the platonic ideal of the rock frontman, all too-cool lyrics and Californian drawl, holding the whole affair together with barely a sweat, just masterful.

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead are getting on a bit, but 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool shows that not only do they still have it (as if anyone was ever in doubt), but they have no issue continuing to explore new depths, seeming to approach their music from yet another angle again; the record is coloured by grief, age and modernity, and yet has moments of flooring beauty (all of Daydreaming, the seemingly underwater piano on Glass Eyes, ridiculously pretty guitar on Present Tense), they’re truly aging well indeed.

Tame Impala – Currents

A slice of psychedelia from one of Australia’s most popular exports, Currents is an album from a man who has already proved himself adept at recreating the sounds of other bands, and now turns his gaze toward creating an entirely new sonic palette- the album feels cohesive, and whole, and a statement of intent from one of the brightest talents in alt-rock working today; but also, in a very real way, it has Let It Happen on it, and so immediately earns its spot on this list.

Thom Yorke – ANIMA

Thom Yorke has already earnt his place in the pantheon of alternative with his work with Radiohead, but it’s been delightful this decade to see him flex his creative muscles a little more with his solo work, exploring avenues slightly less suited to the group, and boy, has he explored, with film soundtracks, collaborations, films; but ultimately, ANIMA feels his most accomplished work, and contains some really workable electronica, and incredibly subtle songwriting too- just listen to Dawn Chorus, it’s beautiful.\

Tyler, The Creator – IGOR

Our last entry, Tyler Okonma has also had quite the decade, going from outsider oddball, through provocateur and now all the way to the vanguard of pop culture, pulling together influences unlike anyone else, and really maturing his sound with his most recent works; IGOR is a prime example of this, with a wholly unique sound, and incredibly introspective and personal songwriting, it tops Tyler’s catalogue for me.

Well, that’s it for the decade then. It’s been a very good one indeed for music, and thank god I didn’t make myself rank these, I wouldn’t have known where to start. Here’s to the 2020s bringing more, as ever, thanks for reading.

[swan-archive]

Okay so I said I wasn’t gonna do this but I have been REINVORGATED and REJUCINATED by the Oak boot of “Dust and Ashes” so here you go, more rambling than you require about the cast recordings of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Sorry, y’all.

Blease to keep in mind that these are all just, like, my opinions, man.

First off: not to be all I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN WE ARE NOT ABOUT HAMILTON? but I really do wonder how many of my issues with Comet’s obcr can be traced back to Hamilton’s cast recording...

So, as we all know, Lin took pains to make Hamilton’s cast album sound as much like a hip-hop record as he could. This is there in the way the songs are composed and performed, and it’s very much there in the production—Questlove and Black Thought were co-producers on the album, along with Lin, Lac, and Bill Sherman.

Now, when I think of big-name modern rap and hip-hop records, I think high production value. At their best, you should be getting an incredibly well-crafted, slick, cohesive sound, vocals married to instrumentation and beats in a way that just works whether you’re listening track-by-track or to the whole album start to finish. And, most importantly, the work that goes into achieving that sound shouldn’t be audible. You should be able to listen to something like Lemonade or Coloring Book or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy without getting tangled up in “oh, interesting eq going on there” or “what’s going on with that delay?” at first pass. Just let it be about the music.

This worked for Hamilton. It doesn’t work so well for Comet.

And, I mean, they tried. They worked very hard to polish things up, to make a Studio Album that stands by itself, bless ‘em, but honestly, I just wish they’d let the music speak for itself a bit more, just let it be a recording of a very good Broadway show. Because on Comet, that sort of tight-ship production value just reads as...overproduced. And it makes it a less enjoyable listening experience.

Now, music producers wear a hell of a lot of hats, so “overproduced” can mean a lot of different things. With this album, it takes the form of stuff sounding TOO clean, overpolished to the point of sounding artificial, and artificial is not a thing you want in a vocal sound in a genre based around showcasing, well, vocals. It’s mostly little things that I noticed, not anything that would ruin an album, but just things that might turn your head and make you go, “huh, that didn’t sound quite right.”

For example, I noticed a different treatment on certain phrase deliveries, exemplified by Grace McLean’s bit from “In My House” where she sings “Why didn’t he come to the house? / Why didn’t he openly ask for your hand?” as well as Amber Gray’s “Charmante, charmante” from (obviously) “Charming.” Both of these phrases end with a little descent that, on the ocr, sounds more like an interpretive/ornamental bit than anything; a sort of natural falling-off of the line that comes from an emotional rather than a technical place. On the obcr, both of these ornaments persist, but are “tidied up” for lack of a better phrase—both actors deliver them with significantly more weight, taking care to strike specific pitches. And it...well, in my opinion, it doesn’t work as well. It sounds like someone circled the bit in the music and went, “okay, let’s make those ornaments INTENTIONAL,” which removes the the charm of the unstudied voice and makes the part sound rehearsed.

At other times, they go too far in the opposite direction, pushing on the bounds of the written music in a way that simply doesn’t read on a recording like this one. I’m thinking in particular of Lucas Steele’s long notes at the beginning of “The Abduction” and at the end of “Pierre and Anatole.” Now, I’m not saying the album shouldn’t show off Steele’s vocal prowess; he’s an unbelievably talented singer, and he can do some Real Shit with his voice that is frankly terrifying and everyone should fear and respect him. What I AM saying is that a recording is a different format in which to hear those notes, as opposed to a live performance. When you’re there in the Imperial Theater, watching Steele sit on a C#5 for 45 consecutive seconds like it’s his fucking job (which...I guess it is), you can tell by dint of BEING THERE that there’s no artifice, just a skilled singer and his throat and his voice. And that’s part of the beauty of it, that you can watch it happen in real time and marvel at it. When you’re listening to a neat studio recording, on the other hand, there’s that level of abstraction, of knowing that between the note coming out and hitting your ears there’s been work done on it. And maybe Steele did actually hold it out that long in-studio (he probably did. The man isn’t human, I fucking swear), but you can’t know that. Cross-fades are a thing, and it is a fairly trivial task to knit together two long notes to make one biiiiiiiig long note, especially with a clear pure tone like Steele’s voice has. So it ends up sounding self-indulgent and gimmicky. Look how long we made this note. Such high. Very edits. Wow. Please clap. Lin got it when he said there’s some stuff that should stay unique and exclusive to the live performances, and these virtuoso showings definitely fall under that heading. Hint at ‘em on the recording, but their proper home is on the stage, in the theater.

(I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN WE ARE NOT ABOUT HAMILTON!)

All that said: Comet has a very complex, group-oriented score, and everything I’ve been pointing out so far is fairly nitpicky. It’s subtle artistry stuff that will, by its nature, get lost when there is a lot going on, which there frequently is. Not to mention the score features long recitative-style sections, where the actors will deliberately use a more speech-like singing style to deliver exchanges between characters, quick exposition, etc. which does a lot to counter the “getting too technical and shoegazey” thing. People know what speech is meant to sound like! If you stray too far from that, you’ll undermine your listeners’ comprehension, as well as the whole uh...ACTING part of the PLAY. Which is important.

However, the whole play isn’t like this. You do have solo arias—broadly, major pauses in the action to expound on a single character’s emotional state. I’m thinking of three songs from Comet in particular: “Dust and Ashes,” “Sonya Alone,” and “No One Else,” standout showstopper numbers that are meant to drag the tears out of everyone in the audience. (Don’t worry, I love crying. It’s my favorite thing, next to dying and being dead.) Overall, these three songs are more delicately orchestrated, in order to showcase the unique voices of the soloists. Which would be great, if, you know, they’d managed to consistently mix the songs in a way that showcased the unique voices of the soloists! Fuck!

(“Charming” technically fits this mold as well. However, I would argue that it has more of a narrative action, i.e. showing Hélène’s beguilement of Natasha, not to mention that it is musically a very different song from any of the other ones I’ve listed above, faster-paced and with a more active accompaniment, which covers things that might otherwise give pause. Even so you can hear a few off-kilter things in it, as outlined above.)

“Dust and Ashes” (and to a lesser extent, “Pierre”) are difficult to compare between albums—obviously, because there’s no studio recording of the former (@DAVE! PLEASE SAVE MY LIFE), and because Dave Malloy and Josh Groban have such radically different voices. Let’s be very clear, I am not dunking on Groban’s prowess as a vocalist; there’s no question in my mind (and shouldn’t be any in yours) that, in terms of technical skill, he has a better voice than Dave in every way. To my ear, though, Groban’s recordings of Pierre’s songs sound almost unpleasantly slick, which I would guess is what you get when overproduced hypercleanliness meets vocal control that could knock an apple off someone’s head at forty paces without batting an eyelid. Especially next to the raw, almost painfully sincere delivery of Malloy’s versions, Groban’s sound sanitized, lacking in sincere emotion, just a string of notes with a vibrato as wide as a barn. It’s very disappointing, and makes me regret not watching the Groban boot all the way through for a better idea of how his Pierre comes across onstage.

“Sonya Alone,” luckily, manages to escape overproduction for several reasons. First off, it’s performed by Brittain Ashford on both albums, which presumably gave the production team a model for how to showcase her voice on the obcr. Secondly, the way the song was written and performed naturally resists this sort of treatment. It doesn’t have a virtuosic range—nearly the whole thing sits within less than an octave, and the one high belt note just kind of gets tapped briefly before settling back down. Hence, the emotional beats in it are a matter of performance, rather than technical prowess, and cleaning up too much of the natural wobble and waver of the voice in that range would make it sound absolutely lifeless and boring. Ashford also has that unusual, striking dark tone to her voice, which can already sound like an affectation to the first-time listener; placing too many effects on it would only exacerbate that. Hence, a reprieve. We get to enjoy Brittain Ashford’s voice showcased as it is. Nice.

Which leaves us with “No One Else.”

Oh, you guys.

You guys, I love “No One Else.” I think it is the second most perfect song Dave Malloy has ever written, only missing out on the top spot because he also wrote the ear worm from hell. It is PEAK F major aesthetic in every way. It is such a gorgeous, wistful, romantic piece, and couldn’t have hit more of my buttons even if Dave Malloy had literally come into my home and said, “hey, Swan, I’m trying to write a song that will knock you, specifically, on your ass, wanna give me some pointers so that I can more efficiently Kill you?” It is so good.

And this recording of it did Denée Benton SO. DIRTY.

Benton’s Natasha is necessarily a bit different than Phillipa Soo’s Natasha. Soo has a somewhat weightier voice than Benton, so her interpretation of the character seems to lean more on her vitality and spirit, whereas Benton reads as a very young Natasha, naïve but deeply good. (Margaux @likeniobe, I’m pretty sure it was you who pointed this out to me, thanks, you’re the real mvp.) I think both of these are perfectly valid character interpretations of Natasha as she appears in this adaptation, and based on what I’ve seen of the bootleg, Benton’s Natasha is lovely to watch onstage.

...However. The thing about that interpretation is that it requires a good bit of subtlety in order to come across as compelling and not saccharine. This reads onstage, but on this recording, very sadly, it kind of flops. Again, this strikes me as the fault of hewing too close to the written music, and ironing out too many of the natural kinks in a voice. Benton performs this song very delicately, with a light touch regarding theatricality; when overworked, this gives it an almost Disney princess-y feel, all fluff, no substance. It’s not as moving, it simply doesn’t do justice to Benton’s interpretation, and I’m mad about it.

There are also some technical...I wouldn’t call them errors, I guess, but interpretive things in this recording that just seem like sloppy mixing. The first one comes right on Benton’s first line, that beautiful fifth leap that sets up the airy space of the song as a whole. There’s reverb on her voice to mimic the atmosphere of hearing the song in a theater, but for some reason they don’t even give it time to fully die away before launching her into the first verse, and as a result she sounds rushed. This could work with a different vocal interpretation, but Benton performs the opening of this song with a very dreamy, mysterious approach (contrast Soo, who takes it more stridently), so it just comes off as sloppy and badly-paced.

Then, at the end of the song (and bear with me, folks, I’m about to get VERY nitpicky), Benton sings that wonderful ascending “you and I / you and I / you and I,” showing off her higher range and building suspense before the surprisingly tender and introspective ending of the song. Since she is singing high notes, an engineer mixing the song would most likely apply some compression to her voice to keep it sitting in the appropriate place in the mix, and to prevent the signal from clipping. I’m not gonna get into a super in-depth discussion of compression here, but in short it’s an effect that reduces the dynamic range (“loudness”) of a signal when it passes a designated threshold frequency, thus allowing you to get a more consistent dynamic range throughout, so your pianos aren’t inaudible and your fortes aren’t blowing out your speakers.

...It’s more complicated than that. Whatever. Don’t @ me.

Anyway, the way what I assume is compression has been applied to Benton’s vocal here sounds VERY sloppy in comparison to how Soo’s was treated on the ocr. A cool thing about many types of compressors is that you can control exactly how fast the compression kicks in, smoothing out the level changes so that you don’t have a track that’s pulsating wildly in dynamic range. Here, as Benton reaches each held note, her vocal ducks audibly before coming back up. This effect is audible in Soo’s recording of the song, but it’s MUCH more subtle and naturalistic, serving a technical purpose without distracting from the artistry of the song. So...either this was some very spotty compression work, or like, the engineer just went into the volume for her track and manually ducked it and brought it back up? I don’t know, but whatever it was, I don’t like it.

Now, in the end, Dave Malloy signed off on this album, and as long as he’s happy with it, that’s all that really matters. As an engineer, you’re (for the most part) there to bring your client’s vision to life, and if they like the product you put in front of them at the end of the day, then you’ve done your job. And there’s a huge chance that I’m just being all IT’S DIFFERENT SO IT SUCKS, given that I’m very sensitive to small differences in versions of a song.

But still. Still.

Denée, sweetie, you deserved better than this.

[hatingwithfears]

Top Albums of 2018: 10-2

10. EARL SWEATSHIRT- SOME RAP SONGS

I know there’s been plenty of articles written over the last few years about the Odd Future collective growing up and making more mature music (Tyler The Creator’s album from last year was a welcome surprise, and Frank Ocean’s Blonde is on it’s way to being era defining album), and Earl Sweatshirt’s new album is his strongest album yet, and one of the best to come from the collective.

In less than half an hour, Earl Sweatshirt and his producers bring back the soul sample beats that JDilla was well known for. Some Rap Songs wouldn’t exist without JDilla’s work, and the respect for older hip-hop and R&B is distorted by Earl with each song being stunningly short. Earl’s songwriting is potent, dealing with his father’s death, depression and doubt. The simple title Some Rap Songs is direct, and misleading at the same time.

Rating: 9.4

9. THE 1975- A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS

Is this the millennial OK Computer? How insincere is that criticism? Am I assuming this based off the the middle track “The Man Who Married A Robot”? (Or the fact that the song goes from being Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier” to the final moments of “Motion Picture Soundtrack” in five minutes).

Is this a rock album? Of course it is. (Note: if you think this band ISN’T a rock group, your ideas what rock and roll is are too constrained).

The criticism about the album’s structure isn’t working for me. This album’s strongest moments are it’s biggest, from the frantic “Give Yourself A Try”, to the straight ahead lounge jazz of “Mine”. While some of the ambient moments from their other album are here, A Brief doesn’t was much time, even in it’s ballads, like the closer “I Always Wanna Die Sometimes” (it sounds like “Wonderwall”!). “I Couldn’t Be More in Love” is a great gospel, R&B sounding track complete with backing choir. And yeah, “Love It If We Made It” is one of the greatest songs of the year.

Rating: 9.4

8. KAMASI WASHINGTON- HEAVEN AND EARTH

An album that throws together the biggest sounds that jazz can currently offer, this album isn’t quite up the grandness of Washington’s previous album, The Epic. Heaven and Earth is still a huge undertaking that respects where jazz has been with artists like Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Keith Jarrett being referenced, but the fury of the times shows up in Washington’s playing. The grand scale carries for two and half hours (there’s a bonus disc that has nice rendition of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”). Many of the songs here are eight, nine minutes long, even moments that are more relaxed are grand sounding.

Rating: 9.4

7. DAUGHTERS- YOU WON’T GET WHAT YOU WANT

On their first album in eight years, noise rock group Daughters hold nothing back here, as they pummel through these songs with urgency. The noisy guitars, and angry vocals are still here, but it’s more constructed than their previous works, thanks to the perfect production (the bass on some songs drones on while still keeping the beat). The clarity in the production also show how the group has changed their dynamics, with this even more industrial sound that could soundtrack an apocalypse. There’s no two songs that are alike, but the overall feeling is a suffocating one that never settles.

Rating: 9.4

6. GAZELLE TWIN- PASTORAL

Experimental noise artist Gazelle Twin takes the horror of her music, and applies that energy to make an album critical of Brexit, and England. Pastoral is the jittery, messy album that takes current times, and distorts them into older ideas. The artist’s look is one of a court jester, and the album cover has countryside look with a distorted font in a yellow box, similar to one classical music label.

Gazelle Twin takes these “classic” touchstones and fucks them over. It’s a brutally critical album that never sacrifices musical experimentation for powerful lyrics. Pastoral’s Brexit landscape is a gross one, but it’s also very, very real.

Rating: 9.5

5. TIM HECKER- KONOYO

Tim Hecker’s work as a composer has always been a play between light and dark (look at the darkness of his 2014 album, Virgins, or the brightness of his 2016 album, Love Streams). Konoyo goes down the same path, but it’s a more meditative state (NPR says the album “beckons the sublime”) than anything Hecker has worked in before. This album was recorded mainly in Tokyo using a traditional Japanese instrument, a gagaku, that Hecker distorts, slows down, and lets drone over a good portion of Konoyo. It’s a creepy album that never quite settles, even when it seems like it does.

Rating: 9.5

4. MOUNT EERIE- NOW ONLY

A year after putting out A Crow Looked At Me, Mount Eerie’s new album continues the subject matter of his wife’s death. It’s a bleak look at times, Now Only isn’t quite as mournful, as the songwriter seems to have taken a page from Sun Kil Moon and rambling lyrics about whenever one is at that moment. Some songs are huge pieces that have the songwriter still singing directly to his late wife in second person. The emotion has shifted, The mourning has changed leaving us, the listener, going through these six songs in a less intrusive manner than Mount Eerie’s previous album. With these longer tracks, like “Two Paintings By Nikolai Astrup”, art itself is used to remember.

Rating: 9.5

3. LOW- DOUBLE NEGATIVE

I haven’t heard an album sound this goddamn good on headphones since Fever Ray’s debut in 2009.

Damn it, I’m not even terribly familiar with the band’s catalog (They’ve been around for 25 years). This doesn’t change the fact that I heard some of the greatest production of the decade on Double Negative. This album is heavy, distorted, hypnotic, even ominous at times. The songs here work more as sound experiences than songs, even with the great single “Always Trying to Work It Out”.

Rating: 9.6

2. BLOOD ORANGE- NEGRO SWAN

Blood Orange has crafted a work that goes through many stages, but places importance behind all of them. With the care of a classical musician (yes, while there instances of strings and winds on this album, the care is more minute, and only started to make sense after many, many listens (there’s also a video of Haynes interviewing Philip Glass, so he carries an understanding of classical music)) Haynes has put together an album that’s somehow even more relevant than Freetown Sound. It’s a softer album than his other work, it’s also more spiritual and open than anything else that he’s done.

Rating: 9.7