Bob Dylan "Rough and Rowdy Ways"
It may be the album of an old man, but it is very evident that despite what his output has been like for the past decade or so, Bob Dylan never lost his cool. That isn't something that most rock stars of his generation can claim. In one song he name drops Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, The Rolling Stones and Edgar Allan Poe. In one sentence he mentions Liberace and Saint John the Apostle. He quotes William Blake, Shakespeare and Walt Whitman, growls "I study Sanskrit and Arabic to improve my mind" then croons that he's "falling in love with Calliope". If there were still any lingering doubt about his receipt of the Nobel prize in literature, this album shoud dispel that. It's all about the mind, the words, the poetry. Although it has a perfectly balanced mix of country, blues and rock, it's not first and foremost a musical experience but a lyrical one. There is also the inherent weight that comes with it for those of us who have been lifelong fans. Of course the crowning jewel here, the centrepiece, is the 17 minute epic "Murder Most Foul", but don't be mistaken, the rest of the album is indeed worth your time.
Einstürzende Neubauten "Alles in Allem"
Neubauten's twelfth album and their first in over five years is just as weird, artistic, cool, clever, poetic, pretentious and beautiful as you'd expect considering we're dealing with a band that creates music using bags, electrical drills, metal springs and plastic pipes alongside more traditional instrumentation. It's not as experimental and clamorous as what one is used to as an old fan, but more restrained and refined than their earlier output, and Blixa Bargeld's voice has come to sound a little like Leonard Cohen (particularly on "Seven Screws"). All in all their best work in years.
The Streets "None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive"
I was under the impression that Mike Skinner had retired The Streets over ten years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of new material, and even more so when it features an interesting mix of styles, great sampling and cool guest artists like Tame Impala and Idles, with of course The Streets' characteristic lyrics. It's great to see that the wit remains unchanged - who else could come up with brilliant shit like "She talks about her ex so much even I miss him," or "Some people drink to be interesting, some people drink to be interested," or "Resentment, the poison I take hoping you will suffer"?
Brian Eno "Film Music 1976-2020"
Unsurprisingly, the chillest album of the year comes courtesy of Brian Eno, creator of ambient music, with an eclectic and truly beautiful collection of film and television music written over a period of forty plus years. One or two tracks will be familiar to Eno collectors, but it's overall a richly rewarding, arty as all that and most of all quite cozy experience. Hearing music made over Eno's whole career in one compilation, expertly mixed together, really shows what a timeless (and ageless) artist we've got in Eno.
Fiona Apple "Fetch the Bolt Cutters"
"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is a real showpiece for Fiona Apple's prowess as a songwriter ("I Would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me" - wow!), for her gravitas as a singer and performer, and for her great personality, which shines through every track in lots of bright, and sometimes dark, colors. This collection of avantgarde rock poetry is often arranged like cabaret numbers and recorded in an off-beat, kinda DIY way. Made as it was in Apple's home, it is the perfect album for the quarantine era of the year 2020.
Grimes "Miss Anthropocene"
Canadian alt-pop wonder Grimes may have a very child-like voice, but she displays a mature person's interest in experimentation and exploration of new avenues for musical creativity, much like on her previous album "Art Angels" (2015). The conceptual "Miss Anthropocene" includes ambient beats on "So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth," Chinese rap on "Darkseid," catchy and soulful electro on "Violence" and tantric drum & bass on "4AEM". Mostly though, it contains wonderfully weird darkwave/industrial pieces interspersed with some more radio-friendly pop ballads resulting in a perfectly balanced album and quite a fulfilling listening experience.
The Strokes "The New Abnormal"
The Strokes' first record in seven years is not the album you'd expect but a slower, more melancholic and more thoughtful collection of songs with a melodic style that more often than not emphasizes synthesizers over guitars. "Broklyn Bridge to Chorus," for instance, sounds like proper synthpop, whereas the super catchy "Bad Decisions" has got to be their version of '80's new wave, and "At the Door" is like a cross between Brian Eno and Wendy Carlos. A signature of producer Rick Rubin is to strip great artists down to the bare necessities, emotionally and musically, and that sure is this album's greatest strength.
Lady Gaga "Chromatica"
The somewhat overrated "A Star Is Born" may have gotten her an Oscar, but it was "Joanna" that showed Lady Gaga's strength as a singer-songwriter. Now, on "Chromatica," she returns to the kitchy, catchy, glamorous, sparkling, ambitious, boundary-pushing, genre-defining, melodious, earnest, weird and wonderful dance pop that we know and love, particularly on the Madonna-influenced "Stupid Love", the outstanding disco ballad "Sine from Above" in collaboration with Elton John, and the "Paparazzi"-sounding "911". This hits monster is indeed, as she puts it, "top shelf".
Squarepusher "Be Up a Hello"
The musical mind of UK-based Squarepusher, second only to the great Aphex Twin, is a twisted and wonderful place. His first album in a while is a perfect mix of bouncy, distorted beats, dark ambient and sneakily melodious touches. Some people may find his particular kind of glitchy, amorphous techno stressful, but for me it's the opposite, I feel quite relaxed. And somewhat invigorated. Like I've been treated to a refreshing brain massage.
Infected Mushroom "More Than Just a Name"
There was a time some years back when the old psychedelic trance duo masters Infected Mushroom seemed to be going in quite a different direction. Luckily for us fans they found their way back to the weird beats, complex builds, hallucinogenic layers and occasional crossovers that we want to hear. Now they've returned after two years with an otherworldly aural trip that harks back to their original sound - most of all the standout track "Infected Megamix," in which they summarize their unique brand of dance music by mixing a lot of classic material together into one truly tasty mushroom.
