York Vision 2011 Music Review and Albums of the Year

My 2011- The Year Dub Step Ruled the World by Dan Cave (Music Editor)

2011 has ended, meaning it is a time for hastily thrown together lists and summaries of all the pleasant things the year offered. Oh, goody. It wouldn’t seem right if the year ended without a sweeping and generalised statement, so here is my attempt: This has been the year of Dubstep.

Okay, so that statement is a little over generalised, but it seems to be a good starting point for a year that has garnered polemic in response to most musical output; and the response Dubstep has received is something akin to Moses’ parting of the Red Sea. Although the genre has been hanging around in dingy production studios and underground clubs for an age, 2011 was the year that Dubstep received dramatic chart success (see: Katy B’s On A Mission), subsequently spreading opinion, much like Marmite, between the love and hate marks. Haters fear not. For out of this debate a myriad of bass-heavy sub-genres have emerged , giving the electronic music genre a massive overhaul, making it as competitive and innovative as it was in the late ’90s. Yay.

The same polarising effect can be found in the response to OFWGKTA. The horror-core rap-group, who sprang out of America amidst an explosion of expletives, skateboard tricks and an army of loyal, teenage fans, have been the most suprirsing act in the UK for quite some time. They gained, scarily quickly, a cult following and record deal from XL. Wow. Their refreshing approach to rap, a genre in danger of reaching an over-commercialised plateau, was unfortunately jumped upon by Cher Lloyd, whom obviously thought success could be paid for. She was right. The ethical and long ongoing debate about success which is bought or studio-produced (see: The T-Pain pitch-equaliser lawsuit), obviously bypassed Cher Lloyd, as she took a top-down approach to urban music. The sound of the streets brought to you from a West London penthouse. Yet the chart success of Swagger Jagger even managed to overshadow the Simon Cowell machine as the X-Factor lost viewers, and for the first time the winner was not a certified Christmas Number One. Come to think of it, who did win?

2011 was unfortunately also a year of musical exits. (Sir) Mike Skinner gracefully finished his “The Streets” project, handing the baton to Ghostpoet to take over from where he had left off. Cruelly though, another wordsmith, in the same vein as Skinner and Ejimiwe, was taken from us. Everyone in the music world mourned the passing of Gil Scott-Heron. Whilst Scott-Heron was afforded a quiet, respectable death, the media did not let the same come of Amy Winehouse. Speculation was rife about the cause of her untimely end, detracting from her legacy as an extraordinary vocalist and musician. And there I finish. It has been a frantic year.

Dan’s Picks of 2011

Submotion Orchestra – Finest Hour 

The focus of the music underground this year has largely centred around Dubstep. Popularly viewed as something akin to the noise that forewarns the approach of the four horseman of hell (see delightfully unmusical, ‘brostep’) or alternatively as that thing what will make me look cool if I nod along to it rhythmically and wear this silly tight cap whilst doing so. The rise of Dubstep, the fall of Dubstep and all of the bastard sub-genres which have sprang from Dubstep’s loins (see future garage, post-dubstep, I.D.M, hipster-step etc) are topics on everyone’s lips. So when a friend invited me to see a night he was promoting and had marketed as “featuring a live Dubstep band”, I went along to sate an almost irksome curiosity at “what original thing dubstep had gone and did next?” It was then with real satisfaction, after the band had long finished playing and my legs had happily stumbled home, I sat at my computer and through a beer-propelled haze of impulse desire I bought, downloaded and have religiously played since Submotion Orchestra’s first LP Finest Hour.

The seven piece, formed in Leeds, have delivered us a problem in Finest Hour, but a delectable one at that. For it is evidently a lot more than just a Dubstep album. I feel as though I’m doing Submotion a disservice by introducing them through the doorway of this genre but Finest Hour still retains that classic 140(ish)bpm extremely-danceable-to-rhythm, strong elements of warbling sub-bass and painstakingly produced minimalist bridges in many of the songs, most notably on “Back Chat”. At a time when it is becoming increasingly shrewd, in terms of marketability, to disassociate with dubstep, it would have been as fitting to introduce Finest Hour as a Jazz, Dub, Ambience or even a Soul album (‘cause Ruby Wood’s voice got so much sooooul.) Yet more specifically, than any pinpointing of genre, it is the much needed album that bridges the musical gap between the understated Bonobo, the majestic BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the very lively Gentleman’s Dub Club. Woah. This high variety, and the subsequent wide appeal, should not undermine the cohesive, highly professional sound which the record proffers, held together by a incredibly slick percussive performance on each and every song. Weaving between the compact, dense woodiness of “Pop and Lock” and “Always” and the vast musical clearances found on “Suffer Not” and “Perfection”, Submotion offers each and every listener a glimpse into the ethereal world from which they were sent (see: most likely some recording studio in Leeds) . From the first reverberating chord of “Angel Eyes” to the last slap of snare on “Perfection”, Submotion have produced a grandiose first album that does not flatter the intelligence of the listener or package itself as something it is not. Whilst it does everything which is stated , and more importantly unstated, on the tin it finds itself in. There. I haven’t actually given too much away about what their album is, because, well, their sound does not lend itself too easily to words. That, you can be assured, is a compliment and testament to the genius behind the writing of their music, a term hardly used lightly.

Listen to: The whole bloody thing.

Frank Ocean – Nostalgia/Ultra

There emerges a group of unruly, rapping and skating teenagers. They did silly things at their shows and this got all the old people and all the square people really angry (in a terribly polite, passive manner of course). But all the white suburban kids thought it was cool and started listening to rap and they got a record deal with XL(the rap group not the white kids). Somewhere along the way Frank Ocean ended up being an R&B superstar. I think that’s the right order. Seen as the mellow, level-headed and slightly older statesmen of the energetic OFWGKTA, Frank’s solo career has seen a recent, stratospheric rise (one quite different to that of the group he was originally associated with). Quietly steering R&B out of the crass, overly sexual, dance music affiliated mire it has become known for in recent years; the public refuting of his place within said genre, because he is all too aware of the contradictions and parameters this would constrain him by; and the popularity of free album/mix-tape, Nostalgia/Ultra, have culminated in Frank’s superstardom. It is with this debut LP that he demonstrates an emotive, hedonistic lyricism, that when eulogized by his purring and dynamic voice, make him the saviour-in-denial of the most commercial musical genre. But Nostalgia/Ultra is not just an album based upon his sensitive words. All tracks have either artfully made or tastefully chosen production. This is a proper, unrequited and golden coated lovelorn, love-shy, and ‘I-need-to-make-love-to-you’ R& B record. About time somebody made one.

The album begins proper over a remastering of a Coldplay number, “Strawberry Swing”, on which Frank proselytizes about a lifelong love unable to be played out on this planet because of the constraints of mortality. Sob. Already the Man-Size Kleenex are being reached for. Still deliberating upon these abstractions, Frank swiftly takes us into his first after-hours piece: “Novacane”. A song which has a satin-laced, bass heavy yet demure backing, allowing a foregrounding of the problems with the fame, that Frank has found. Poignantly, and most likely deliberately, what the first two songs highlight is that this is a fore-mostly an album about sadness, loneliness and longing. These states , he urges, can be found in countless different situations: in the mundane aspects of life, in the coveted but confusing ‘fast-lane’ and in places not of this world. Most of which Frank attempts to explore through his musical offerings. The standout track though, which is not at all a disservice to the rest of the album; a song that will surely feature on video montages and as the soundtrack to the climax of Hollywood romances for years to come, is “There will be Tears”. Displaying both downtrodden production and the most delicate of song writing it is an ardent portrayal of a man on the attack in the music industry. Watch out for when he comes, he’ll be the quiet, well-spoken guy with glistening eyes.

Listen to: “There will be Tears”

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX- We’re New Here

Seemingly an obvious choice for many album of the year lists, this shouldn’t undermine the audacity of a record that has opened the doorway to success for many other minimalist electro producers. This popular wave of electronic musical production, has to acknowledge their success is due, in part, to the musical reaction against mainstream dubstep, paving the way for an alternative sound. Yet I maintain this path would have been more difficult to tread if it were not for this intrepid release from XL earlier in the year.

Jamie XX, formerly of The XX, was handed the vocals from, the as of yet not late, Gil Scott-Heron’s LP I’m New Here and a free reign to rework them into something completely different. The end product, and I don’t think anybody would have predicted this, is We’re New Here: a seminal piece for the new direction of electronic music in the UK. What is so distinctive about this record though, is its refusal to be boxed as conventional, electronic dance record. When music journalists look back on 2011 in years to come, I think it will be highlighted as a year of converging genres amidst a growing resurgence of the electronic sound; the post-modern problem in music, if you like. For all the poor quality bedroom producers that this will create, as production becomes open to all with any spare time, some fancy software and a miss-calculation of their own creative genius, occasionally a Jamie XX character will appear. Thank God on high.

However the genius in meshing two originally separate pieces of music together, and doing it well, can be overlooked. Primarily it is very easy to view this album in two distinct parts, the first being Heron’s stoic, heartfelt, word wizardry thrown forward by husky tones, the second Jamie’s beats and bleeps. Delightfully though, they are masterly held together. This is an album that centres around, a never used before phrase, “loose refinement”. An oxymoronic term at best, yet one that praises the sleight of hand and harried genius that crafted and glued together such an intelligent, touching and rather addictive dance record. For this is, primarily, a record to dance to.

Yet between the dancing and pondering of Scott-Heron’s lyrics, there is enough creative space for a myriad of coy references to the musical culture that has come and gone, between the prime of Scott-Heron’s career and that of the young pretender, Jamie XX. The most notable of these is on “Ur Soul and Mine”, when an early house classic (of which the name currently alludes me) is sampled. Not content to just sample from the recent musical past, the skits on this record, a popular element of hip-hop and rap records alike, are a step away from musical obfuscation, the most emotionally transparent parts of this album. Often just recordings of Gil’s muttering in studio recording sessions, they are both a pleasant viewfinder into his world and a wonderful breaking of the fourth wall. ( Surely they couldn’t also allude to Scott-Heron’s given title as the “Godfather of Rap”, could they?)

So, the perfect post-modern album? An album that openly samples, was built around a sample, and willingly pays credence to the history of the music world, is surely the answer to all that is unanswerable in music. If it is, well done, but it does something much simpler. It gave a generation, most likely unaware of Gil Scott-Heron, Gil Scott-Heron, in a form they could know and appreciate. Well done Jamie. Well done.

Listen to: “Piano Player”

My 2011- The Year of the Woman by Rachel Pronger (Scene Editor)

It’s been said before and I’ll say it again: 2011 was the year of the woman. Yes, sweeping gender based statements about the music scene are annoying. And yes, the sort of commentators who get hot and sweaty about “the zeitgeist” have been declaring a female revolution on an almost yearly basis since the Winehouse wave, but this year the influx of oestrogen was unavoidably potent. The female artists that dominated in 2011 were not lost Britneys, or bland Meluas or derivative Duffys, or even, thankfully, poor, damaged Winehouse types. In 2011 women blew their male counterparts out of the water not because they were willing to flash a bit of crotch for the paps, but because they were making the best music out there. The women that ruled music in 2011 wrote their own stuff, managed their own images and had important things to say. Hallelujah.

Evidence for the 2011 révolution feminine (yes that was Google translate) is plentiful. This year, the mainstream charts belonged to Adele, who seemed intent on breaking every world record known to man (apart from the one for most beer steins carried over 40 meters – I’d like to see her attempt that) with the breakup album that went global. Remarkably, the more alternative end of the market was similarly dominated by one woman, west country goth recluse PJ Harvey, whose impressively prescient anti-war album Let England Shake topped critics polls universally, and catapulted Harvey into credibility overload. Whilst Rihanna’s soft porn approach to expressing herself might have left a slightly bitter taste, it’s hard to deny that she was the figurehead for some irresistible singles. More palatable for the Greers amongst us, were Gaga and Beyonce, two pop juggernauts who seemed wholly in charge of their own images. While it’s borderline disgusting that it’s taken so long for a woman to be trusted with the headline slot on the supposedly “right on” Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, the latter’s bravura performance, complete with all female backing band, was glorious to behold, whether you have ovaries or not.

There were many more of course. Old troopers Kate Bush, Gillian Welch and Bjork all reappeared with remarkable albums, that did justice to their outstanding legacies. Countless other solo women, from Lana Del Rey to Laura Marling, Camille to Anna Calvi, Zola Jesus to Katy B, proved that the most progressive, distinctive talents out there are female. Now all we need is a credible all female group (Warpaint aside) to actually make a significant splash with their own material, and perhaps we’ll finally have crushed the gender boundary in pop once and for all.

Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes

In 2008 Swedish singer songwriter Lykke Li released an album of catchy electro pop, sugar sweet but feather light. Some bad shit must have gone down since Youth Novels, because follow up Wounded Rhymes is another beast entirely. Lykke Li has taken her sugared pop and tempered it a healthy dose of cyanide; the results are almost unremittingly brilliant. Spector production, 60s girl group harmonies and tremendously dark lyrics are combined to stunning effect, bolstered by wonderfully macabre videos in which Li stalks men across icy landscapes and gets horribly drunk with Stellen Skarsgaard. Dark Scandi-pop at its very finest.

Listen to: “Sadness Is A Blessing”, “Love Out of Lust”, “I Follow Rivers”

St Vincent- Strange Mercy

As Lana Del Rey and Lykke Li both suggest, 2011 was a great year for dark female pop. St Vincent fits loosely in this bracket but Strange Mercy is a monster to categorise. The closest comparison is probably Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz– this is nervous breakdown pop too, with beautiful melodies collapsing into electronic beeps and psychedelic swirls without warning. But St Vincent (a.k.a Texan Annie Clark) is a more muscular proposition than Stevens. Strange Mercy is full of startling melodies and eye opening sonic marvellousness, but Clark’s ease with an electric guitar and her searing delivery (just listen to how she sings “If I ever meet that dirty policeman that roughed you up” on the title track) sets her apart from fey electronic dependent counterparts. A unique and exciting convergence of chamber pop and electro smarts.

Listen to: “Surgeon”, “Cruel”, “Year Of The Tiger”

Noah and The Whale- Last Night On Earth

There comes a point where you have to let hipster credentials lie. I wanted to choose something edgy and out there and brain expanding but if I’m honest the album I’ve listened to most this year, in terms of number of hits on the old iPod, is undoubtedly Last Night On Earth. The reason for this is simple; it’s incredibly uplifting. The third release from Noah and the Whale, after one album of fashionable London Nu-folk and one almost unbearably intimate breakup album, is unashamed, full throttle, throwback pop. It’s derivative in the best possible way. Charlie Fink’s vocal is pure Lou Reed, the concept album structure apparently inspired by Berlin, the songs brim with Springsteen style paens to suburban escape and the melodic hooks are Tom Petty at his best. Yet, somehow, Fink and co have produced a work that is even more soaring, empowering and uplifting than the sum of its parts. It’s pop music that makes you want to cry and laugh at the same time. And isn’t that what all the best pop music really wants you to do?

Listen to: “Just Me Before We Met”, “Give It All Back”, “The Line”

My 2011- Albums of the Year by Eli Court (Music Editor)

Adele- 21

2011 has been another amazing year for the undeniably talented ballad-belter Adele whose second album was met with critical acclaim and adoring fans who cannot seem to get enough of her thought provoking lyrics, soulful voice and loveably down to earth nature. Adele comes across as an average 21 year old and yet has become the representative of all heartbroken women across the nation who can relate to her as she holds nothing back and sings completely honestly, if only to make her ex-boyfriend feel rather sheepish.

Two years on from her debut album and there is a maturity conveyed through the lyrics as she sings of cheating, jealously, happiness, hope, resentment and heartbreak all crammed into a story telling album that makes the listener feel as though they personally know the down to earth songstress. Adele admits to falling in love with country music as she toured America and this influence shines through the album as she effortlessly blends classic soul with country influences to create a unique and contemporary style with variations to keep you captivated throughout the album.
21 is more upbeat and energetic than her debut with fast-paced and feisty tracks such as “Rumour Has It” which warns future suitors not to mess with Adele, shows off her versatility and adds a welcome diversity to the album. Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” shows she is equally talented with gentle love songs and energetic, high intensity songs with this track being named the number one most played track of 2011 proving she is a force to be reckoned with. 21 is nearly flawless, Adele’s only downfall being that many of the song are arguably too specific to her target audience, namely women and some tracks will leave the majority of the male population tutting and rolling their eyes at her whinging, missing out on the beauty and power of her voice.

With two impressive albums released at such a young age those that love her and can relate to her songs can look forward to her future albums. 21 will undoubtedly make you fall in love with her all over again and hope that 2012 brings even more Adele classics.

Listen to: “Don’t You Remember”, “Someone Like You”, “Rumour Has It”

Noah & The Whale- Last Night On Earth

Although I enjoyed hearing their catchy but frankly overplayed single “5 Years Time” I was not overly impressed by the simple backing and cutsie lyrics that lacked meaning and substance. However their explosive and crowd-pleasing performance at Reading festival this year completely changed my mind as they played tracks from their latest album Last Night On Earth.

This album definitely converted me to being a Noah and the Whale fan as I was taken in by lead singer Charlie Fink’s deep and melodious notes, a voice that draw you in and make you listen to every word with each story he tells. The incorporation of unusual instruments such as ukuleles, mandolins and fiddles stand them apart from many other indie folk bands and, apart from the use of the xylophone in “Give It All Back” which annoyingly sounds like a phone alarm, is what makes the album so great.

The album sings of renewal and hope for the future with songs such as “Life is Life” and “Tonight’s The Kind of Night” which speaks of changing your ways and making better choices for the future, perfectly fitting as we approach the New Year and a chance for a fresh start.

The album ranges from emotive and thoughtful to simple and joyful with songs such as “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N” which is fun to listen to and has the added bonus of helping you spell (what’s not to love?) Many of the tracks are much less dark and torturous then some of their other releases as they move towards relaxing yet optimistic songs which, at times, seems they have sacrificed depth and strength for the theme of hope and happiness but for the most part this new direction makes a welcome change. The majority of the tracks instantly draw you in with a catchy intro and upbeat tempo leaving peaceful and purely instrumental Paradise Stars an unusual contrast and although it seems strange to include such a different song, it is melodically beautiful and shows there is more to the band then first meets the eye.

Listen to: “Tonight’s The Kind of Night, “Waiting For My Chance to Come”, “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N”

Bombay Bicycle Club- A Different Kind of Fix

By their third album it would seem as though the British alternative rock band would finally have settled on their style and sound but A Different Kind of Fix shows them moving in yet another direction with surprising yet enjoyable stylistic changes as they boldly move away from the predominantly acoustic sound of their last album Flaws and return to electric guitars.

The lead single “Shuffle” is jaunty and fast-paced but still has the distinctive sound that is Bombay Bicycle Club, with a slow build and exuberant climax the track showing how unique and intriguing this band can be. Lead singer Jack Steadman has a unique and soothing voice which can effortlessly switch from brooding and slow to infectiously bouncy. Strangely named but still great is the first track on the album “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep” which is everything you would expect from Bombay Bicycle and sets them apart from other bands with their refreshingly abstract sound as they break many musical conventions for the sake of being brilliant. “Lights Out, Words Gone” offers a more sombre tone with harmonization with a female collaborator which adds the sound and range in tone that the album would otherwise lack and is a surprising and pleasant addition. This darker tone is supported by the brooding and gentle tracks “Fracture” and “Still”, which have a rare beauty and fragility.

Each song shows how unafraid the band is to try something new which makes them so timeless and lovable as you never fully know what to expect before listening to each album- a quality that will ensure they keep going for many more years and are sure to offer us some more quirky and unpredictable treasures in the near future.

Listen to: “What You Want”, “Favourite Day”, “Take The Right One”

The team at York Vision Music wish you a happy new year. If you’d like to get involved in 2012 please email [email protected].