—Bleak Bake
TOP 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.
28. King Krule - King Krule
King Krule’s Archy Marshall has been getting way too much press lately. He’s seventeen, and about a month ago he exploded onto the music scene with such grace and poise that it was almost impossible not to observe his work. A lot of that has to do with the fact that he’s seventeen, yes, and if he was any older, it probably wouldn’t have worked out this way. And perhaps do to his age, or perhaps due to his creative talent, he managed to sign with True Panther to release King Krule this fall, which came as about as much as a surprise as the fact that he’d gotten so popular. It’s a relatively short EP, and one that probably shouldn’t appear on an end of year list at all, but that’d be selling Marshall a little bit short. For those who are familiar with his earlier work, the EP is a big step forward from a collection of songs to a collective of songs that work together to produce a common theme. There’s an obviously level of teen angst in his music, but instead of feeling wasted and circling like his early recordings do, this EP has a feeling of contentment and prose to it, which is a bit surprising.
With all that being said, King Krule is a simply a good musician. The aspects of electronic mixed with guitars mixed with Marshall’s strange voice all make for a interesting pair, and one that becomes more and more addictive as you listen to it. The entire EP goes by very quickly, and not a moment is wasted. Even the introduction feels necessary, and none of it feels like simply songwriting for songwriting’s sake. I can’t really picture the EP being any better, which isn’t to say that Marshall doesn’t have more to offer, but that right now he’s doing a very good job at what he’s doing. Even lyrically, the sons are appealing: “My heart got a hold of my head,” he sings on “Bleak Bake,” and the whole EP is full of little gems like this. There’s the especially interesting chorus of “Portrait in Black and Blue,” the moments of British fun in “The Noose of Jah City,” and the short but sweet “Lead Existence.” It’s rare that an EP follows suit so well against itself, and that each moment is one that the listener enjoys. Instead of being a mix of B-sides or simple recordings, King Krule is a effort in itself and pays off.
It’s obvious to say that we can’t wait to hear more from Marshall, but even this EP stands alone as an achievement. Sure, we all want to hear more, but there’s enough already hear that the listener can play with it for a while. And perhaps anything longer would feel repetitive and less important. For in the end King Krule is exactly like Marshall: young, unready, and underdeveloped. But it’s really the best thing it has going for it right now, and the embrace of its level of music is what makes the EP soar.
27. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain - WU LYF
No one was really expecting Go Tell Fire to the Mountain from WU LYF, especially if you heard early demos or their single “Heavy Pop,” which dropped in 2010. Nothing in “Heavy Pop” stood out much - it was a good release, but had none of the punch that Go Tell Fire to the Mountain exudes throughout its entire nearly fifty minute course, which doesn’t quit for a moment. The heart of the album, obviously, are the guitars and the production value, which has increased drastically and for once helped a band so much that it makes them seem even more capable than before. The guitars in WU LYF are the strong point here, even though the whole thing is pretty beautiful, but there’s something about the way they play these instruments that feels like they so obviously should have been played like this by every band ever. They’re distinct sound, which is pretty standard for a British filth band, feels like something straight out of the heavens, in all honesty. And then, of course, there are those vocals. WU LYF gets a lot of flack for their coated lyrics, which are muted by screaming, hoarse voices, and apparent mumbling - all of this can take some listeners out of the band, and make their music almost horrid. But as one listens to the album more and more, you realize that there’s really nothing else that could go with these instrumental, and that the real strength of WU LYF is that the two go together so well.
It’s probably most apparent on “We Bros,” which is probably the best song on the album, and the most challenging. There’s a moment where those guitars go away and we’re left with the screaming, and it’s so staggering that the listener isn’t exactly sure how to respond. But the more you listen, you realize that this is meant to be staggering; everything about the band is a bit staggering. Those opening moments of “Cave Song,” which feel almost scary and annoying, and the dream-esque moments of “Heavy Pop” - it’s all culminating in one album that feels so big and so massive, that’s its amazing that it comes from a young band. There are certain nineties undertones to the album, which would lead to the believe they were older than this, but in actuality, WU LYF is just beginning. And yes, there is a level of annoyance with the name and with lyrics like “We Bros,” but that’s all part of the big picture and the bigger guitars, which seem to glide us forever and propel us into their songs. I suppose that in the end, the real way to understand this band is simply close your eyes and let those tones overtake you. And when hearing the new version of “Heavy Pop,” it’s obvious to see who far they’ve come and undoubtedly how far they will go in the future.
