Top 10 albums of 2013 critics' picks: Vivian Pencz

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      Yes, my list may be a bit Anglophilic, but as a Canadian, I’m just paying homage to our beloved Commonwealth. Now, where’s my knighthood, or, um, damehood?

      Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
      Push the Sky Away
      From goth-junkie banshee to poetic rock ’n’ roll guru, Nick Cave has had a decades-long career so eclectic and eternally brilliant, it’ll make you reconsider your sorry existence. Push the Sky Away may not be Cave’s best work, but its elegant, eloquent beauty is a testament to his lasting transcendence.

       

      David Bowie
      The Next Day
      It’s hard to describe the unbridled excitement Bowie disciples felt when their alien rock god released his 24th studio album after a quiet 10-year absence (on Mars, presumably). And just as exciting is the record itself, full of life, dark surprises, and varied, classic songwriting.

       

      Sky Ferreira
      Night Time, My Time
      It’d be easy to diss Sky Ferreira as hipsterdom’s latest over-hyped It Girl, but one listen to the achingly addictive “Boys”, with its pop-princess finish and distorted guitar crunch, or to the darkly dizzy title track, a tribute to fellow famous sad/bad girl Laura Palmer, will have you hopelessly infatuated.

       

      Arcade Fire
      Reflektor
      With Reflektor, Arcade Fire has entered a unique sonic orbit while honouring its more diverse, sincerely expressive roots. Inspired by Greek mythology, Jamaican music, Haitian rara, and coproducer James Murphy’s alt-dance beats, the double album is as luminous and multidimensional as its title suggests.

       

      Savages
      Silence Yourself
      England’s Savages have everything a postpunk debut should: midnight-black melodies both catchy and confrontational; clever guitar work that’s white-hot and glacier-cold; a vocalist who can howl like Siouxsie Sioux, yet has a commanding voice of her own. Look no further than “Husbands”, one of the most savage (wink) tracks of the year.

       

      Manic Street Preachers
      Rewind the Film
      Ever since the disappearance of founding member Richey Edwards, after the release of their masterpiece, The Holy Bible, the Manics have been metamorphosing while staying true to their sociopolitical ideals and infinitely profound sound. Rewind the Film continues that approach, showcasing their special songwriting prowess, while being their most peaceful record.

       

      M.I.A.
      Matangi
      Few artists can blend disparate sonic landscapes as successfully as English–Sri Lankan rapper Maya Arulpragasam does, from western hip-hop and electroclash to Indian bhangra and beyond. And though it fails to live up to the mind-bending genius of her earlier work, Matangi delivers the politically empowering, subversive sensory overload integral to M.I.A.

       

      Palma Violets
      180
      When these Londoners played Vancouver on October 15, cofrontman Chilli Jesson spent the Skaters’ opening set in the middle of the dance floor, moshing, cutting a rug, and spilling beer everywhere. This epitomizes the essence of 180, a Libertines-ish indie debut that’s every bit as exhilarating and scrappily charming as Palma Violets’ youthful charisma.

       

      The Julie Ruin
      Run Fast
      After a nine-year absence from music, in which Kathleen Hanna has been kicking Lyme disease’s ass like she kicked ass in her Bikini Kill days, the 45-year-old feminist punk has returned with the Julie Ruin’s Run Fast, a weirdo pastiche of garage rock and electro-pop that’s acerbic, funny, and endearing all at once.

       

      Flaming Lips
      The Terror
      Oozing in and out of focus, The Terror transmutes the pain of frontman Wayne Coyne’s failed 25-year marriage into experimental doomsday jams. Layer upon layer of Krautrock–inspired bad-transmission synth noise, and ominous lyrics make you want to groove and weep simultaneously. And that’s a mesmerizing thing.

      Comments

      1 Comments

      Wayne Isley

      Dec 13, 2013 at 9:00am

      I'm sorry you missed "The Journey Is Long".