Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Albums Of 2016

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Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Albums Of 2016

We revisit our top 50 favorite albums of 2016.

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Frank Ocean - Blonde

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It's been a big weekend for Frank Ocean. As the clock rolled around to Friday, he dropped Endless (review here), a visual album experience that didn't quite cut it for me. Then came word that the long awaited Boys Don't Cry was still being released this weekend, and there was rejoice. The legend we were all waiting for was coming. And now it's here. Boys Don't Cry is now Blonde, and it's everything you could've wanted from Ocean.

2012's channel ORANGE was a critically acclaimed album, but there were many who thought Ocean was yet to achieve his full potential. He seems to have reached that point in Blonde. What ORANGE lacked that really sets the bar with this new record is purity. This whole album feels so natural that it can't be contested. It's basic in all of the best ways. It's not trying to go out of its way to be flashy or upfront; Blonde is fine being subdued and quiet - and for good reason.

The album's lyrics makes it feel very personal. It's not a typical pop record; instead of singing of love and fun, it's about the lessons Ocean has learned. The most down-to-earth track on the record is 'Godspeed'. The subtle track is, as Frank put it in a message released with the record, "a reimagined part of my boyhood." The song is sweet, and really reflects the story of his childhood, or rather, perhaps, what he wishes it would be. You can watch the scenes play through your mind as the verse reassures, "Wishing you Godspeed, glory / There will be mountains you won't move / Still I'll always be there for you / How I do / I let go of my claim on you, it's a free world / You look down on where you came from sometimes / But you'll have this place to call home, always." In his message, he continued, "Boys do cry, but I don't think I shed a tear for a good chunk of my teenage years. It's surprisingly my favorite part of life so far. Surprising, to me, because the current phase is what I was asking the cosmos for when I was a kid. Maybe that part had its rough stretches too, but in my rearview mirror it's getting small enough to convince myself it was all good. And really though... It's still all good." This album is like a thank you note to his experiences. He's thanking the hardships he faced for where he is today, and the next lesson he's learned is that it's okay to let go.

Every second of this record sounds like a reflection. Listen to the instrumental of 'Solo' - it feels so warm and genuine. The instrumentals on the record are an important part of what makes each track sound so welcoming. 'Good Guy' is a very barebones track; the one minute track is a sweet interlude featuring piano and Ocean singing about a relationship he wants back, but not in a selfish way. The way he delivers his vocals sounds very patient and understand, like he knows his time is yet to come. 'Self Control' is much the same, but instead of an interlude, it's a fully developed track. It's just as barebones at its core, with reverberating guitar supporting Ocean's vocals, at times pitched up to reflect a younger mindset. His voice sounds really smooth and pure on top of the underlying gospel and occasional orchestral swells that add character to the track. The end is a beautiful gospel of a thousand voices, Ocean's voice harmonizing with itself as the track fades out. 

The vocals are what really make this record, though. Take 'White Ferrari' - it's heartbreaking how real this sounds. It starts as a slow moving synth track before becoming a stunning acoustic track with dozens of harmonies, and each voice sounds almost tortured in understanding. You can't describe this track's beauty in words. It's sounds too pure to even try and substantiate to words. Guests help bring this record a step further. Beyoncé lends her voice on 'Pink + White', and above the lovely flow of the instrumental, creates beautiful harmonies, with a fresh female voice giving the track some uniqueness among the rest. Kendrick Lamar accentuates some of Ocean's thoughts throughout 'Skyline To', not delivering a blistering verse but instead acts as a second supporter of the lyrics. The subdued percussion in the first verse is a fantastic touch, too. A lot of artists influenced him on this record, too. You can hear the bewildering and panicked sounds of David Bowie's Blackstar album in 'Pretty Sweet' before its quick paced beat makes it one of the more exciting tracks on the record. And Kanye West wrote a poem about McDonalds just for this album too, so there's even more inspiration.

This album isn't perfect, though. There are some weaker moments on the record, some that even translate to WTF moments. 'Be Yourself' is a minute of being scolded by your mother and cautioned against drugs - fitting in the scheme of things, but more of a joke at the start considering the album's message isn't exactly clear at that point in the record. 'Facebook Story' is equally as strange, a German man telling a story of an awkward encounter involving Facebook. As genuine as the record is, it doesn't exactly have many areas where it'll grab you. Each song is pure in its own right, but aforementioned tracks have something more to them that separate them from the rest. Lots of average tracks make up the meat of the album - everything has something going for it, but nothing that makes them stand out.

Blonde is everything Frank Ocean fans could've wanted and more. It's not trying to be anything it isn't. It has moments of intensity and moments that are quiet and personal. It's the story of a lifetime, and the lessons that came with it. The long wait was well worth it. Frank Ocean has discovered himself, and he made the album he was destined to make. Blonde is a beautiful record.

Favorite Tracks: White Ferrari, Self Control, Pink + White

Least Favorite Tracks: Be Yourself, Facebook Story, Close To You

Rating: 78 / 100

Young The Giant - Home Of The Strange

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If you're looking for a classic indie experience, Young The Giant has you covered. Their newest record Home Of The Strange is the band's third full-length effort, and sees them continuing to polish their sound into a more refined, indie rock specialty.

The good thing about this album is that there isn't a low point of it. There are periods where things mellow out and aren't as interesting, but there's no definitively bad part of the record. It has lots of groove within, found within signature tracks like 'Something To Believe In' - which has something untangibly funky going on with the chorus (which may either be the guitar or the backing vocals; I can't tell) on top of an almost hip-hop beat - and the energetic 'Silvertongue'. If nothing else, this album is definitely fun. Lots of songs will just get you vibing and moving about, dancing around to them; see the fun guitar licks in 'Mr. Know-It-All' and the grooviness of 'Jungle Youth'. 'Jungle' is a big track, distorted guitars and effected vocals adding color to it before it explodes in a big indie rock flavor during its jam ending. The eponymous 'Home Of The Strange' takes the album out on a feel-good, energetic note. A big note to end on.

There's another, calmer side to this record. It starts off this way, the tragically relatable love song 'Amerika' calmly beginning the record as it builds to a sweet ending. 'Elsewhere' is a quieter yet still funky song, sounding like something like Arctic Monkeys meets David Bowie (who is coincidentally namedropped in the following track). It's a nostalgic song, and the ending is almost chilling with how reflective the vocals are delivered by Sameer Gadhia. It's written in a very introspective way that feels very familiar. The lyrics on this album are often times simple in the best of ways: see the narrative in 'Amerika', the Greek references of 'Titus Was Born', and the silliness of 'Mr. Know-It-All'. 'Repeat' builds really nicely from its acoustic beginning to its creamy ending. Young The Giant channels their Sufjan Stevens influences in 'Art Exhibit', albeit with a more rock demeanor by the end of the track.

Indie rock never sounded so groovy. Young The Giant honed their indie sound and injected funk and soul into it, providing for a fun listen. Home Of The Strange is a great listen; by no means a masterpiece, but a great record all the same.

Favorite Tracks: Jungle Youth, Something To Believe In, Home Of The Strange

Least Favorite Tracks: Repeat, Nothing's Over

Rating: 70 / 100

1st Quarter Of 2016 in Music - Wrap Up

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2016 is off to an extremely strong start. Here’s just a list of all of the new albums I’ve listened to from January to March and links to reviews, if applicable.

Doing it a bit different this time, doing it by rating, from greatest to worst. Alphabetical just seemed trivial.

5-Star Albums (8.5 - 10)

4-Star Albums (6.5 - 8)

3-Star Albums (4.5 - 6)

2-Star Albums (2.5 - 4)

  • Killswitch Engage - Incarnate: 4
  • Cozz - Nothin Personal: 3.5

1-Star Albums (0 - 2)

  • None! :D

 

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
  2. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
  3. Deftones - Gore
  4. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
  5. Foxes - All I Need
  6. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  7. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
  8. HÆLOS - Full Circle
  9. Weezer - Weezer (White Album)
  10. LIGHTS - Midnight Machines

Top Songs Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Acoustic)'
  2. Panic! At The Disco - 'Emperor's New Clothes'
  3. Deftones - 'Hearts/Wires'
  4. Foxes - 'Better Love'
  5. Lacey Sturm - 'Rot'
  6. AURORA - 'Through The Eyes Of A Child'
  7. Deftones - 'Phantom Bride'
  8. Dream Theater - 'Moment Of Betrayal'
  9. Daughter - 'New Ways'
  10. Jack Garratt - 'My House Is Your Home'

Thanks for reading my reviews and following! :) A lot more to come, I’m nowhere near stopping. Follow me on Twitter or add me on Facebook too, while you’re at it.

David Bowie - ★

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Heroes are always remembered, but legends never die. Right up until his end, David Bowie worked on his art and love. After decades of setting standards and defying boundaries, the world lost a true legend just days ago. His final legacy is written from his soul onto his twenty-sixth and final album, Blackstar. From beginning to end, Bowie punches out one massive tune after another, each of these final pieces making a memorable last impression.

The album begins with the 10-minute art rock, avant-garde title track, “Blackstar”, which sounds like Björk took a trip to the Eighties. The song begins the album with a haunting atmosphere, ominous harmonies building into a pop banger before returning to its haunting core. The beginning half of the song features saxophone dissonance and Björk-esque synths and strings, modulating into a more upbeat, funky track with syncopated guitar chords with brass and woodwinds brooding in the background. The song evolves back into its creepy krautrock rooting, ending with a harmonious conjoining of a scattering flute and synthesizer. Bowie doesn’t hold back on being subtle with this album - he chants, “I’m not a gangstar... I’m not a pornstar” in “Blackstar” and “Black struck the kiss, she kept my cock / Smote the mistress, drifting on / 'Tis a pity she was a whore” in the following track, “’Tis A Pity She Was A Whore”. “Lazarus” is a more Bowie-typical song, the big ballad of the album, featuring a soaring saxophone solo and arena-filling synthesizers, with some doodly guitars in the background doing their own thing, as well. “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” begins to border a progressive rock sound, the krautrock influences heard prominently in “Blackstar” returning to the foreground. The song has the dark atmosphere of “Blackstar”, but with a more apparent urgency to it. “Girl Loves Me” is a throwback to earlier Bowie works, while incorporating the Björk influence once again. The song continues the darker components of the album, revolving around the idea of how one can get lost in their own emotions (”Where the fuck did Monday gooOO!?”). “Dollar Days” is another throwback to classic Bowie, and the closure track “I Can’t Give Everything Away” was fished straight out of Eighties synthpop.

After decades of work, inspiring countless artists to follow their musical dreams and breaking down countless walls, the great David Bowie has finally been laid to rest. He has left one final legacy with his last album, Blackstar, that has not fallen short of any expectations. We may have lost his future, but we will always have his influence with us. Thank you for the years of unfathomable inspiration and creation, David Bowie. Rest in peace.

Favorite Tracks:  Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me

Least Favorite Track: Dollar Days

Rating: 8.5/10