Though not quite my favorite Fiona Apple record (depending on the day you ask me, that would be When the Pawn. or The Idler Wheel.), Fetch the Bolt Cutters is another masterwork to add to her small but brilliant catalogue. #Kendrick lamar untitled unmastered zippy fullThis is not background music Apple's forceful, unguarded lyrics and fierce originality demand your full attention. Particularly on the album's back half, she flirts with abrasion while keeping her music highly compelling. Apple has never been afraid to take risks or offend people ("Kick me under the table all you want, I won't shut up" she sings on "Under the Table"). From there, however, percussion becomes the musical focus-with Apple and her bandmates seemingly using every available household object to create a mesmerizing complement to her passionate vocals. The album begins with Apple's signature piano driving the gorgeous ballad " I Want You to Love Me" and the propulsive ode to grade school words of encouragement " Shameika" (the story behind the latter song is worth your time). Apple is still best known for her 1996 hit "Criminal" and the accompanying Tidal, but since that time she has released a slow drip of incredible (albeit less radio-friendly) music Fetch the Bolt Cutters is just her fifth album in 24 years. **Well okay, remember when Trump got Covid? That was good.įiona Apple is not exactly prolific, so when she announced Fetch the Bolt Cutters at the start of the pandemic it was a much-needed dose of good news. *But I am only doing a top 15 instead of the usual top 20. So, I feel like I have mediocre qualifications to make this post this year, but I am going to try anyway!* Here is the music I connected with during this phenomenally shitty year.** As always, scroll to the bottom to find a playlist of my favorite 2020 songs. Plus, I went to a grand total of four concerts this year so there were minimal opportunities to discover a cool opening act or experience an album live (I miss going to shows so much and never again will I complain about paying $15 for a beer at the Aragon). It turns out my commute is a huge way I process music, and also when I am living through a slow-motion disaster causing horrific levels of death and suffering I tend to grasp for comfort albums versus new music. Well, for obvious reasons, 2020 was definitely the worst music listening year of my adult life (you know, because the White Sox were actually good and also I got addicted to a stupid baseball simulation game. Only 27-years-old, Simz broke out in a major way in 2021 and gave us this gift of an album that eclipsed all of her musical peers. The production is also spot-on, pairing lush, vibrant sounds with Simz's phenomenal rhymes. Throughout, her raps are laser-focused -touching on a range of poignant subjects (with Simz processing complicated feelings about her family, celebrating the women who inspire her, and coming to terms with her introversion, as the album title alludes). 2," or on the bouncy synths of " Protect My Energy"). The album is at times intense (check out the marching band drums and horn swells on opener " Introvert"), while some songs incorporate playful instrumentation (as on the children's chorus-featuring " Little Q Pt. Across its dense 65 minutes, Little Simz leads listeners on a thrilling, musically-diverse journey. I pretty much knew after my first listen this was going to be my Album of the Year. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is on a totally different level than everything else on this list -an absolute masterpiece. Injury Reserve- By the Time I Get to Phoenix Remarkably few Netflix opening credit skips. *But this is definitely the song I heard the most this year. Anyway, below is my favorite* music I heard this year: I am also trying a new thing where I note the approximate genre of each album to help y'all filter stuff you are more likely to be interested in. Also new to me is having 21 months of pandemic fatigue, so I am going to keep things brief with the blurbs (most of you are here for the playlist anyway, let's be real). Though 2021 had a dearth of "instant classic" albums, it was an excellent year for new discoveries nearly half of the artists below were completely new to me this year. ![]() Thankfully, I still heard enough music this year to put together this list of favorite albums. ![]() Turns out moving in with your partner means that instead of spending hours most evenings checking out new tunes, you binge-watch Gilmore Girls and develop VERY strong opinions on Rory Gilmore's dating choices. What fun times we live in! Anyway, like last year, I did not consume quite as much music as I typically do. I was going to start this with a "man this year mostly sucked but thank god for music" intro but then I re-read some previous posts and realized I do that basically every year.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |