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[javnajesse-blog]

[javnajesse-blog]

J,

I like "I'm Gone" just fine--it's got that low-fi, lazy aesthetic that we both love. I gotta say, though, there are more than a few similar tracks that I prefer from 2012. ("How Long Have You Known?" is the obvious one.) But the real thing that keeps a song like "I'm Gone" off my year-end list is that it doesn't have an element of songwriting. Point Juncture, Wa., a mutual favorite band of ours, incorporates the indie aspects of "I'm Gone" with noise-rock, and they still manage to build a real craftsmanship into what they do. "I'm Gone" sounds kind of like "Chlorine" to me, just slower and less exciting. 

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the list of things I got wrong this year...

- Jesse

[javnajesse-blog]

The secret motivation in our search for new music is that indescribable feeling when we find a song--by some random artist we've never heard of--that's absolutely perfect. When we first stumbled upon Jessie Ware's "Runnin" earlier this year, that's how we felt. (As it turns out, her entire album, Devotion, is a gem, but we'll save that discussion for our upcoming "Best of 2012" lists.)

"Runnin" is, on the one hand, a catchy call-out to 80s smooth R&B in the mold of Sade. But on the other, it's a tour-de-force of modern musical craftsmanship, showcasing a truly incredible balance of sultry vocals, succinct songwriting and flawless production. Ware holds back from breaking out her impressive vocal chops until a few measures from the end, but by then we're already sold, ready to lose it all.