What a
year. I often feel, when I write these
year-end wrap-ups, that I’m bemoaning the bitter depths of the past twelve
months, wallowing in the valleys and not paying enough attention to the peaks. This year, though, the view from the
mountaintop was fairly consistent, due mostly to me finally finding full-time,
contracted employment as a teacher, as well as some self-recognition of
hard-won, long-sought inner peace. There
are always places and goals to move onward and upward towards, obviously, and
that hasn’t changed for me…my hustle and grind is as strong as ever. I’m not one to rest on my laurels, meager
though they may be, but there’s no problem taking in the view once in a
while. What I mean to say by all this, I
suppose, is that things are good—great, even, something I rarely like to say
out loud because of my irrationally Irish melancholic fears—and I’m quite eager
to see what happens from here. All
thanks go to my wife Dolly, who I’d be who-knows-where without. Stay up, stay positive, and stay close to the
truest souls around you. They will never
let you down.
In no particular order, here are my picks for the best
records that were released this year…
2. St.
Vincent—“St.Vincent.” St. Vincent has
been on my radar for a couple of years, but this is the first album of hers I
bought, and wow. I was not
disappointed. Great songwriting and
vocals alongside experimental sonics, wildly distorted guitars, and even a
touch of funk here and there. Shockingly
brilliant.
3. Ghostface
Killah—“36 Seasons.” The Wu-Tang Clan’s
most consistent solo artist is back again, this time with a concept album and a
live band (The Revelations). I dig
Ghostface as always, but the live sound is what really did it for me. The Revelations are well-named, and provide
GK with just the right kind of gritty soul and funk background over which to
drop his astounding, acerbic rhymes.
True school hip-hop, in an era where the term hip-hop has nearly lost its
meaning altogether.
4. Prince—“Art
Official Age.” The Purple One made yet
another comeback this year. How many has
he had? 5? 10?
I’ve lost track, and it doesn’t matter anyway. The only difference for me is that “Art
Official Age” is easily his most high-quality release in ages, at least since
“3121,” and possibly since “Diamonds And Pearls” (an album which “Age”
frequently resembles from time to time).
Prince’s songwriting is at its pop-savvy, genre-bending best, and though
the “concept” of the LP is a bit flimsy, it certainly forced him to push his
already-out-there creative boundaries. Perhaps
not the kind of comeback that some expected, but when has Prince ever danced to the beat of a drum other
than his own? Quite frankly, that aspect
of his personality is one of my favorite things about the guy.
5. The
Roots—“...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin."
If you’ve followed The Roots’ career from their early days up until now,
the band that made “Organix” over twenty years ago is practically
unrecognizable from the one that made this album. The group, and Questlove in particular, have
been on a rather dark journey over their past few records, mirroring the rather
dark world we currently live in.
“Cousin” is more of the same, with very little optimism and quite a bit
of venom, which is interesting when considering these guys are one of the most
popular and likeable bands on late night TV.
For me, I respect immensely that, on the one hand, they can be a
dynamite and upbeat media sensation, but on the other, that they will always
stay vehemently true to their creative vision on wax. Even though it’s not always an easy listen,
The Roots haven’t lost me yet with their artistry, and probably never will.
6. Jesse
Boykins III—“Love Apparatus." There
are few pleasures as exquisite as swimming in a sonic sea of smooth R&B,
and Jesse Boykins III has smoothness to spare.
Even on the moments where he stretches the groove’s musical
possibilities and goes further towards the fringe, the smoothness is still
there. His voice is a subtle instrument
that croons and caresses the lyrics, which have their own quirky strangeness
about them. If you dig the sound of
modern soul and neo-soul, this is for you.
7. Jose
James—“While You Were Sleeping."
Easily the best underground soul artist in the game right now. Here, Jose James takes the seductive
foundation he built with last year’s “No Beginning No End,” and adds a heavier,
almost Hendrix-esque psych-soul vibe to the mix, with the results being a
head-nodding, hypnotic feast of an album.
Always looking forward to what’s next from this cat.
8. Takuya
Kuroda—“Rising Son.” While we’re on the
subject of Jose James, it’s worth noting that he produced this shimmering jazz-funk-fusion
album for trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, only further proving the case for his depth
and versatility. James mans the studio
controls here with the same kind of warmth and bass-heavy vibe he uses on his
own material, and it benefits the whole in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, Kuroda has a smooth, fluid,
lyrical tone that has to be heard to be believed, and even covers a couple of
Roy Ayers jazz-funk classics, featuring James himself on lead vocals for
“Everybody Loves The Sunshine.” Music
like this proves that jazz is alive, well, and in good hands, contrary to some
contemporary narratives mourning its disappearance. You just have to know where to look.
9. Paolo
Nutini—“Caustic Love.” Not since the
days of the Average White Band has Scotland produced such a fine, authentically
gritty blue-eyed soul and funk act.
Hard-edged, rockish soul-funk that keeps the momentum going all the way
through the record, with great raspy vocals from Nutini. A left-field treasure.
10. The
Budos Band—“Burnt Offering.” The Budos
Band returns with more of its trademark Afro-Beat, except that this time
around, they’ve been listening to more Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin than
Fela. The group gets very hallucinogenic
on this release, and slams heavy metal guitar and bass atop its roiling,
percussive backdrop, making for a welcome and surprising creative leap forward
from their tried-and-true sound.
11. Big
K.R.I.T.—“Cadillactica." The last
major-label Big K.R.I.T. album left me cold, and wondering what all the fuss
was about. Well, this one left no
questions in my mind. Southern hip-hop
at its finest, still gut-level and street-level, but with a meditative,
thoughtful, pensive outlook that does sound a bit like a throwback to the
halcyon days of OutKast. Outa-space,
soul-driven grooves well worth checking out.
12. Theo
Croker—“Afro-Physicist.” More dope
modern jazz and jazz-funk from a thoroughly modern trumpeter, although, believe
it or not, I think I like this one even better than the Takuya Kuroda
album. Croker’s a more technically
gifted and versatile player, and when he does funk and fusion, he rocks a whole
lot harder. All that, plus he does an
impossibly lovely trumpet-and-vibes cover of one of my all-time Stevie Wonder
deep cuts, “Visions.” The rare fusion-styled
record that wears its funk credentials on its sleeve while sacrificing none of
its jazz credibility, evidenced by the fact that the whole project was produced
by collaborative partner and jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater. Spectacular.
13. Lee
Fields—“Emma Jean." Lee Fields
continues to evolve and build upon his core sound with this release. The hard funk and retro-soul of his previous
records is here, but there is also a slow-burn balladry that is absolutely
breathtaking, a new hybrid of sorts.
Possibly my favorite so far from this latter-day renaissance man.
14. D’Angelo
And The Vanguard—“Black Messiah.”
Speaking of renaissance men.
D’Angelo dropped this LP as a surprise, last-minute release at the end
of the year, and for me anyway, it did not disappoint. He should have included a lyric sheet with
the physical release, as his vocals are impenetrably garbled on every track,
but it almost adds to the mystery of the project, literally fourteen years in
the making. The music is unbelievable,
trading in influences from Sly to Badu to Prince, but always following D’Angelo’s
own unique, enigmatic muse. This album
puts me in a trance-like state when I listen to it, and in the storied
tradition of many other classic “grower” records, presents something new each
time I hear it. Dense, layered,
next-level funk.
15. Kelis—“Food.” I love love LOVE this record…definitely my
personal favorite of 2014. Who knew that
Kelis of “Milkshakes” and “Bossy” fame had an LP like this in her? Written on the heels of her breakup with Nas,
Kelis and TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek crafted something indescribable, which
sparkles with its songwriting, lyricism, and use of a live band. Kelis’ vocals drive the message and the music
home, and though you can hear the hurt in her voice, you can also hear the
resolve. This album struck me in the way
that a Beatles or a Funkadelic record might; it’s on that level. Truly a masterpiece.
16. Various
Artists—“I'm Just Like You: Sly's Stone
Flower." A fascinating document of
Sly’s early experiments with the Rhythm King drum machine, tried out with
various artists and on his own. This
material is the missing link between the “Stand!” and “There’s A Riot Goin’ On”
albums, which in and of itself makes it necessary from a historical standpoint. The fact, however, that the quality of the
songs is so high reveals something more crucial, that is, that Sly’s creativity
during this period was as fertile and innovative as ever.
17. Bob
Dylan & The Band—“The Complete Basement Tapes." An insanely dense treasure trove compiling
“all” of the legendary Basement Tapes sessions (how are we ever really going to know if they found them
all?). Everything and the kitchen sink
(almost literally) is on this, from Dylan and The Band goofing around on old
standards and throwaway originals, to the presence of all-time classics, most
of which were first recorded by other
artists, but can be heard here in all their rugged, ethereal glory. Definitely not for the fair-weather follower,
but any true Dylan fanatic will need this.
18. The
J.B.'s—“These Are The J.B.'s." I
must say I found it a bit disingenuous that this was advertised as a completely
“new” album, as the title track and “The Grunt” both appeared on the “Food For
Thought” LP, albeit in edited form.
However, the previously unreleased jams are indeed worthy, and show a
snapshot of the Bootsy Collins-led JB’s in peak form, leading the listener to
wonder what might have been had this particular incarnation of the band not
disintegrated.
