Its easy for people, myself included, to have gaping blind spots in music. Sometimes you aren't nearly as familiar as you should be with a particular genre, or maybe an artist has just managed to pass you by despite their popularity. For me though, I think my biggest issue is time-related. Don't get me wrong, I know all the names, but the classics -- especially from before the 80s -- are mostly alien to me. So I decided to make a project out of rectifying that by going through the best albums of each decade (according to Album of the Year's user base as of 18/2/25) and documenting my experience.
There are some additional criteria that I have laid out to make it a little easier to talk about albums that are outside of my comfort zone though:
Maximum of two instrumental albums per decade
Only albums with a user score higher than 80 qualify
Two albums per artist per decade (or as I like to call it: The Beatles rule)
Primarily anglophonic albums only
I hope this is as interesting an idea for you as it is for me. If so, I hope you'll join me as I cover my blindspots, and maybe help you cover some of yours too!
This is an adaptation of a post on my website (chaosincurate.blog) and will be best viewed over there. But if you'd like to follow the series here on Tumblr, you can click on the tags below to find each decade's post when it's published. Unfortunately it's impossible to do circular links here as the links break when a post is edited, so this is the best option I could think of.
This album is surely one of the albums I've referred to the most since starting this blog over on Tumblr two years ago, and I have no qualms with that at all. Apart from just slowly, over time, becoming one of my favourite albums of the decade so far I've decided to write this post for two reasons: one, to really lay out why I love this album so much; and two, to have something to link to in the constantly recurring event that I find myself needing or wanting to discuss it. So lets get into it shall we?
But before we get started, just a brief note to say that this was written for my website, chaosincurate.blog, and is better formatted there. Here's a link if you want to check it out! Also, this is a rewrite of an early post of mine that I'm not a huge fan of. I think it was clunkily written and didn't put across what I find so special about this album. It's so drastically rewritten that I decided to keep my older post up. It can still be found on my Tumblr if you're curious enough to scroll through.
Jubilee & The Tortured Artist Trope
I will get into the track-by-track in a second, but some albums are so much more than the sum of their parts, and this is a very strong example. The album doesn't stick to any particular theme too strongly, but it does seem to have a clear aim: to legitimize happy music in the indie scene.
It is an unfortunate fact that, while most genres (and many mediums too, for that matter) have latched on pretty hard to the idea of pain being a necessity for good art, indie music seems to be particularly wrapped up in the mythology of the tortured artist. To be clear, I don't personally think negativity in art is inherently bad, and neither does Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner by the looks of it, but there is definitely an overrepresentation of depression and anger in art, which I would argue has had a negative effect on music and it's fans in a perpetual, self-fueling spiral. Allow me to explain using a Cobra Effect analogy...
For those who aren't aware of the story, it goes something like this: In colonial India, there was an unsustainably high number of Cobras. The government, in an attempt to crack down on these Cobras, issued a bounty on them. Anyone that brought them a dead Cobra would be rewarded. In response, the citizens started creating Cobra farms, increasing the snake population and endangering themselves to get constant rewards from the government. Now, that story probably isn't true, but it holds a lot of rhetorical value, and I think it's apt to compare it to the relationship between expression of negative emotion in artistry and compensation for art.
Artists initially started expressing negative emotion to work through those emotions using a healthy outlet and eventually they started getting rewarded for it, being considered brave and artistic (and the fact it often helped others to work through those same feelings helped too). You may consider that a fitting reward for the artists bravery, but after a while it became a market in and of itself. If you were willing to express your negative emotions (or even just pretend to), you would be rewarded for it. There was a market that was ready to connect to your music on a very deep level and they would extol your virtues with the loyalty of someone with a life debt.
Artists soon realized that if you could farm negativity within yourself (or, again, convincingly pretend to), you would be rewarded handsomely, and most acted accordingly, pumping out pained ballad after pained ballad for the misery machine. Some of that would happen without the incentive, and some of it is my favourite music of all time, but the incentive cannot be ignored. We (the artists and the consumers of that art) have created an environment in which misery is romanticized and joy is stigmatized, with the sole exception of pop music which, thanks to a recent shift, seems to have a pretty balanced representation of emotions.
So this is what Jubilee stands in opposition to: not sadness in music, but the infatuation with that sadness. Jubilee says "I like sad music too, but there's more to life to explore in art". It rejects the lazy creativity of misery farming and strives to tap into a broader perspective on life, providing a stance on why the misery is worth living through. And that statement is made most strongly with the opening track.
Paprika
Paprika isn't the most popular song from this album. It might not even be top 3 (according to last.fm it's 4th), but I feel it should be. To me, while this song isn't the catchiest thing on the album, it has the potential to make a real positive impact on indie music (much like the album as a whole, just with wider reach). It also works as an excellent introduction to the album, so it may have even made the record more successful too if this song were given a push. But the song still exists and is considered a powerful piece of art by those who have listened to it, so let's delve into what is so special about this song.
Starting off with the lyrics, this is some of my favourite writing, definitely in music, and quite possibly in any form of media. It is everything I gushed about in the opening section of the post laid out in evocative lyrical perfection. It isn't entirely happy or sad, but instead approaches joy in a nuanced way, acknowledging that when joy is felt strongly it can come with a depressive hangover, but all the while insists upon the exhilarating rush of joy and that it is worth the pang of pain of immediate nostalgia you may feel afterwards.
The song has so much density of meaning, and everything is conveyed in such a clear and beautiful way. It's a perfect paragon of positive lyricism.
"
Lucidity came slowly
I awoke from dreams of untying a great knot
It unraveled like a braid into what seemed were thousands of separate strands of fishing line
Attached to a coarse behaviour it flowed
A calm, it urged "what else is here?"
"
But while the lyrics may be the highlight of this song for me, the instrumental from which the title comes (evoking a similar marching band sound to that of the anime of the same name) is also exceptional, unraveling in this magical way, with layered synths introducing you to the album, lulling you into a state of euphoric relaxation before a bright, bubbling melody brings in the previously mentioned marching band to a joyous pomp. The song develops fairly naturally from there with an added sprinkle of absurdist, wonky synthwork, but those first few moments are so incredibly powerful that the song could rely on that opening entirely and be a worthwhile listen.
If you only listen to one song from Jubilee, I highly recommend you make it this one. Is it the most fun song on the album? Not at all. But it encapsulates what the album is about so well, and is so important for the space in music that it occupies that I believe it should be the priority. If you also feel like having fun though, the next song has more than it's fair share...
Be Sweet
From an ode to joy to the most joyous-sounding song on the album. Be Sweet isn't easy to categorize thematically. Falling somewhere between a love song and a breakup song, the protagonist is asking for their partner to "be sweet" so that they can move on and be happy together. There is an everpresent acknowledgement that she is willing to leave should their partner not change their ways, but that she'd rather not have to do so. She loves her significant other, but the relationship has become untenable in it's current state. The balance is handled really well and paints a satisfyingly nuanced picture.
Sound wise, it really hones in on a carefree feeling which does wonders for that balanced "I'm going to be happy with or without you" impression you get from the lyrics, channeling funk and 80's synthpop aesthetics to help prop up that "Tell the men I'm coming" side of the song, but which can also be viewed as a celebration of a renewed relationship. It strikes an exceptional balance while also asserting itself as, by far, the most fun song on the album.
Kokomo, IN
As great as Be Sweet is, it does create a problem for the album (quite possibly the only problem I have) in that the sequencing is a little awkward following it, with the next track, Kokomo, IN, taking a sharp turn into the slow and wistful that feels a little jarring.
But a jarring switch up on track 3 or 4 isn't rare at all, with the album's introductory excitement wearing off and a change being required but with album's often going too big for their own good. What really sabotages an album is that track switch coming in the form of a lesser song, or not navigating the sequencing well from there. And thankfully I don't think the former is much of an issue, as while the song may not be my favourite on the album, it is still a clear example of Japanese Brakfast's knack for invoking the perfect emotion with sound. The feeling of nostalgic yearning and stasis is palpable here, and the balance of frustration and appreciation is handled shockingly well.
So that begs the question: how does it navigate the sequencing from there?
Slide Tackle
Exceptionally. The transition from a wistful, slow ballad to a plucky, somewhat dance-tinged song is an absolute masterstroke. It suits the album perfectly while setting up the rest of the album's sequencing well and does a great job of reinforcing the theme of joy, even as it tackles the subject of doubts or some harmful thought process preventing the protagonist from living life to the fullest.
It's absolutely still a hopeful song though, as the lyrics seem to imply a temporariness to the struggle, and the music itself begins upbeat and ends in full-on triumph. While it doesn't explicitly say what happens to the subject of the song, there is a strong emphasis on the positive, on hope, and an implication that it either does or will end up alright.
Posing In Bondage
This one is another highlight of the album for me. It creates a harsh soundscape, but one that you feel secluded and insulated from. As if you are wrapped in a loving cocoon amongst a harsh world. And that is about as fitting as it gets for an ode to the power of monogamy that also acknowledges it's downfalls. It's so beautiful it gives me chills.
"
When the world divides into two people
Those who have felt pain
And those who have yet to
And I can't unsee it
Although I would like to
Posing in bondage
I hope you come home soon
"
While the lyrics (partially lifted from Michelle Zauner's excellent book Crying In H Mart) seem to suggest that there is a negative tension within the relationship, you also get the impression that it is still very healthy and loving and that the tension ultimately strengthens their bond. That the short-term sacrifice of a lack of closeness and proximity creates an even stronger intimacy in the long run. It's a uniquely nuanced and subtle piece of writing from a very gifted writer who excels at nuance in dialectical writing.
Sit
This one is thematically similar in a lot of ways to the previous track. It is once again about yearning for connection, but it's played a lot more straight, and the implication here is not that the people in the song are in a long-term relationship, but rather that it is pure fantasy, whether about a total stranger or an estranged lover.
"
Caught up in the idea of someone
Caught up in the idea of you
That's done too soon
"
These lyrics are backed by noisy, dreamy synths in the verses that give way to a relatively minimalist and pleasant guitar in the chorus as the yearning turns to fantasizing.
It's a beautiful piece of music, albeit uniquely direct compared to the rest of the album, and manages to avoid feeling redundant, at least to me, following a similar track by virtue of pure quality. It might not be a highlight of the album like the songs that bookend it, but it is a song that the album would be worse off for not having.
Savage Good Boy
Savage Good Boy is an upbeat, tongue-in-cheek song about the rich escaping the consequences of apocalypse while offering a love interest the same escape in return for a romantic relationship. There is a lot of thematic depth packed into this little song too, from the endless pursuit of money and the pleasures it buys to the spoiled obsession that excess creates.
"
I wanna make the money till there's no more to be made
And we will be so wealthy I'm absolved from questioning
"
Before I move on and talk about the instrumental a bit more, I'd like to point something out about the above lines that expose something important about the song more broadly: the self-centredness. This song is barely about the love interest at all. It is the most self-obsessed love song I've ever heard and I don't think that is an accident at all. It reflects the fact that the narrator doesn't really feel love for this woman. He feels a desire, not to be with her, but to have her play a role in his pursuit of patriarchal success, by any means necessary. He doesn't want to build a life around this woman, he wants her to slot neatly into his life inside his "billion dollar bunker for two". It is a subtle thing that is woven throughout the song and makes the satire even more piercing.
Now, as promised, a little about the sound of the song. For the most part, it's a pretty straightforward indie pop song, but there are a few elements added in to give it personality. Most notably, the backing vocals have been pitched up and it gives the song a very childish vibe, adding to and reinforcing the petulance implied within the lyrics. Another touch that does much of the same is that shrieking distortion on the guitar at the end of the song. A high-pitched guitar would probably do the trick on it's own, but the distortion seems to instill the feeling that there are stakes to this childish brat's demands and/or the meltdowns following a rejection of them. Once again, a song from Japanese Breakfast that paints a detailed picture with simple methods.
In Hell
While the album as a whole is about joy, this song is a downer through and through. Michelle Zauner has demonstrated on several occasions that she knows how to write about death, and this song is perhaps the finest example of that. It feels clinically brutal, as the lyrics allude to.
"
And under the fluorescents
Another sterile room where no one ever
Tells you just how clinical death looks
"
The song is just a constant flurry of lyrics that run the gamut of emotions felt in a situation like being the one to okay the death of a loved one who is unable to make that call for themselves. It's blunt. It's brutal. It's unfair. It's riddled with unwarranted, but totally understandable, guilt and I for one can't help but feel a hole carve out where my heart once was before it was savagely torn from my chest.
"
Face to face
And at my hands I snowed you in
With hydrocodone
Layer by layer 'til you disappeared
"
Tactics
Next, we thankfully return to a more positive place: a place of understanding in spite of frustration. The song is about Michelle Zauner's relationship with her father after the death of her mother. It doesn't let him off the hook for his actions (namely, the distancing of himself from his daughter in a traumatic time in both of their lives), but it also acknowledges the hardship that brought about this awful pattern of behaviour. It doesn't just stop there though, as it gets introspective too, recognizing the good it has done for her (making her a less naive person when it comes to connecting with others) and the negative (the excess of that lack of naivety turning into an unhealthy distrust).
Adding to the very thoughtful depiction of these feelings is the instrumental which feels peaceful and meditative, but in a way that borders on anthemic somehow. It's a beautiful balance of the excitement needed to keep the listener engaged at this point while also centering the lyrics and doing what is best for the song first and foremost.
I think this serves as an important moment for the album's thesis. Much like how Dead Poets Society derives it's narrative power from the characters who most reject it and test it's statements, Jubilee might fall short if not for the fact that Michelle Zauner is testing her capacity for positive thinking by focussing on someone she likely feels a lot of resentment for. And that could just as easily make the album's message work convincingly as it could make it fall apart, but Michelle Zauner once again proves her talent for writing by, as mentioned earlier, putting forth an understanding picture of the situation that feels sincere. It's not entirely flattering, but it remains positive without feeling forced, which is the best thing she could possibly do to convince you of the album's thesis.
Posing For Cars
In the album's closer, the focus shifts back to the most accepted form of positivity within music: love. But Japanese Breakfast wouldn't be content with a simple love song, so instead, Michelle Zauner finds the nuance in her relationship with another person to write about with an added sincerity. As the title implies, there's a discomfort there, it's messy, not ideal, but the love doesn't falter, even as there is a clear rift in the forms their respective expressions of love take. The narrator is excitable in love, frantic, limerent, maybe even needy, while her partner is more laid-back, still loving, but in a way that doesn't need to reaffirm itself. It doesn't feel like the relationship is one-sided, even if the narrator describes a situation where she loves more actively than the other person, instead it feels like the pair compliment each other's personalities to make them a great couple with a love that can stand the test of time.
So that's why I feel as though Jubilee is one of the most important albums for the music industry, particularly the indie music scene. It is a collection of odes to positivity that don't feel forced and fake, but instead strike the necessary balance to make each song feel like a representation of a real perspective on life that can actually be sustainably replicated. It makes positivity feel like not just the right way of going about life, but a possible way of living life, and a way that doesn't make you fake or boring. On the contrary, there is so much sincerity, nuance, introspection, and intelligence in this album that it puts Morrissey to shame (as much as I respect his writing too). The tortured artist isn't dead, but they aren't royalty to be heralded either.
Thank you for reading my hyperfixated ramble about one of my favourite albums, I hope you got something out of it, and if you haven't already, I hope you give Jubilee a listen. Her/their album before it, Soft Sounds From Another Planet is great too, albeit not as thematically rich, and if you're up for it, it'd make for great listening ahead of their new album's release.
A lot of bands claim that they do all sorts of music, that they aren't tied to genre, that they are wayfarers, explorers of all music has to offer. But no popular band quite walks the walk like The 1975 do. They are still anchored loosely to the indie-pop sphere, but they have also gone quite deep into electronic music, dabbled in jazz, gone full on R&B, and much more. That makes them a great band to get familiar with if you want to use indie music as a launching pad to listen to other genres, as you get to taste test a banquet of genres and styles to see what appeals immediately and explore it. So if you want to learn more about the band or just generally read my ramblings about this band's discography, then you're in the right place.
The 1975
Kind of like: R.E.M, The Cure (the poppy stuff), Wallows, Declan McKenna
Songs to try: Chocolate, The City, Robbers, Menswear
Click here for the full feature
i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
Kind of like: Michael Jackson, The Human League, Sell-out era Bowie, Tears For Fears
Songs to try: The Sound (trust me, give it a real chance), Paris, Somebody Else
Click here for the full feature
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
Kind of like: Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers, post-2010 Paramore, Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast, The Japanese House
Songs to try: Love It If We Made It, Sincerity Is Scary, I Like America & America Likes Me
Click here for the full feature
Notes On a Conditional Form
Kind of like: Burial, late Radiohead, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships... (idk, this album is a lot)
Songs to try: If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know), What Should I Say, People
Click here for the full feature
Being Funny In a Foreign Language
Kind of like: Bleachers, late Vampire Weekend, Billie Joel
Songs to try: Part of the Band, Oh Caroline, I'm In Love With You
Note: this post was made for my website, and I believe that is the best way to read this post! For the linkphobes, I did my best to replicate the quality of the formatting here, but if you want to see the original, you can follow this link to check it out. Thanks and enjoy!
As I assemble my top 20 albums and songs from this year, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some songs and albums that did a very specific thing well this year. Some of these superlatives will be about the songs more objective qualities, while some will be about how they fit into my broader listening this year, but all of them, I feel, deserve attention for their own unique qualities.
If you want to listen to my favourites as you read along, I've made a companion playlist on Apple Music (with auto-synced versions available on Spotify and YouTube). Linked here!
Most underrated album of the year
Criteria: This is the album I feel has gone most unfairly under the radar. It might be an album that isn't talked about enough, or one that is talked about, but not as highly as I believe it should be. Or maybe even a combination of both.
Los Campesinos! - All Hell
Kind of like: Gang of Youths, Death Cab for Cutie
Songs to try: The Coin-Op Guillotine, A Psychic Wound, To Hell in a Handjob
If your thing is indie rock with great emo lyricism and a buried but noticeable punk streak, this album should absolutely be on your radar. This album is witty, depressing, masochistic, sadistic, frustrated, and so much more, all while still being an exciting and mostly coherent listen. It's one of those albums that has that perfect balance between the in-depth, something-new-every-listen approach and the immediate, fun, catchy approach which makes it great to listen to regardless of the level of focus you can afford it (although, as ever, I recommend a focused first listen).
Concept Album of the Year
Criteria: The album which I feel has the most interesting concept and/or execution of that concept which is explored over the course of it's runtime.
Honourable Mention: Lupe Fiasco - Samurai
Just an honourable mention here first. I didn't really connect with this album as much as I would have thought, and I think the execution of the concept seems a little lacking, at least on first few listens, but I couldn't talk about concepts of the year without discussing the album which dives into Amy Winehouse's hypothetical rap career. It's such an interesting concept, and I hope it is more embedded in the music than I can see after my first couple listens, because it's exactly the type of concept I'd love to get on board with.
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Kind of like: Japanese Breakfast, a moodier Dua Lipa, Carly Rae Jepsen
Songs to try: Killing Time, Image, Love Is Everywhere
There's so much to love about this album, and you'll definitely find out more about that if you catch my top 20 albums list that'll be coming out sometime in the new year. Sticking to the album's concept though, the concept is somewhat open to interpretation I think, but I'm fairly confident in my personal reading of it, which is that it's an album about cultural assimilation of some kind. Broadly, it is undoubtedly about a transformation, but how sinister (or not) that transformation is is largely left up to the listener.
On first listen, I considered it a positive transformation, probably due to the album closing on the happy love song The Ballad of Matt & Mica, but on repeat listens I picked up on some less happy undertones. Or more accurately, undertones that were too happy. It gave me Stepford Wives vibes, and my current interpretation as of writing this is that the album is from the perspective of someone who undergoes a transformation from a regular human with flaws and expectations into an eerie, overly-smooth version of themselves, a Stepford Wife that fits in perfectly at the expense of individuality, in order to attain the "dream" of a spouse, a house, and kids to run around it.
With both interpretations, though, one thing (other than the broader theme of transformation) remains the same: excellence in execution. It's almost reminiscent of how David Bowie's "Heroes" similarly has various valid interpretations that all feel powerful (a phenomenon I wrote about here, if you feel like checking it out).
Boundary Breaker
Criteria: This one doesn't have to necessarily be a groundbreaking release, it just needs to force me out of my comfort zone. This is the album that introduced me to a genre or style of music that I previously considered in some way out of bounds.
Charli xcx - BRAT
Songs to try: 360, Von dutch, Talk talk
I have so much to say about this one. It's an incredible album with so much interesting stuff going on, and as I mentioned with the Magdalena Bay album, there'll be plenty more on my top 20 albums list coming soon, but for the purposes of this list, I'll keep it about what this album did that was new to me.
This wasn't quite my first electronic album -- for starters it's a broad enough term that you could argue anything with a synth falls under it -- but full on EDM was something I never thought I'd be able to enjoy, even when my concern of there generally not being any lyrics is addressed. So for that reason, when I saw Charli xcx starting to blow up in the build up to this album I just rolled my eyes dismissively and moved on. Then I kept hearing about it and got curious what all the fuss was about, so I watched the Von dutch video and... I still didn't get it. I thought the video was really cool, but the song itself did nothing for me. Then, a month or so later, I had the song on repeat and ended up listening to it over 20 times in a matter of days (which is a lot for me, I tend to like a bit more variety) and listening to every post-transformation Charli xcx album before this album released.
And that's the strange thing about this for me: it was Von dutch that did it for me. It wasn't something stripped back enough to be accessible like 360, and it wasn't something somewhat similar to the likes of The 1975's sound like Talk talk, for example. It wasn't even one of the ballads. It was the most abrasive and unapologetically electronic cut of the album outside of the closer 365 or maybe B2b (both of which are probably top 5 on the album for me too). Maybe we should chalk that up to Charli xcx being an extremely talented woman, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that some of her less noticeable influences align with my own. Either way, I couldn't be happier that I gave this album a shot. It really impressed me.
Although, I am now left with an itch for EDM-adjacent music that can match this album which also has some focus on lyrics and it turns out that just isn't that common from what I can tell, so I guess it's a mixed blessing.
Bop of the Year
Criteria: My favourite song for getting me up and moving. It's on the lighter, more upbeat side.
Honourable Mention: Kendrick Lamar - tv off
There weren't many bops this year that really blew me away, if I'm being totally honest. Espresso was a solid contender, but it was weaker than I would like for it to be my choice here. Thankfully though, Kendrick is here to supply (spoilers) two -- and arguably more -- absolutely generational bops. This is my slightly less beloved bop, but even this is chock-full of incredibly catchy bars, and that beat is just so fucking sweet, and the switch? Every single detail is exactly as it needs to be to succeed as a bop. Its never been so challenging to not move.
Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us
The only person that can top Kendrick Lamar: K. Dot. Basically everything that I said about tv off can be said about Not Like Us, but the latter is also funnier, and feels more righteous, as it tears the biggest rapper alive (at the time, he's no longer alive) to shreds, calling him out for pedophilia (or at least close proximity to it), cultural appropriation, and exploitation of contemporaries.
It was the moment we knew, for sure, that the beef was done. Drake got cooked and Kendrick ate every crumb. It wasn't even close in the end. Everything just came together so perfectly on Kendrick's side as if he had been planning it all for years (which I wouldn't be too shocked by considering the impetus for the beef was seemingly a compliment? Just one that maybe implied that the "big three" were all on the same level?). And this song is the perfect cherry on top of his master-plan.
Euphoria told us Kendrick was here for the beef beyond the verse on Like That, 6:16 in LA told Drake he was here for the beef, Meet the Grahams told us why he was here for the beef, and Not Like Us made all those reasons accessible, fun, and, to the most success, funny. Without any of those previous steps, this might not have hit so hard, but after the severity of the claims was laid out so clearly in previous songs this one became both powerful and infectious.
Jam of the Year
Criteria: My favourite vibey, laid back song. Just a groovy, chill listen.
Honourable Mention: Charli xcx - So i
Okay, maybe this doesn't quite fit the description of a jam that I laid out above, but I think it's fair to say the song is a jam (unless you're one of those disgusting individuals who believe "ballad" is a distinct category. Those people make me sick). It's a pretty minimalist beat that props up a beautiful tribute to a friend and mentor who passed away. Frankly, this deserves some love from me purely on the basis that it gets me teary-eyed. Every time I dare to give this song my full attention the line about turning down an invite to stay for dinner punches me in the gut. It's such a mundane expression of regret, but that's exactly what makes it hit so hard, I think. The fact that everyone has been the person concerned they're overstaying their welcome, or not wanting to spend time with their loved ones for whatever reason and missed the chance to get even closer to them makes the lines critical of your actions in the same way they're critical of Charli's. It's a very powerful moment in a powerful song, and the whole minimalist sound of the track makes sure you feel it.
Kendrick Lamar - reincarnated
This is the perfect example of a hip-hop jam. A simple drum beat, a chill bassline to keep things moving, and restrained melodic hooks. It creates a beautiful backdrop to Kendrick's thoughtful commentary on how fame has influenced his predecessors towards evil and an undesirable death, to then turn that on him, as he reflects on the ways he is influenced by those same forces.
Banger of the Year
Criteria: My favourite song for giving me neck pain or hearing loss. The real blood-pumpers.
Honourable Mention: JPEGMAFIA - don't rely on other men
This is JPEGMAFIA at his abrasive best. The distortion on this track is downright ridiculous, but as ever Peggy knows how to get the balance perfect to make it sweet without going overboard and making it sickly. The Succession sample that runs through the song is bonkers, the lyrics (which aren't typically the focus with JPEGMAFIA's music due to the excellence of his production) are in-your-face and surprisingly catchy to me.
I think it probably helps that the song leans less into the rocky sound that the rest of the album has (as much as I love that sound), because Peggy has always excelled when it came to bangers. His tried and true maximalist sound is the perfect formula for hearing loss in hip-hop and I don't think an album of his would feel complete without at least one of these.
Charli xcx - Von dutch
I talked a bit about this in the Boundary Breaker section, so I'll keep this brief, but the special thing about this track is the production for me. It isn't a maximalist piece like the honourable mention at all, there are very few elements in this song, but the way the bass and vocals are distorted, and the presence that unsettling metallic shrieking sound that kicks in at the chorus has makes the mix seem so full but keeps things extremely memorable to the point where (if I was talented enough to create those sounds in the first place) I could probably recreate the song by memory and get it pretty accurate. For what it's worth, I believe 360 is very similar in that regard. If it wasn't clear that Charli and co. are masters of their craft before, I think the likes of this track settled it.
Favourite Finds of 2024
Criteria: My favourite album and song that I discovered this year that isn't a new release. It might be a massive release I only got around to listening to critically this year, or maybe it's a niche release that few people know about. So long as it wasn't initially released this year, but I only gave it a real listen this year, it counts.
Song pick
Madonna - Papa Don't Preach
If I hadn't gotten around to a proper listen of Madonna's music so late in the year, I probably would have made a think-piece on her legacy by now, because I was very shocked to find out just how huge and influential she was in her prime considering how little she seems to get mentioned now. Of course I knew she was an icon, and I knew there were a few songs I had heard in passing, and even a few that I quite liked to the limited extent I can when I'm not really paying attention to it, but I got the overwhelming feeling that we aren't giving Madonna her flowers nowadays.
This song in particular is probably pushing up against the boundaries of this superlative though, because this was always the Madonna song that stuck with me whenever I heard it on the radio, and I was already pretty familiar with it before my first critical listen (which did still come this year). I already knew I loved it, I just had to pay enough attention to pick out the details about why, and now I can point to the groovy, energetic bassline; the solid lyrics that incidentally highlight how new the abortion moral panic truly is; and Madonna's dynamic vocal performance that runs the gamut, switching seamlessly but impressively between a glitzy pop voice to an impassioned and strained pleading to a growl, giving the song a beautiful rising intensity. It's fun, it's catchy, it's got an interesting premise and some added depth if you're paying attention... Pop just doesn't get much better than this.
Album Pick
MF DOOM - MM.. FOOD
Kind of like: Lupe Fiasco, King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn
Songs to try: Vomitspit, Rapp Snitch Knishes, Kookies
Does a hip-hop album with a classic sound that revolves around food metaphors and double entendres appeal to you? If it does, go nuts, this album is perfect for you. If it sounds a bit cheesy for your tastes, that's fair, I felt the same way at first. But regardless of how skeptical you may be of the album's theme, you'll be asking for seconds before you're done with the entrée. And those seconds will turn to minutes which will turn to hours as you dive deeper, picking up a new stroke of genius every time you give this album a listen.
I'm not exactly sure how many times I've listened to this album now, but I've been going back to it often throughout the year after my first listen early in the year and I still don't feel like I've scratched the surface. I've still only listened to a handful of DOOM's albums for this reason, they're all just so dense that every album, especially this one, is a gift that keeps on giving. Whenever I think about listening to a new album of his, I end up deciding to listen to the albums I already know because I know there's still some novelty buried away in there and I already know I love it. It's either the best curse or worst blessing I could ask for, but either way I'm thankful to my past self for giving me a chance to fall in love with it.
So there are my picks! As mentioned earlier, a top 20 albums will be coming in the new year if you still want to hear more about my favourites of the year, and I'll also try to get a top 20 songs list done before January is over too. And if you want an easy way to listen to the stuff I mentioned here, here's the link again to the companion playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube, as well as at the top of the page (note: there may be some sync errors on the latter two services). Enjoy!
The Cure have always been stylistically gothic, and have always had elements of gothicism in their music, but for many (including myself before I started getting into them properly) they are musically defined in contrast to that aesthetic. The group of goths making upbeat pop music is the version of The Cure most people know. Sandwiched between the new-wave hit Boy's Don't Cry and their later cult-pop resurgence, though, is a full-on goth phase which made it all the way to the music itself. Throughout this phase, they built the groundwork for what would become their strange, elusive legacy, starting with
Seventeen Seconds
I feel comfortable suggesting that this is the beginning of The Cure's musical goth phase, but it is worth adding the caveat that there is still a healthy dose of new-wave pep left over from their first outings here. It makes for a very interesting listen and a fantastic introduction to this version of The Cure for the fans of the poppier stuff that want to give their darker stuff a try. It's a balance that I think is achieved with more perceivable intention on later releases, but whether it was a case of residual flavour being incidentally left in the wok, or whether this was seasoned purposely to include that taste, it makes for a good listen.
It's not an album I'd consider one of the best from The Cure, but it is just one step below that, I would say. A must-listen for a prospective Cure fan, but not a must-listen as a passerby. And it serves a very useful purpose in their discography as the transition album between two very disparate styles within alternative music, and it navigates that chasm with impressive grace.
Faith
The last of the remnants of joy have been erased here. This is a cold, gothic landscape. This album is the first time The Cure were truly, and entirely gothic. There's a melancholy to the sound here, as if the instruments were despondent and going through the motions. To be clear, that isn't at all a criticism. What it's lacking in thrills, it offers in emotional resonance for those wanting to wallow in their misery, as well as a platform for Robert Smith's expressive vocal performances and cryptic lyricism.
It's a great album, but the unfortunate fact for me is that it is still fairly difficult to recommend. It's a consistently good album, and the band seem comfortable in their new skin, but there isn't a clear highlight on this album. They're comfortable, but maybe not confident enough to really knock anyone's socks off yet. At least in my opinion. But that would soon change with their next album:
Pornography
When even remote tribes that got given access to the internet get hooked on your album, you know you've done something right. (Note to self: consider the passage of time when making jokes about trending topics)
In my opinion, this is the first truly great album The Cure have made. They took the clear, focused intent of the previous album and elevated it to the point that they made a masterpiece. The simple instrumentals of Faith, as good as they were on that album, give way to a more affecting, oppressive, borderline overwhelming soundscape that sticks with you like nothing they've made to this point, perhaps with the exception of an individual song here and there.
To put it simply, The Cure finally feel like they've found a unique identity. I referred to Faith as the point in which they feel comfortable in their skin, and to continue that metaphor, Pornography feels, ironically, like they've found the clothes they like. Feeling comfortable in your skin is important, but your skin doesn't say a whole lot about you as a person. Your style though? That can say a lot about who you are and who you want to be. It's a strong form of identity affirmation and communication, and that is the importance of this album. Anyone could have come along and made Faith, but only The Cure could have made Pornography
As far as recommendations go, I think this one is pretty straightforward: if you have any interest in The Cure's goth rock stuff, this is required listening. It's easily in the top 3 must-listen albums from them for me.
Next Week...
Next week will be the pop phase. That's to be released on 6th September 2024 at midnight BST. If you're far enough in the future, congrats! It's out already!
These introductions are about to get a lot more difficult to write. As much as I would love to be able to sum up every decade in a neat way, the modern music landscape that has at this point been more or less finalized, is just so broad that there is little to bring it all together. One thing that does seem to define the 80s though, in contrast to previous decades, is the size of everything. All the albums here command your attention and, while they all do something different with it, they also all share the quality of being maximalist. Of not shying away from excess. This is where the final piece of the modern music puzzle was added: this is where music became fun and playful.
Quick interruption before we get into the meat of the post, as usual, you can find this post better formatted on my website. You can also get access to my posts as soon as they're published instead of waiting for me to have the time to adapt it to a Tumblr post. That being said, all the words are the same there as they are here, so if you'd prefer to stay here, that should be totally fine
Sade - Diamond Life
Kind of like: SZA, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye
Songs to try: Smooth Operator, When Am I Going to Make a Living?, Hang On to Your Love
I won't say that this album is the biggest surprise of the project so far because I knew going in that Sade was a big deal commercially and critically, but it is certainly the biggest hit amongst the albums I'm not familiar with up until this point. It is extremely rare for me to listen to an artist for the first time and just get it but how could I not in this case? Sade is such a confident and talented vocalist, and her lyrics have that strange blend of personal and small-scale stakes with that feeling that it implicitly represents the culture of a place and time (in this case London in the 80s). It paints a picture of material excess but emotional poverty: the Diamond Life, you might say.
I would be remiss to not follow up that previous observation with a musical one, as the sound of this album couldn't be more in line with the theme of surface level excess and underlying emotional yearning. Sade's classy, smooth vocals, the saxophone dancing atop the songs, even the synths that sound bright but hollow, it all creates an atmosphere of luxurious emptiness, as if Sade is a singer in an upscale establishment pleading with a distracted, uninterested crowd to move their focus from economic to personal growth.
There are a lot of people who I could very confidently recommend this album to, but I think it would particularly appeal to people who like slower, more thoughtful pop music. Whether that's the raw sound of Adele's ballads, the slightly artsier, slow cuts from The 1975's discography, or even the sad girl stuff if you aren't opposed to something a little more hopeful, I think there is a chance that you wouldn't have heard Sade's stuff yet and would really enjoy it.
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Kind of like: The Cure, The Stone Roses, New Order
Songs to try: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Queen Is Dead
I've known and loved this album for a while now. It was one of the first albums to really define my taste in music when I started to really discover stuff for myself. Because of that, I might be blinded by sentimentality here, but I truly believe this is a 10. It defined an era both sonically and culturally. Similarly to how Sade's album seemed to implicitly represent the culture within the posher parts of London at the time, this album seems to represent a more northern, proletarian perspective. One of waning hope in dire times. Put together they really demonstrate the stark contrast between the haves and have-nots in the country at the time.
Back to this album specifically though, while it never speaks explicitly about culture or politics (at least outside of a somewhat explicit critique of the monarchy in the title track), it is present across the entire album in it's general mood and essence. When it is sincere, it speaks of a severe lack of belonging or hope. A loneliness, and seemingly eternal lack of direction in life. When it isn't sincere, it has a wry, cynical, sarcastic sense of humour that refuses to believe in anything.
I guess, to sum it up, the album paints a complete picture of hopelessness and depression. One that doesn't just focus on how it responds to the bad, but also how it twists the good and neutral into negatives too, or failing that, rejects any potential optimism that can arise. I think that is what has made (and continues to make) this album so attractive to people who themselves are struggling: it paints a full picture. Depression isn't as simple as everything being awful all the time. Sometimes, oftentimes even, there is a dark pleasure taken in the killing of hope. A sense that your pessimism makes you smarter and better prepared than others, and there is often a joy in that belief.
I think if this album is for you it will have found you already, but just in case it hasn't, if you like indie music at all, enjoy britpop, or any number of related genres, this is a must-listen. If you are interested in listening to indie music and its new to you, this is one of the greatest, most quintessential indie albums ever made. If you enjoy the somewhat comedic, depressing lyricism of the likes of Elliott Smith, Phoebe Bridgers, or any other artists inspired by those two, I highly recommend The Smiths in general. If you are depressed and looking to understand yourself, I'd recommend therapy, but this album will also help and will be a lot cheaper. Again, maybe this is just the sentimentality speaking, but I believe this album is damn near best-in-class regarding everything it represents. It's a masterpiece.
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
Kind of like: Björk, St. Vincent, David Bowie
Songs to try: Sat In Your Lap, Pull Out the Pin, Suspended In Gaffa
To this day I don't think there has been a popstar to match the strangeness of Kate Bush, and this album is a testament to the power of her avant-garde approach to pop music. The music manages to often be rewarding to listen to while still being incredibly unique and almost alien. It sounds as if the songs started off as Dua Lipa-esque, extremely fun pop music that sticks to convention to be as immediately rewarding as possible, but which it's creators tried to sabotage with awkward vocal takes and an out there sonic palette made up of some really strange sound effects. The thing is though, it's difficult to sabotage something that is amazing at it's core. The result is, as I mentioned, an album that is extremely rewarding despite itself.
Stranger still is the fact that, unlike some successful weirdos of the past (Bowie comes to mind especially), it's difficult with Kate Bush to identify the poppy aspects of the music. The feeling is there, but it doesn't feel like any aspect of it is in any way a compromise. To clarify, I don't think that compromise is inherently bad, and part of what I really appreciate about Bowie is his instinct for when and when not to compromise, but the fact that something so uncompromised doesn't just exist, but that it is so widely known and adored is so encouraging, and makes for an amazing listen for pop heads and freaks alike.
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Genre: Metal
Song to try: For Whom the Bell Tolls
It's probably a little too late for a critical failure of this format to occur to me, but I noticed one as I was trying to find something to say about this album: if I'm unfamiliar with a certain type of music, not only am I likely to struggle when trying to understand an album's appeal, but I also won't be able to fall back on praising it for it's influence.
It's not that I don't see anything good about this album -- for one thing I didn't expect to praise a metal album for the noise it didn't make, but a lot of songs here make great use of silence, where the chugging guitars feel even more impactful because they keep cutting off, and I also just really like For Whom the Bell Tolls for some reason -- but it doesn't come together in a complete package for me in a way that I can understand and describe to would-be fans. There is a good chance this is just down to my inexperience with the genre of metal, but regardless of the reason, it makes it hard to write about it in a way that is in any way useful. So full disclosure, the other Metallica write-up on this list is also going to be pretty bad and unhelpful.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Kind of like: Prince, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd
Songs to try: Any/all of them except The Girl Is Mine
I've definitely spoken about how crazy this album is before. It's a strange listen as a full project because it doesn't really tie together at all, but still works as a cohesive project for some reason. My best guess as to why that is, is simply that the quality of (almost) all the songs on this album is so high that it ties them together. I'm not particularly convinced by that theory -- greatest hits albums exist, after all, and very few of those feel cohesive -- but it's my best explanation for why an album that traverses pop, funk, rock, and more in 9 tracks with no overarching theme whatsoever can be this seamless a listen.
This is not something I intend to make a habit of, but it is absolutely called for here: I'm going to write out the tracklist to demonstrate how insane the quality of this album's songs is...
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Baby Be Mine
The Girl Is Mine
Thriller
Beat It
Billie Jean
Human Nature
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
The Lady in My Life
Now, not all of them are 10s for me, but barring one song, I could understand why someone might feel that any or all of those songs are 10s. There are extremely few albums where that applies, and even fewer where each song could be someone's favourite of all time (except for that one song). If albums were judged solely on the quality of the tracks within it, this would be the best album ever made, hands down, no contest.
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Genre: Metal
Songs to try: Master of Puppets; Damage, Inc.
Of all the bands to have two albums make this list it just had to be the one I don't understand the appeal of.
That being said, I did get a little more out of this one. During the first album I was disappointed to not pick up on any clear message of the album, which seemed like a waste given the emotional power of metal as a genre. I can confidently say that this album doesn't struggle with that issue, but it is kind of one-note, and doesn't make any statements that I was particularly impressed by. It's not that I'm pro-war, I agree with the statements, but they all feel surface level. It feels like someone saying murder is bad. Sure, I agree, but this doesn't really accomplish anything.
I'm holding out hope that one day this will click for me beyond the surface level, but until then, I have frustratingly little to say about this album, negative or positive.
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Kind of like: Björk, St. Vincent, David Bowie
Songs to try: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Hounds of Love, Cloudbusting
Kind of like: Björk, St. Vincent, David Bowie
Songs to try: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Hounds of Love, Cloudbusting
I've already spoken about what makes Kate Bush so special earlier, and all of that applies here, but this album specifically is just dripping with that X-factor of an album made when its artist is at their very best. It sounds like a classic in both the general quality of the songs, but also in it's ability to sum up a legendary artist. If you are looking to understand Kate Bush, look no further than this, because this is her at her experimental, ethereal best.
The only thing that I can think to criticize the album for is it's lack of cohesion, but if it were to be cohesive I don't think it would be such a great representation of Kate Bush as an artist. What makes her so special is her willingness to try something that is totally out there, and an album full of that will naturally lack cohesion, as the artist begins to defy the expectations of not just the broader musical landscape, but of the album itself.
That might make it sound like it's a prog rock album, or some weird electronic work like some of Björk's stuff or Kid A, but the best thing about it is how much of a pop album this still is. Much like the previous Kate Bush album on this list, it sounds almost like a lot of the stuff that was really popular at the time, but Kate Bush takes that sound and distorts it to her needs. It means that most of the time it retains it's appeal to the average listener (although admittedly not always), but it is also as powerful as music made around a statement. It is exceptionally impressive in how it is able to toe that line.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Kind of like: David Bowie, Chic, New Order
Songs to try: Once In a Lifetime, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless
Kind of like: David Bowie, Chic, New Order
Songs to try: Once In a Lifetime, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless
This is another album that I've known and loved for a while, even if I don't love it quite as much as the album that followed it. To pick a favourite between the two is to split hairs though, both of them are exceptional, and there's little doubt that Remain In Light, for whatever reason, was able to cut through and influence culture a lot more than Speaking in Tongues. I'm not sure why the latter didn't break through to quite the same extent, but why this album did is no mystery to me.
Talking Heads have a great ability, similar to Kate Bush but with a different manifestation, to make something wholly unique, but still familiar in all the ways that matter. Here, we have a funky sound that is incredibly awkward. Those two things seem at odds when you consider the best funk acts around, who all have a confidence about them, whether suave, funny, or jubilant. Talking Heads on the other hand, are making funk for misfits, outcasts, and weirdos. Of course that isn't to gatekeep the sound, it's open to anyone who is willing to approach it with an open mind, but the fact that it is awkward at it's core makes it a uniquely inviting experience to the weirdos among us.
Lyrically, David Byrne switches his focus very slightly from the absurdity of the life of individuals in the west from previous albums, to a broader absurdity, a cultural, systemic, and cruel absurdity, touching on the ideas of colonialism, genocide, beauty standards and the absurdity of the pursuit of them. The only real exception is their biggest hit, Once In a Lifetime, which is instead about the individual experience of capitalism and consumerism.
The Cure - Disintegration
Kind of like: Joy Division, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Slowdive
Songs to try: Fascination Street, Prayers for Rain, Pictures of You
Yet another album I've known and loved for a while. Metallica albums aside, the 80s have been very good to me.
This album one of the most emotionally powerful albums I know. It's title tells you exactly what you're getting into. It depicts the steady disintegration of not just a relationship, but the man that has lost it. Gradually the album becomes more and more hopeless, the writing portrays a person who is more and more unable to express themselves in the right way, and as the desperation grows, so does the distance between him and the one he loves. He begins to turn to dishonesty and seemingly manipulation to grasp onto a relationship that he cares so deeply about that you begin to get the impression he cares more about the relationship than either of the people in it.
It is a brutal concept and the music backs that up with an oppressive soundscape that somehow also feels laissez-faire. It has an inevitable quality to it, perhaps due in part to the repetitive but never boring rhythms of the songs here, as well as the long introductions which make it feel like you're waiting for a geyser to explode with water. It feels like a natural, inevitable force that you are interacting with on it's own terms. The result is an album that appears to have a massive power over you. An album that you feel helpless in the presence of.
It is a very difficult album, emotionally speaking, but if you are in a position to bear it, there aren't many albums better than this. I think there may only be one that is as emotionally impactful. As an introduction to goth rock, this is a great shout. If you've already been introduced to goth rock but not this album, this is a great shout. If you want to listen to something that will fuck you up a little, this is a great shout. Hell, even if you've heard it before but it's been a while, I highly recommend a relisten.
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
Kind of like: Bad by Michael Jackson, Speaking In Tongues by Talking Heads, Queen
Songs to try: Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy, Darling Nikki
And yet another one I've known for ages, although I haven't loved it for so long.
Never has it felt so sacriligeous picking the "kind of like"s. There are some albums that feel like a religious experience, as though they are evidence of some divine intervention. As if they weren't made, but passed down by a god of music fully formed to be performed by someone of great importance. This album is the finest example of that. It blends funk, pop, and rock into something totally awe-inspiring in a way that makes you want to celebrate life itself. The effect is so strong that, despite my usual reservations regarding explicitly religious music, I can't help but love a song as explicit as I Would Die 4 U. It just feels like "of course there's a religious song on here" because what are they going to make something like the Sistine Chapel and not dedicate it to something greater than themselves? Whether I believe in it or not, it would be strange for them to not do that.
I'm not sure there really are words I can use to describe the enormity of this album as an experience, and the importance of listening to it as a music fan of any variety. It might not click immediately, but when it does, it feels as though it has changed something within you. As if you will take this album with you for the rest of your life in some small way. I strongly recommend it to everyone. It's one of the most talented musicians ever at their most confident and most proficient. Even if it's not really your thing, you are likely to get something out of this.
Final thoughts on the 80s
Most of this decade was made up of albums I already knew and loved, so frankly this didn't do a lot for my goals going into it, but it did introduce me to Sade, which has been my favourite discovery of the entire project. I think there is something to be said here for the number of great albums that didn't make the list too, though. I was very surprised by a few omissions, and I think that speaks to the size of the explosion of music in the 80s. It was truly impressive how much great stuff came out in this decade, and the quality was exceptional too. It was a very enjoyable decade to go through, even if it wasn't particularly enlightening for me specifically.
The Bigotry and other evils of The Monster Mash By Bobby "Boris" Pickett
I've been listening to a lot of Bobby "Boris" Pickett lately, and I gotta say, the Monster Mash lore is fascinating, yet despicable, like a good true crime story. There is a lot of very compelling lore to the universe of The Monster Mash, but be warned, it is quite revolting and will likely irreparably damage your perception of Bobby "Boris" Pickett. No longer can I view him, as billion's of others around the world do, as a relatively noble entertainer, worthy of his success.
For those who are unshaken by such a warning, you may proceed, albeit with some caution, but for those who don't think they can take such a painful, earth-shattering revelation, turn back now. There is no shame in knowing your limits.
So the first awful act occurs in the hit song Monster Mash from the 1962 album The Original Monster Mash, it is established that Bobby "Boris" Pickett is not the creator of the dance, but the creator of the monster (Igor) that made the mash, which was actually plagiarised from Dracula's Transylvania Twist: "What ever happened to my Transylvania Twist? // (Its now the mash)".
Considering the fact that Dracula was reported to be "part of the band" at the end of Monster Mash (no doubt as an inferior form of hush money), you may believe that Drac and Bobby "Boris" Pickett are on good terms. There is still tension, albeit one-way, present on next track Rabian - The Fiendage Idol however, as Dracula politely asks the famous thief for a favour: to give his friend Rabian an opportunity to show his worth and hopefully collaborate. Bobby "Boris" Pickett responds with his soon-to-be characteristic egotistical response, lamenting that since he had a hit record and "made all this bread" his monsters have been asking for favours from their selfish master. He then hits Drac with another "bl**d-s*cker" slur as he relents and gives Rabian a chance. After being impressed he threatens to gentrify Rabians image and condescendingly sends him away with a "don't call us we'll call you". Horrific behavior.
What ever happened to my Transylvania Twist?
(Its now the mash)
Blood Bank Blues is performed by unproblematic king Dracula, so it is relatively controversy-free to begin with, as he simply opens up about the challenges of vampirism, but Bobby "Boris" Pickett refuses to give up his spotlight for even a single song, so he does make an appearance in which he threatens to singe Dracula's wings. Dracula, who is rightfully upset but still displaying his famous composure, shares with the world via Bobby "Boris" Pickett's own album, that "[Bobby] "Boris" [Pickett] put a stake in my girl's heart", which, given his blatant racism towards vampires throughout the record is undoubtedly a hate crime.
Then the album explores another aspect of Bobby "Boris" Pickett's cruelty, as he forces Igor into work in Graveyard Shift. It isn't clear whether Igor (or any other monster that is confirmed to be working for Bobby "Boris" Pickett in this song) is getting paid, but given they are in a band with a very successful hit song and Igor expresses anxiety around the idea, it isn't much of a stretch to assume that this is at least some form of exploitation.
Next song Skully Gully is frankly hard for me to dissect. I feel as though there is some skelephobia here, but I'm honestly not well educated enough on this topic to expose it. If there are any skeletons reading this, I'd love to hear your perspective on this song if you'd be willing to share.
More monsterism follows as the album reaches Wolfbane, a song in which Bobby "Boris" Pickett spouts every anti-werewolf stereotype going, from the notion that werewolfs only want to "chew people up", to the infantilising idea that they just want to play but can't keep themselves from getting carried away. Not just that though, he ridicules the features of werewolves and depicts them as ugly and undesirable, criticizes their clothes for not being "continental", and makes the assumption that a werewolf is related to the only other werewolf he is known to have interacted with at this point, Rabian. And while we are on the topic of Rabian, this song surely retrospectively casts some light on Bobby "Boris" Pickett's treatment of him in his eponymous song. It felt like there was something off about that, and I think this is why.
This next one gets ugly. Real ugly. Monster Minuet opens with what seems to be Bobby "Boris" Pickett apologetically reaching out to Dracula by giving him and his wife a warm welcome to the former's party, but things quickly spiral out of control. Natural charmer Count Dracula then compliments the "ladies in waiting", calling them "beautiful", to which an endlessly despicable Bobby "Boris" Pickett interjects referring to them as "slimy old ghouls". The discomfort continues as Bobby "Boris" Pickett asks Vampyra for "the pleasure of this minuet", which neither Vampyra nor Dracula feel very comfortable with, judging from the Countess' silence (not to mention the fact that Bobby "Boris" Pickett is reported to have tried to kill her) and Dracula's protestations.
Admittedly, Dracula didn't need to make things as tense as he did with his comment "There could hardly be any pleasure dancing with you", but his being on edge is totally justified considering the host's previous behaviour, which he was all too willing to revisit as he responds with a slur, biting back with "who asked you, f*ng-f*ce?"
The creaturism continues with Bobby "Boris" Pickett going after the fact that Dracula sleeps all day (a natural result of being biologically unable to leave the house in the daytime), and reusing his favourite ant-vampiric slur "bl**d-s*cker", and the "song" eventually ends with Bobby "Boris" Pickett referring to Countess Vampyra as a "snaggle-toothed bag of bones". A disgusting display of bigotry all round from Bobby "Boris" Pickett on this one. It's a very difficult listen.
The next song is a defiant instrumental from Dracula, the long awaited redebut of Transylvania Twist. Bobby "Boris" Pickett tries to deny its boppiness, but by the end even he has to admit "its a rocker!" It's not much, but it's good to see the true creative genius of the album get a win, despite such a powerful man trying to keep him down.
The record doesn't stay positive for long though, as Bobby "Boris" Pickett shamelessly pens a song with a thinly-veiled dancing metaphor for killing his workers, in particular Yanwish the Ghoul, as both a form of punishment for minor failings and just for sadistic fun. This is truly a whole new level of evil from Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Of course, we know that he attempted to murder Countess Vampyra in a hate crime, but this song displays such a shamelessness and lack of accountability that it terrifies anyone who cares about any of these workers.
Me & My Mummy is worth a brief mention, as Bobby "Boris" Pickett adds nuance to his character with an anthem about loving, and being attracted to those who aren't conventionally attractive. He still manages to be a bigot about it, but this is at least some growth that warrants a mention. If he keeps this progress up for a millennium he may not be a despicable person.
Unproblematic king Count Dracula returns to demonstrate true leadership credentials in contrast to Bobby "Boris" Pickett's totalitarian approach. He continues to innovate as Bobby "Boris" Pickett continues to rest on his laurels after the success of Monster Mash, with Drac flying out to Transylvania to work out a new dance, The Monster Motion. He consistently provides calm, constructive criticism as he works out the kinks of their new project. Yet another win against the odds from the hero of this story.
In the next song, The Monsters' Mash Party Frankenstein, here nicknamed "Frankie", opens the song by begging to be unchained so that he can Mash. Bobby "Boris" Pickett cruelly refuses to free him in a harrowing opening to another despicable song. It doesn't end there though, as Bobby "Boris" Pickett in the next verse greets Drac's statement of preference for his own people's dance with a condescending and hateful "Who asked you, bl**ds*cker?", the third instance of that slur in the album, and fourth anti-vampiric slur out the mouth of Bobby "Boris" Pickett by my count.
The next song is Irresistible Igor, which expresses very minor evils compared to the rest of the awful behaviour on display in this album. Bobby "Boris" Pickett takes a shot at Igor's looks, while praising his ability to break hearts, by seemingly leading women on for one night stands and then ghosting them. A cruel thing to do, for sure, but not particularly noteworthy amongst so much immorality.
In the next song Bella's Bash, he continues to berate and slander Dracula while again taking credit for a dance that Igor stole from Dracula,
After that, he then appears to visit Dracula, who is also apparently having a party, and judgementally asks to see his dance, which it appears he has had to modify since the original was robbed, decredited and sold to widespread acclaim. To make matters worse, Bobby "Boris" Pickett chooses to judge Drac's new dance (as a wrongfully respected choreographer) in front of Dracula's own children. Then he disrespects his dance by claiming that its not accessible to people outside of his creature group and is supposedly therefore inferior, contributing to a general theme in this album of Bobby "Boris" Pickett being in favour of total cultural assimilation.
Hope they didn't bring Drac, he's no friend of mine
His jealousy is widely known
Doesn't dig my Mash he's got a dance of his own
Also, for those keeping count, there is yet another use of the bl**ds*cker slur from Bobby "Boris" Pickett in this track.
Trigger warning on this next song for non-consensual pornography. Bobby "Boris" Pickett continues to demonstrate his exploitation of his spooky subjects, and particular bullying of Dracula as the next "song" on the album Let's Fly Away appears to be a recording of Dracula making love to Vampyra, likely without their consent, with them moaning each other's names.
Thankfully, the album comes to a close now with Monster's Holiday. It starts as an act of resistance against discrimination from Santa, who presumably ignored them up until that point. To retaliate, the monsters planned to rob Santa's sleigh, but as they were about to act on it, Santa actually gave them gifts, putting an end to that particular form of discrimination. It's nice to have the album end on such a hopeful note, following such an inundation of bigotry and harm.
So basically *The Original Monster Mash* is the best concept album ever made, with complex storytelling on display, with the clearest example of subversive writing being that of the evil protagonist Bobby "Boris" Pickett. 10/10 must listen
After making three consecutively darker records back to back to back, it was time for The Cure to try something else. The next few years would see them experiment with poppier sounds, initially through singles and EPs, to try and create a more accessible sound, but one that still feels true to them. A radical departure in fashion atop the same, familiar skin. The singles they would release (and later compile into the album-length project Japanese Whispers) had mixed results, but with a few fan favourites under their belt with this new sound, they felt ready to make a full album of songs headed in this bold new direction.
The Top
They weren't ready to make a full album of songs headed in this bold new direction.
I generally try to avoid value judgements like that in my writing. I prefer to describe an album's appeal as opposed to it's lack, but this one was a rough listen. I saw some of the reviews heading into this and they didn't paint a very pretty picture, but, especially after the first few tracks were decent (if a little lacking in personality), I was holding out hope that it would give me something to appreciate. It just didn't though. After those first two tracks, I found there to be a steep drop in quality that didn't reverse itself for the rest of the album.
I do think it's very possible for some to enjoy this album though, so long as it's the right person going into it with the right mindset. First, it has to be someone that doesn't mind gimmicky production and songwriting, because there is a lot of that and it can get pretty on the nose. Second, you have to go into it with no pre-conceived notions of how a Cure album sounds. Even heading into this album with the knowledge of both their famous pop sound and their cult classic goth sound, I was not prepared for something that sounded this much like an altogether different band.
So in case it isn't clear already, I really don't recommend this as one of the first albums you listen to of The Cure. Except for maybe in the instance where you know that no matter what you want to listen to all of their discography and want to put this first so it won't ruin your appetite for more as you get the bad outliers out of the way first.
The Head On the Door
If anybody ever said that The Cure weren't elusive, they lied. Right after The Cure's biggest failure to date comes a candidate for their biggest triumph. The Head On the Door is not just a must-listen within The Cure's discography, but also within New Wave as a whole. goth rock and new wave are absolutely very different subgenres, but this album really highlights how transferable the skills are between them. Both support strange and emotive vocalists very well, and both ask a lot of their lyricists, albeit in different ways. Both are also more interested in the soundscape than technical ability when it comes to the instrumentation, although sometimes those two goals align in both styles.
And where there is a stark difference, the band prove able to manage brilliantly. Perhaps it's just my lack of exposure to the gothic sound and therefore it's intricacies, but I feel as though new wave demands more experimentation, and tracks like The Blood prove that this new Cure is capable of striking the balance required between keeping things fresh and ensuring the album comes together well as a cohesive project. I mentioned that different things are required lyrically between the two styles, and Robert Smith makes the necessary adjustments very naturally here. He seems extremely comfortable writing hooky choruses for New Wave as he does rhymeless literary marvels for Goth Rock.
As it stands, there is only one album of The Cure's that I'd recommend as the average listener's first ahead of this one (that album is yet to come), and if you just want to hear the poppier stuff, this is comfortably the best of that bunch for me, even if many of the songs have a goth rock sound sprinkled in.
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
I'm going to be totally honest, I'm not sure what to say about this album. Not because it's bland, far from it. Just because there's so much going on that it feels difficult to define. It also doesn't really fit cleanly into any narrative I have going on here.
It feels like a lot of fun was had putting this album together, and probably skews the poppiest of all their albums, but it's also very chaotic, with a lot of songs being outliers to that general skew. Confusingly, their opener is amongst those massive outliers, with a prog-rocky guitar solo intro, that leads into an album very nicely, but not necessarily this album. It's far from bad, but tonally it resembles a compilation album. An assortment of sounds that feel navigated based on raw intuition and what the band thought would be fun. That approach has bundles of charm, but you're going to struggle to leave a lasting impression with it.
That being said, some of the very best The Cure has to offer finds itself amongst this strange project. Just Like Heaven was a hit for a reason, Why Can't I Be You is one of their most endearing songs, previously mentioned opener The Kiss is an amazing starter, and as silly as it is, I love Hot Hot Hot!!!. But there in lies the issue with recommending this album: all I have to say about it is in relation to the individual songs. This album has value to fans of The Cure, because it's just them trying a bunch of different things, so there is very little for someone who isn't already familiar with the band to latch onto. It's a fun listen, but I'd recommend leaving this one until you've heard a few albums of theirs already.
Next Week...
Next week will be the wild mood swings phase. That's going to be released on Friday the 13th (spooky) September 2024 at midnight BST. If you're far enough in the future, you can already check it out you privileged scamp, you!
