Lordy, how did all of February go by without a music update?
I must tell you, music-lovers, that I am fixin’ to knock your socks right off. You will be sockless, and you may blame me.
Two albums have held me in musical rapture so far this year, and they sit at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. If emotions run on a bell curve, these two albums reside in the tails at either end. These, my friends, are first and fifth quintile albums*.
*Major props to my Statistics professor in graduate school. I can’t remember your name, but without you, this Latin-major undergraduate would have no idea what a quintile was even though it has a Latin root. Mea culpa.
OK: music. Sharon Van Etten. Have you heard of her? Google her. Now. I’ll wait. Then, go buy her album, Tramp. Seriously, I’ll still wait. This gem of a disc was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National (loooove), and Dessner’s production brings the beauty, elegance, and rawness of Van Etten’s voice to the fore. The tracks are uncomfortable but not overly confessional; torchy but not campy. Van Etten’s voice reminds me of Cat Power’s languid delivery on The Greatest.
My favorite track on Tramp (although admittedly not the best track) is “Give Out” in which she wrestles with her own self-confidence, berating (beseeching?) her lover with this lyrical locus: “You’re the reason why I’ll move to the city, you’re / Why I’ll need to leave.” It’s heartbreaking and supremely satisfying.
Now, jump over the bell of the curve, and land on fun. Yes, that is the word fun (little f) with a period. fun. Yep. Nate Ruess, lead singer and lyrical mastermind of fun. formerly headed up The Format, to whom I was introduced by my nieces Rachel and Meagan.* The Format joyously sang, mostly, of emotional evisceration. For reals, Dog Problems is the happiest sounding set of songs about bad break-ups that you will ever hear.
*These ladies are wonderful in countless ways, but I am forever thankful for The Format.
fun. just released their second album, Some Nights, and friends, I girlishly swoon over this album. I saw them at Lupo’s last week (yes, I was the oldest person there), and their live show is full of the optimistic grandiosity that the album promises. Sure, there are break-up songs, but also tunes that celebrate life and overcoming adversity.
The album borrows equally from Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (indeed, fun. enlisted Jeff Bhasker, Kanye’s producer on MBDTF), The Beach Boys’ Smile, and The Bay City Rollers, with interesting instrumentation (I’m pretty sure I hear a harpsichord) and some vocal acrobatics. Nate Ruess’s voice—that voice!!!–is a stomach-clutching tenor that elicits shiny tears from me (joy? envy? I don’t rightly know.).
The lead single, “We Are Young” ups the coolness factor by featuring the gorgeous and supremely stylish Janelle Monae.
Get this album. I will personally refund your money if you don’t find yourself singing aloud at full voice in your car.
Finally: playlists. Here’s what we’ve been riding to over the past few weeks. Free music–a slammin’ remix of the David Guetta/Sia track “Titanium”— after the lists.
Dude does look like Howdy Doody. Sings better, though.
No Buffalo Bob, though.