Soko - "I Thought I was an Alien"
One of my favorite albums this year has Soko's I Thought I was an Alien. Simple bedroom pop arrangements create the perfect setting for French musician / actress Stephanie Sokolinski's confessional lyrics. Her delivery is so straight forward at times it can be shocking in a zen like way. The title track (above) is perhaps the most upbeat, optimistic song on the album but nearly every song is as simply and well crafted as this one. If you like, be sure to check out the touching (albeit nsfw) video for "We Might Be Dead Tomorrow"here.
Tame Impala "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
With their sophomore album Lonerism, Australian outfit Tame Impala follow through on the promise of 2010's Innerspeaker. The above track, "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards," could easily be considered the album's centerpiece, delivering the titular lyrics via a melody to rival the years best. The oft cited Beatles influence is certainly present here as the verses in particular recall a Sgt. Pepper's / Abbey Road era John Lennon. Between the chorus and the verses there is just the right amount of movement to give the song a dynamic, repetitive character, serving to soothe and relax rather than bore (as it might in less capable hands). Tame Impala's usual markers are here too. Lovely harmonies, lots of reverb, lush soundscapes and a laid back tempo combine to sound like what driving around in a convertible with friends in the middle of summer with no obligations would sound like if it were compressed into three minutes and thirteen seconds. Put it in your ears!
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