2011年 Dec 31日 Saturday, 17:34
As 2012 approaches, I reflect on which songs stood out to me this year. Not necessarily ones released this year, but ones I was listening to.
10. Clump - iamamiwhoami
The iamamiwhoami project is still very mysterious, but what isn't hard to figure out is that they release some good music! Clump is one of the catchiest songs I've heard this year, with it's infectious synth and beautiful vocals by Ms. Jonna Lee. Maybe the video for the song wasn't one of iam's best, but the song is indisputably a great one.
9. Lion In A Coma - Animal Collective
Coming from one of my favorite albums, Lion In A Coma is a very quirky song from Animal Collective including a 9/8 time signature. I'm a big fan of the percussion in this song, including the jaw harp, giving this song a somewhat tribal feel while still staying a pop song. This has been a favorite song of mine to just dance like a freak to around the house.
8. Who Will Comfort Me - Melody Gardot
The most jazzy song in this list, Who Will Comfort Me features outstanding vocals from the very talented Melody Gardot. The trumpet and percussion sections also help to make this song one that you will have on repeat for quite a long time.
7. Lichen - Aphex Twin
I have loved this song for a long time, and still in 2011, it did not disappoint me. This song is perfectly serene, and while some seem to say it is the happiest song they know, I hear it as a quiet mourning for some tragedy that has just struck. No matter what emotion you get out of it, you will still love Lichen.
6. Group Four - Massive Attack
I still remember the first time I heard this song, I was blown away from what started about halfway through. Group Four already starts as a strong song, but as it progresses, it builds and speeds up into a very memorable climax.
5. Exit Music (For A Film) - Radiohead
Though this song was released quite a few years back (most of these songs are over five years old), it still stays one of Radiohead's strongest tracks. And for all the good tracks they have, that is a great title. The song begins with a simple vocal and guitar duo, but throughout, crescendos slowly to become even more breathtaking than it already was.
4. Svefn-G-Englar - Sigur Rós
These top four tracks was where it became hard to choose favorites, and even though this song is number four, it could very easily also be number one. Svefn-G-Englar is a 10 minute journey through a beautiful landscape, almost making the listener feel like they could be in a perfect world. I remember for a very long time, I could not listen to this song without crying, and every time I listen, I can still understand perfectly why. Simply beautiful.
3. Olson - Boards of Canada
As opposed to the 10 minute epic that was Svefn-G-Englar, Olson is a very brief song that still is able to showcase a wide array of emotions. This song is almost chameleon like, depending on my mood, I can get a different emotion out of it. I have seen everything in this song from weeping over your lover on their deathbed to the world finally resolving all it's conflicts and everyone joining together at last. Truly a very powerful song.
2. Pagan Poetry - Björk
This has been for a long time one of my favorite songs ever. It is just so perfect. Coming from a very quiet, introverted album, Pagan Poetry is a sudden burst of energy, and it works oh so well. Right from the opening music box notes, to the closing lines, you will feel the pain in this song. The thing that makes this song greatest to me, is it's dramatic ending. The song reaches it's loudest point, and then backs off to a simple a capella solo by Björk and from there, leads to one of the most amazing conclusions to a song I've heard.
1. In der Palästra - Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows
This song was not one I first loved. I was at first frightened by it after seeing the video, being confused by not seeing a "normal" person singing it I suppose. But as I continued to listen, I started to see the beauty in this song, and to feel the pain in it. The instrumental of this song is absolutely amazing, featuring a choir, a string section, percussion, and brass, and fitting it all together almost perfectly. I truly consider this amazing, heart-breaking song a modern day masterpiece.