Albumologist #2

The critics will say I'm selling out, but we're calling it at three (instead of five) in this entry because most of the time, the only thing I'm listening to is Kanye West. While I'm still settling in with the final tracklisting of his new album, Nitsuh Abebe walks the apologist's trail over at Vulture, which is a much better site, anyhow. But I sometimes remember there is plenty out there, and here is some of it:

Janelle Monáe's The ArchAndroid has been close at hand for way too long to not include it here. I know it's a month away from saturation by way of year-end lists, but for now, ignore every voice except mine and listen to hers. Your cultural superiority glands will thank me later. For the busy among us (why are you here?) the sweet spot is "Oh Maker" / "Come Alive" / "Mushrooms & Roses". Fritz Lang adapted this album into a screenplay in the late 1920s.

Forget by Twin Shadow is one of them albums that I heard only as a whole for the first six or seven run-throughs. You know, you put it on and then grab a book/crossword/lover and before you know it you look up and iTunes is all "Uh, hey, did you want some privacy? Because I'm done here." Which is to say distinguishing the tracks is still a bit of a problem. Which is not to say the album is boring or monotonous or plain-jane or repetitive or.... In fact, it has some really wormy hooks. The title track tricks me into thinking it's going to morph into the Knife's "Heartbeats" at any moment. Every time. Also, if you're the sort of person who values this sort of thing, this is the sort of album you can listen to just about anywhere. Just add headphones water.

Dennis Wilson drowned offshore in the eighties, but the title of his only solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, is not in itself sufficient evidence that he was from the future. If he were a Beach Boy, which he was, then things might be fishy. For instance, he anticipates the piano opening of "Tiny Dancer" (1972) in "River Song" (1970). Meanwhile, he interrupts some sweet funk to go all "Hey Jude" in the middle of "Dreamer." Add to that a refreshingly mature and lush orchestration that opens like a fine wine over time (I get one phrase like that, right?) and... is it inappropriate to say you could easily drown in these songs?

[Ed.: The author wishes to express his displeasure and remorse over the amount of songdropping in the above post. He doesn't want you to think that this is, you know, that kind of blog. So here's something else.]