Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
All I gotta say is, the simulation is real. 2018 was truly made up of inconsistencies. The longest but shortest, the busiest but most uneventful, the most normal but reinventing time of my life that in the end made me feel both younger and older, both naive and wise, both calm and like I was on 23 metaphorical drugs. The soundtrack of the past 12 months was a pretty solid one. From the average radio hits to the party bangers to the indie darlings, there were so many gems that weren't even hidden in the dark, glamorous cavern that was this year. My favorite albums from 2018 are a vast collection of new discoveries, returns from favorites, and even some new crossings into different genres. I'm almost overwhelmed by every album I put on my little note titled "Put on favorite album wrap-up article" throughout the year. I'm going to try to get most of them done, though, because all of these albums are amazingly crafted and have many stories to tell. Let's have a look into mine! Songs of Praise - Shame (January 12th)Intrigued by the constant press from NME about Shame and this album earlier in January, I decided to give the first single I found, "Dust on Trial," a quick listen. Okay...not that quick, because what I hear threw me for a loop and made me take a few steps back and question "Is this band really from 2018? Or did The Fall have 5 secret nephews that formed a new band or something?" Shame is definitely not the average punk band that you see around these days. They possess the ability to get themselves in the mindset to produce dark, gloomy grunge ballads, and then immediately turn it around to belt out a triumphant anthem like "One Rizla." The lyrics are honest, ruthless, and sometimes questionable. (Why were they at the gynecologist in "The Lick" to begin with?) But I think that's what we need in today's music world. To quote the band themselves, we have too many things that are "relatable not debatable, relatable not debatable, relatable not debatable." Random Fact: I got noticed by the Shame twitter account by making a joke about their song "Donk." Wish I could find, or even remember it. Self Help Book - The Happy Children (January 16th)The Happy Children is definitely one of the bands I've proudly watched blossom like the beautiful beanstalk they were meant to be over the years - hell, it seems like yesterday that nursery rhymes by a parenting group with the same name still appeared when I tried to search them up on Spotify! This isn't THC's first project, but it definitely is their biggest. Not only is a beautiful home-y sounding 7-song CD under this name, there also is a 56-page photo book designed by guitarist Caleb Hinz's project, Normal Parents! The book consists of family photos, drawings, and other childhood memorabilia that is meant to mirror the message of the songs as a whole. The lyrics are comforting, and throughout them there was a mantra stating "everything is going to be okay," flowing through my earbuds. Growing up is a hard thing to do, but this album perfectly captured the sense of not wanting to grow and and appreciating your roots and young age perfectly, and the concept of the photo book brought it home. To-do List: I need to purchase another Normal Parents Shirt with all the gift cards I got from my aunts and uncles for Christmas. Little Dark Age - MGMT (February 9th)I couldn't name one indie fanatic I knew that wasn't on the edge of their seats on February 8th, just waiting for this album to drop. Ever since the music video for the title track dropped a couple months before, everyone was ecstatic to see how goth MGMT was willing to go, especially me. I can think of a lot of random metaphors to describe my listening experience with "LDA." Being trapped and living your life in the Mario Kart courses. Watching your disastrous love life played out from a screen in an isolated location. Being detained by a robot army as they criticize our cell-phone culture. And, like all of the MGMT albums, being on something and feeling like you're floating in space. This release was what no one expected from MGMT, but, in a way, what we ALL expected from MGMT. I really didn't see any reason for any hate to this album. If they went and lazily made another "Kids" or "Electric Feel," there'd be a angry mob with Pitchforks outside, this time with ratings BELOW 5. It was a strange experience. It made me uncomfortable at certain points. But then again, "Me and Michael" is a full on bop. Times When Gravity was Defied: When they showed Andrew's hair in the LDA video. Smell Smoke - Vundabar (February 23rd)You guys probably remember our good ol' pals Vundabar from my page last year! Earlier in February they released "Smell Smoke," a collection of gritty, existential mostly-ballads that provide commentary for a lot of issues: politics, death, hat loss??? These Bostonians are no strangers for writing pretty pessimistic songs, but the difference with this albums is that there isn't really a "positive" redemption track. They're all cryptic in their own twisted, special way. Even I, the most "glass is fuller" person you will probably ever meet, felt compelled to like most of these tunes. The thing is, they make angst easy to listen, jam out, and relate to, while also thinking about the issues that it brings up. The cover sums up this album pretty well. Mostly bleak, but could be upbeat if you really wanted to search for it. I'm one to argue that we need more positivity in these dark times, but sometimes we all need a quality dark collection of songs to ponder to. "Smell Smoke" is just that. I'm very entertained by: The fact that they say "Sam I Am" in "Tonight I'm Wearing Silk." White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood - of Montreal (March 9th)The day I got the Instagram notification that a new oM video was out, I knew it was going to be good. Seeing a video of Kevin in colorful wigs and complex but fashionable in-a-way-that-only-Kevin-can-pull-off outfits is always a reliable way to tug me back into this band. That first single was "Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia," which remained my favorite on the album throughout this year. It goes without saying that oM will never shy away from singing about the hard topics that no one wants to boldly call out by name. Like, when's the last time you've seen the word "dysmorphia" in a song title? I specifically loved the dividing of each song into halves, and of course, the transitioning to one of those halves to another was smooth and satisfying. I sensed some hard indie, trance, trip-hop, and even some jazzy-ness at times. Another job well done for the genre-defying of Montreal. Ending Question: Why does "Plateau Phase" BEGIN WITH THAT SPECIFIC PHRASE? IT'S NOT REPEATED AT ALL IN THE SONG. WHAT'S THE MEANING? WHY A DRIVEWAY? Mirror Might Steal Your Charm - The Garden (March 28th)My experience with becoming a fan of The Garden was extremely similar to The Drums and I from last year. They were unheard to me until about November, when I heard one song off of Spotify and quickly fell into the quicksand-filled hole that the "vada vada" fandom is. The meaning of that phrase is exactly why I took such a liking to the Shears twins; Doing whatever you want. Expressing yourself however you want. And refusing to pay attention to any guidelines or boundaries. Which is kinda what you see in this album. There were so many musical and instrumental techniques that I've never heard of or even would THINK TO THINK of etched in this release. Like, how do you even tell people that your favorite song is called ":(?" And could you name any other artist that would straight-up name a song that? They probably knew that many listeners would feel the same way I did, and for some reason, I feel like they didn't care. When I decided to look back at their older albums, I heard so many differences that this one possessed. Their about page said it themselves, though. "Constantly evolving." The main message I took back from getting into this band was..."embrace your differences." And listening to "A Message For Myself" could replace any pep talk. Favorite Garden Twin: Wyatt. No, Fletcher. Wait....yeah, Wyatt. Beyondless - Iceage (May 4th)It's been almost a year now since I accidentally discovered Iceage on a Pinterest post, and I have to say, it was perfect timing. They put out the dark, moody "Catch it," in February; Their first single since 2014 when their last album Plowing Into the Field of Love came out. This album saw mostly the same trademark aspects that Iceage has come to use: Elias' crooning, emotional voice, the raging guitars, and the use of many different instruments (trumpets, bells, etc.) to add to the harmonious tones of each song. Along with these, I, as well as some other die-hard fans, noticed something that set this album apart. It seemed a lot more...understandable. And clear. Definitely recorded and produced in a different way. I thought it was a revolutionary thing for this band, and that it gave them the opportunity to reach out to many other fanbases. That and the fact that Sky Ferreira is on one of the tracks. Despite this, there will always be the before-it-was-cool "we were here first!" hipster fans that will want their favorite post-punk band to stay incoherent and obscure forever. Just because you can understand it doesn't mean it's not "cool" or "good" or "different." I think a lot of Iceage gatekeepers were made aware of this fact with Beyondless. Favorite Song and Video Combination: The day the music dies. Tranquility Based Hotel + Casino - Arctic Monkeys (May 11th)The best way to see that an artist has never lost its charm is to look at their Grammy nominations. If they got nominated for the same award 12 years apart, there's definitely something there that's never going away. Whatever People Say I Am... is obviously legendary alt lore, and many people assumed they would get worse with time and never get a "Best Alternative Music Album" nom again. Contrary to that belief, Alex Turner will never run out of weird metaphors to craft into romantic imagery. I think he's the only person on earth who can convey a feeling of love in the phrase "the exotic sound of data storage." The Monkeys will always have the power I admire of seeking out the glamour and mystique of relationships in the most ordinary of words. That skill alone shows that they were born to be musicians and song-crafters. Even the main topic of the album excited me when I first looked into it, a technologic spacey structure with a 70s vibe. The most complex setting one could think of, and AM manages to make it seem habitable and understandable, even relatable to a degree. I would make a pun and rate this album "Four out of five" but that would be a lie. It's the whole five stars. Burning Inquiry: WHAT IS THE DOGS NAME IN THE "FOUR OUT OF FIVE VIDEO?" HE IS ADORABLE AND DID A GREAT JOB. Iridescence - BROCKHAMPTON (September 21st)I was considerably sick with a sinus infection when this album dropped, so my description for my initial reaction to the dropping of "J'OUVERT" might have been skewed, but I still highly doubt that healthy me would have felt any different. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed, to say the VERY least. My mouth went down and STAYED on the floor when I hear JOBA's verse. "So this is what's been building up this past year, past all the failed album releases!" I thought. I feel like that was their intention - this album contained all of the personal statements they really wanted the world to know since their dramatic influx of fans since the Saturation Trilogy. Let me reveal a big secret...I really wasn't that fond of Ameer's verses. Sure, some are iconic, but for the most part I found a lot of them too unnecessarily violent, raunchy, and too similar to the rap you hear on the radio normally. It clashed a lot with the messages that the rest of the group was trying to speak out against, which eventually showed with his ejection from the band this summer. The lyrics seem more fun, conceptual, and stand out without him, and THAT is my controversial opinion for the day! Overall, this album was a huge breakthrough for all of the members, and I couldn't be more happier with how it finally turned out. Favorite Meme Lyric: "Try to treat man like baby." Goes without saying. I couldn't write all of the albums I enjoyed this year, my fingers would have heated up and fell off. It took long enough to finish this article up. Here's a cute little collage of all the others. I hope you enjoyed my 2018 soundtrack! This will most likely be my last article of the year, which is a really weird realization to dawn upon. I hope you liked these albums too, and like I always say, if you didn't....MAKE YOUR OWN LIST!!! ;) See you all in 2019! Love you guys!
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