Oh, me.

TOP 46 ALBUMS OF 2011

And so, we’ve reached the end of the year, and it’s time for the annual roundup of the year’s albums. This year’s total number came out to 46, for some reason. We’ll be counting down the albums to number one this whole month.

40. Ancient Romans - Sun Araw

Sun Araw’s Cameron Stallones does a pretty good job of making you feel really, really stupid. In interviews, he barely makes any sense - however it’s not because he’s crazy, it’s just because we’re not smart enough to understand him. When he discusses his music, he talks about its depth, its influence, and its chasm between verse and chorus that he finds undoubtedly interesting. Ancient Romans is another foray into this sense of discomfort, and however far it feels from his previous work, it’s still rooted in Stallones’ bizarre need to create something both futuristic and historic, which might be the greatest appeal of his music.

On Patrol, his last double LP, was describe as a hot city night or a cold city and, and Ancient Romans is describe as a trip through time and space, embarking both spiritually and emotionally, and, in more simplistic terms, an ode to the, well, Ancient Romans. There’s definitely that level of influence here, but the music doesn’t exactly conjure Julius Caesar, like On Patrol conjured those cities, and in that regard the album misses the mark. It’s obviously a much more ambitious album, and Stallones has to be praised for that, despite the fact that it isn’t as good as On Patrol. Anyone who knows me knows how big of a fan I am of that album - I went as far as to name my radio program after it (spoiler alert) - and Ancient Romans doesn’t hit nearly as close as that album did. Every moment of On Patrol stems from a deeper desire to enjoy music, and just about every part of it is incredible. The same can’t be said for Ancient Romans - in fact, it’s much further gone from the rest of his discography; it’s reminiscent of his early work, at a lower production value. His LPs Beach Head, Heavy Deeds, and The Phynx, are all amazing accomplishments in their own right, as are his EPs and singles, notably “Last Chants” of his Off Duty/Boat Trip release. And all of these releases are better than Ancient Romans, maybe because they were made with less of a goal in mind, or maybe because they stick solely to this time zone and don’t try to span several hundreds of years.

Stallones’ screeching, nasally voice is still present - as are the improvisational, confusing bits of music, as are the long winded tracks that seem to find no end. All of this is important to his style, and will immediate turn off listeners. In fact, Sun Araw does a lot to turn off listeners, whether it be the long songs, or the countless collaborations and releases that seem to have no real pattern to them. The only thing we really have to go on is On Patrol, and that’s much better than this. Ancient Romans feels long and annoying and much less of a journey. It seems like he liked Roman culture and tried to make an album about it, and failed. The description of the album isn’t anywhere near what it actually is: it’s a draining quest in and out of what might be made up and what might not be.

Okay, so why’s it on this list? There’s a lot not to like here, but that’s not to say that it isn’t a good album. It’s a journey all the same, and that journey starts with “Lucretius,” which does an amazing job. It’s different than openers like “Ma Holo” and “Thoughts Are Bells,” which kept pretty much one thing going all the way through. Here, Stallones builds his songs, moving in and out of instruments and styles, and that’s pretty awesome. It might be the same sound quality, but he’s stepped out what being used, and he has to be complimented for that. And as annoying as the album closer, “Impluvium,” it’s pretty darn catchy. There aren’t the looping feels of “Conga Mind” or, of course, “Deep Cover,” but it comes together all the same. You might not sit down and listen to Ancient Romans over and over again, but you can appreciate what he’s doing and know that as a artist, Stallones is on the forefront of the movement, a movement that no one even know he’s a part of. “Crete” and “At Delphi” are also long and good, not in the same sense as his previous recordings were, but good all the same. They draw on old traditions while keeping true to Sun Araw’s style, which is an interesting mix. And most of all, Ancient Romans makes you remember why you like Sun Araw: you like them because they’re simply awesome. Nothing else sounds like this, and even though it isn’t On Patrol, it’s still something that challenges you. And one can only assume that that’s what Stallones will keep doing.

39. Within and Without - Washed Out

Without and Without kind of sucks. Not in the way you think it might – it’s not a bad album – it’s just not as good as you want it to be. I remember putting on this album for a listen and being drastically disappointed: it has none of the immediate appeal that Ernest Green’s Life of Leisure or High Times EPs had, and that’s what sucks. In fact, they sound like a completely different band compared to Within and Without, and considering how good those two EPs were, Within and Without simply doesn’t compare. It’s not enough of a reason to write off Washed Out, but it’s enough of a reason to come to terms with the fact that the Washed Out we know is gone, and this is the new Washed Out. Chillwave is ending, and out of its ashes comes a variety of different kinds of music, whether it be electronic sheen of Neon Indian, the jazz-rock fusion of Toro Y Moi, or the psyche-pop heavy Washed Out. And now that we’ve heard it, we can only except Within and Without for what it is, and judge it from there.

Producer Diplo described the album as “kinda limp,” and he’s pretty much right. The first few tracks sound like they belong in a Danny Boyle’s movie The Beach, and in that regard, we should be laughing at them. Maybe it’s the cleaner sound, but Within and Without needs to be given some time in order to find its appeal. The background beat in “Echoes,” the enormous sample in “Soft,” and the insanely good “You and I.” At first listen, the album all mushes together in one long nap, but once you pick out the pieces, the songs begin to form a little bit better. Sure, it’s not the dance album we thought we were getting, but it’s a lot more of what Greene probably wants. When you hear him interviewed or see him even in pictures, he’s not the electronic freak Life of Leisure would lead you to believe. “Feel It All Around” is his best work, but Within and Without is his real work. It’s set distinctly in long rides, soft winds, and nights. And when put into that context, it’s a much better album. In fact, the final three tracks ride this line very well, and find themselves being some of his best, especially “A Dedication,” a much different approach to a Washed Out song than we’ve heard before.

But there is “You and I,” in which Greene uses Caroline Polachek to explode into something awesome. And there are other moments that make us want to dance just as much. But the moments where we fall back into that wide eyed expression – well, those are just annoying. And when it comes to Washed Out, it just is something we’ll have to put up with. For every “Amor Fati,” there’s something else to be offered. And yes, maybe the album is a little limp. But in a growing electronic scene, where Greene could have fallen amongst the ranks of everyone else trying to do this thing, at least he was able to make something true to himself and true to the genre. And in that regard, Within and Without is a success, even when it at times seems to feel like the opposite of one.