The biggest night in music is upon us. That's right, it's the Grammy's! In preparation of this year's Grammy's I did something that people don't do anymore, that even I can't remember the last time I did it. I sat down and I listened to an album front to back; (almost) no interruptions; taking in the story, the feeling, the essence of the album as a whole.
Which album was this? Well actually, it was more than one. It was all five of the albums nominated for "Album of the Year" this year. Watching the Grammy's every year, it's easy to pick out which song, artist, lyricist, producer, even best album of "abc" genre, etc. will win their categories. But album of the year was stumping me because it compares one album in one genre not to its peers, but to every other great album that came out in the past year. Finding the nuances that can make one of these greater than the others is not something that can be guessed. So, I decided to see for myself and tried to listen to the albums with the critical ears of the Grammy gods. Here is where I stand:
The Black Keys: El Camino
There are some great songs on this album with catchy beats and repetitive choruses that make it easy to nod your head and sing along to. But on the whole, the album is just good. There are too many songs that sounds the same, that don't support each other; they stand alone. The uniqueness of the duo's synthesizing mixed with syncopation is fun, but it stops being unique when its used over and over again.
In addition to sounding the same, many songs are the same. The Black Keys fell into a formula that worked so they stuck with it - a few versus interspersed with the chorus followed by a guitar solo to bridge to the end of the song which repeats the chorus. Not to mention that every song was about heartbreak. I get it, you're sad/mad/lonely but you can tell us that in different ways.
Now, like I said, there were some great pieces and some songs that didn't fit this mold. One song, "Little Black Submarines," starts with just an acoustic guitar and the lead singer, slowly picking up the pace to include the drummer and the backup band. That was a nice shift after the beginning of the album. Some of the lyrics in the final song of the album, "Mind Eraser," say "don't let it be over," which was very cute and clever, and I was enjoying the album so much that I didn't necessarily want it to be over yet. But does that make it album of the year?
No. A few standout songs in a sea of the same can't win over the rest of the competition. The Black Keys put out some great songs, but as a whole album, not good enough to pull out a win this year.
Fun.: Some Nights
This album starts great right from the first note. The first track on this album is an introduction to the rest of what the listener is about to hear. It's theatrical and enticing. It hearkens "Bohemian Rhapsody" and reminds me of a Broadway overture. It even ends with applause after a belting of the last note on top of timpani drums. But this overture doesn't give tastes of the music to come, it gives hints of the story that is about to unfold.
The story is the journey of today's 20-something. Out of college, it's about partying and finding yourself. Some nights you feel one way and then you realize how much you still have to learn about the world and yourself and some nights you feel another. You'll get knocked down but it's all about getting up and pushing forward. The world and politics will break your heart. As will people you love. But again, it's not the end of the world and slowly but surely you will continue on your way. And even at the end of a journey, you realize you're still going to party and love and get knocked down and you'll just keep doing it until you get where you're going.
This album is truly a journey and each song tells the next step. The songs build on each other and you can hear them referencing each other while being wildly different. You are constantly kept on your toes unaware of what will hit your ears next. From drum beats that range from deep and tribal to higher pitched, marching-beat snares; to both acoustic and electric guitars; to brass and string sections; and extra sounds like an '80's arcade game, a children's choir and the chimes of a cheesy dream sequence, every song is exciting and makes you wonder how they made it all work together.
On top of the Queen and Broadway in the introduction, I also heard the influence of Michael Jackson, the sounds of banks like Blink 182 and the Postal Service, Phil Collins and other R&B and pop throughout the album. Its final song "Out on the Town" even ends with a sampling of Carl Carlton's "Everlasting Love," especially repeating the refrain "open up your heart" which is definitely appropriate. (You can really hear it about 2:58 in Fun.'s song) This album is a new everlasting love and in case you can't tell, I have opened my heart to it. I am crossing my fingers and toes for Fun. to win. If you have an extra hour one day, I highly recommend listening to this incredible album.
Mumford and Sons: Babel
Mumford and Sons is a special band because they commercialized the sit-on-your-porch-down-south-banjo playing. It's sweet and fun and a little sad but I'm not sure if it really has longevity. A few songs into the album I was already getting bored. I'm pretty sure the banjo only has one tempo: fast. It took about half way through the album for it to change its pace and get interesting. However, the exquisite harmonies and poetic lyrics of Mumford and Sons are hard to quickly overlook.
This is a very emotional album and the grittiness of Mumford's voice adds a layer of intrigue to the folksy music. The songs are very dark with death and bleeding often mentioned. But I don't think this is a malicious reference, rather self-deprecating. Frequently in the songs on the album, being on the road and sinning and lovers are sung about, in conjunction with mentioning Jesus and being the "chosen one." This album reads like a prayer of remorse and repentance. Let's not forget that the title of the album is "Babel."
Now I'm not sure what Mumford did to feel the need to apologize and express his guilt in such a way, but it does make for a powerful album. Plus, the Grammy's love Mumford and Sons. But I can't ignore that the first half of the album was just not as good as the second half. A great second half can't support a weak first half enough to win the category.
Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
I didn't get this album until I finished it. It is so strange and disjointed that listening to almost any song on its own, it wouldn't make sense. The word that came to my mind while listening to the album was "schizophrenic" because nothing flowed and there were references of jazz, R&B, the blues, hip hop, and some '70's and '80's. There was no cohesion to the album except for the fact that it's all about Los Angeles.
Which now makes sense.
You hear in the album more than just music. You hear car doors and the engine and the turning of a radio dial and an overheard conversation a woman is having. You have to close your eyes while listening to go on the tour of LA that Frank Ocean is giving you. The album is creatively brilliant. You are in the car with Frank Ocean and with the windows down, as you drive through the different parts of LA, he's singing to you about it. Most of the time his songs aren't even complete. It's as if you're stopped at a red light and he's singing about what's happening outside but then the light changes and so does he as you drive away. There's the rich kids in Beverly Hills and the people on drugs in the slums in downtown and the different scenery in each and the guy that he's in love with.
Oh yes, in case you missed that news this year, Frank Ocean has been highly praised for being gay and openly singing about it and being proud of who he is.
And who Frank Ocean is, is talented and courageous, and risk-taking with the layout of this album. As an album it works, it's interesting and new. But I don't think it's necessarily better than the others in the category.
Jack White: Blunderbuss
I just don't get the Jack White hype. Sure, he's had great success with The White Stripes and The Racconteurs, but I don't understand the genius that he is considered.
His debut solo album is a hodge podge of the music. Getting away from constraints of the "sounds" of his previous bands, he was able to just put whatever he felt like out in the world, and that's exactly what he did. There were influences of country, folk, hip hop, classic '50's rock, heavy metal and more. Nothing meshed except for the fact that the lyrics of his songs were all dark and metaphorical, but that's nothing new.
I think this sampling of what other music Jack White has to offer is very interesting, but as an album, again, I just don't get it. Plus, I couldn't get past the fact that the guitar riff in "Freedom at 21" is just a take on the well-known guitar riff of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Or the fact that one of the tracks on the album, "I'm Shakin'" is actually a cover of Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'." I understand that artists reinterpret old music all the time, but to have yourself as an influence and to put a cover on a debut just adds to the confusion of this album.
But there has to be something that I am missing since it's nominated in the first plat. Maybe the Grammy's will see this as a breath of fresh air and praise Jack White for the variety that he collated into this album. In my opinion, this is great music that simply doesn't work as an album.
We will just have to wait and see if my conclusion that Fun. has the album of the year will align with the ruling of the Grammy's!
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