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CHIRP DJ writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2018: Jenny West
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Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2018. Our next list is from DJ and Record Fair Co-Director (Promotions) Jenny West. This year's contenders seemed well-represented by solo female artists (Caroline Rose, Lucy Dacus, among many others) and exemplary resurrections of retro sounds in new and finely executed forms (the bubblegum psychedelia of 77:78, '80s darkwave with Holygram, early Aughts power-pop in Gal Gun). |
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#1 Loner by Caroline Rose (New West) |
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#2 Heaven and Earth by Kamasi Washington (Young Turks) |
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#3 New Path by Essaie pas (DFA) |
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#4 Special Music of Emotion by Gal Gun (Self-Released) |
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#5 All At Once by Screaming Females (Don Giovanni) |
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#6 Chris by Christine and the Queens (Because) |
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#7 Jellies by 77:78 (Heavenly) |
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#8 Historian by Lucy Dacus (Matador) |
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#9 Bienaventuranza by Chancha Via Circuito (Wonderwheel) |
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#10 Modern Cults by Holygram (Cleopatra) |
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A Few Quick Additional Mentions Local Honorable Mentions: V. V. Lightbody - Bathing Peach Serengeti - Dennis 6E C.H.E.W. - Feeding Frenzy Man's Body - Put Your Family In It Fauvely - Tides EPs and singles... Dry Cleaning - Sweet Princess Emily Blue - *69 Ravyn Lenae - Crush Chance the Rapper - Four New Songs boygenius - boygenius ep |
A compelling rumination on the celebrity industry, feminism, and general disillusionment, Rose's sophomore release is thoughtful and sardonic while maintaining an upbeat, devil-may-care pop perspective that makes it a thoroughly enjoyable record from start to finish. Just try to get "Jeannie Becomes a Mom" out of your head, I dare you.
Kamasi has been gradually clawing his way into the mainstream, which is pretty damn impressive for a jazz musician in 2018. A mix of transcendental Afrofuturistic paeans and revival tent rallying cries, Kamasi Washington's fifth full-length album and first since 2015's The Epic is crammed full of references to the old masters (Davis, Mingus, the inevitable Sun Ra), while also drawing from the heart-stirring rhythm and language of civil rights marches and the musical motifs of traditional hymns and gospel.
If the married Montrealers' 2016 debut LP for DFA was a tripped-out cold wave dance party, then this latest effort is the 4AM walk home when the trip turns sour. Heavily influenced by Philip K. Dick's 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly, the six ambient grooves of New Path (so named for the corporate rehab facility on which much of the plot hinges) loyally follow the narrative arcs of the book, opening with paranoid, skin-crawling beats and ending on a "Fitter Happier"-esque recitation of the protagonist's side of the dialogue from the novel's closing chapter over ominous synth chords and white noise.
Trying to strike the balance between establishing a cohesive, identifiable sound and building an interesting and dynamic studio album can be tricky for even the most experienced acts -- so it's even more impressive that this debut album from local outfit Gal Gun manages to walk that line into power pop perfection with apparent skill and ease of a Blue Album-era Weezer. Every track is a singable, danceable banger.
Gotta save a spot on this list for the latest from my favorite New Jersey punks. Marissa Paternoster is here to melt faces as per usual, and the album is full of new ideas for us old fans while still remaining Rose Mountain's level of accessibility for the new folks. You'll never get bored with these guys.
A nonstop pop album from a queer-friendly, European-accented solo female artist? This is the space we were all saving for Robyn, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not the only one who found Hélöise Letissier’s sophomore album (performed in the identity of her male alter-ego Chris) to be much more compelling.
This is a delightfully solid debut from two of the members of UK band The Bees (a.k.a. A Band of Bees in the US) that quickly settles into a groove of psych-tinged indie rock reminiscent of XTC's explorations as The Dukes of Stratosphear. The album vacillates between the light and airy sounds of the Flower Power years and a more robust late-70s funk, but every song lands.
You can hang on to Mitski and friends for your own lists - Lucy Dacus's brand of fuzzed-out guitars and pensive, personal lyricism rang much more sincere to me. She has a reserve and a maturity about her writing that this current class of diary songwriters doesn't have enough of, and can tug on your heartstrings without liberal helpings of lovelorn cliche.
This was maybe the most original album I heard all year. Pedro Canale masterfully combines cumbia and traditional Argentinean folk sounds with glitch-laden electronica to create otherworldy soundscapes that still manage to earworm themselves in your brain, despite their lack of familiarity.
This is everything darkwave should be. I want to blast this entire album while dancing in the resurrected bones of Club Neo, wearing my platform vinyl brace boots, fishnets, and a full stick of eyeliner. Thank you, Germany, for originating this delightfully pure goth kid chestnut.
Next entry: CHIRP Radio Best of 2018: Miranda
Previous entry: CHIRP Radio Best of 2018: Tyler Clark