Editor's note: If you missed any of this week's selections, you can check them out here.
Scott Mancuso
Album: Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
As I can only highlight one album, I’m picking Waxahatchee’s Cerulean Salt. I’ve already written extensively about The National, Vampire Weekend, and Deerhunter (all great albums) but so have a lot of other people. Katie Crutchfield’s adorable and nearly flawless album of folk-pop, however, has been written about far less, and for no justifiable reason. I’ve listened to this album countless times this year and never tire of it. It’s simple and catchy and affecting and lovely. Songs like “Misery Over Dispute” show off how brilliantly Crutchfield mixes vulnerability and strength and also her ability to craft a really emotional and unexpected melody. It’s truly no reflection of my opinion of the album that I chose not to write about it at length. I think some albums just don’t lend themselves very well to the level of (over) analysis in which I engage. Parsing the hell out of the earnest sentiments of this album would feel like dissecting a butterfly.
Song: The National - "Pink Rabbits"
The National’s “Pink Rabbits” is the only song I’ve heard this year that has absolutely stopped me in my tracks. The main piano theme is the type of circular melody that the Dessner brothers have perfected: a repetitive tumble of notes that’s ultimately somewhat unsatisfying, as it seems to stop just short of actually resolving itself before it trips back into its opening bars again. Structurally, the song is deceptively complex with 7 distinct sections that seamlessly meld into one another. Lyrically, the song is as strong as anything Matt Berninger has written, where it’s impossible to pick a favorite line as every other one seems like a highlight. “I’m so surprised you want to dance with me now, you always said I held you way too high off the ground” is Berninger at his witty, self-deprecating best, (alluding to both being an over-aggressive dancer and holding his partner in too high of esteem.) It’s a dark and pretty song that somehow manages to sound like what nostalgia feels like: overwhelming and longing and far away and close to heart and beautiful and not at all painless.
Brian Gorman
Album: Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave
The soundtrack to perpetual sunshine, the tone throughout Cave Rave is of boisterous jubilance. Each track is packed with dense, tribal percussion and backed up by catchy, sing along choruses. There's a healthy dose of electronic influence but it never overtakes the organic, earthy feel of the songs. Star of Love had a few more standout singles, but Cave Rave flows like a great live set. This is a band that kills just as much on stage as they do in the studio, and you can hear the difference.
Song: Everything Everything - "Duet"
2010's Man Alive was so fresh and unpredictable that Everything Everything's sophomore effort was facing impossible odds to be as good. Not only does Arc live up to it's predecessor, it manages to set itself apart and do its own thing, something sophomore albums are notorious for doing poorly. "Duet" opens with strings that wouldn't feel out of place on a Coldplay record, but quickly distinguishes itself with the unmistakable falsetto of Jonathan Higgs and the band's bizarre Queen-esque harmonized backup vocals ("black caldera ash and falling", "tarred and feathered genii"). The song culminates with a rousing climax that just rocks.
Travis Kowalski
Album: Atoms for Peace - Amok
Song: Atoms for Peace - "Ingenue"
Earlier this year ,the world eagerly welcomed the first album from supergroup Atoms for Peace, ambiguously titled Amok. Although lead vocalist Thom Yorke has admitted that this musical venture is simply a side project, the songs on their debut album have held enough pizazz to keep them on my most recent playlists. What really made this album stand out were the psychedelic rhythms, the addicting bass lines, and of course Yorke's impeccable vocals. This group didn’t try to live up to the sounds of the alternative groups they were a part of, but instead created something to kickoff 2013. It’s only fitting that my favorite song this year also happened to come from the same band. “Ingenue” is a song whose vitality seems to grow more and more upon listening. The woody snaps pair well with the dynamic electronics making for a well-rounded dance floor track, a strong workout track and an even better summer jam.
Michael Torsell
Album: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
Vampire Weekend achieved the rare feat of getting better with each release, avoiding a sophomore slump with Contra and with this year's stellar Modern Vampires of the City. A remarkably consistent pop record underscoring the group's artistic growth, many of the tracks were contenders for my favorite track thus far. However, it is their coming together on one LP that makes this such an easy pick for my favorite album.
Song: Wild Nothing - "A Dancing Shell"
I am perhaps a little biased here because I simply really like Wild Nothing beyond any sort of critical reasoning. Nocturne was my favorite of 2012 and while the EP released this year was more of a sketch of future directions, those sketches coalesce nicely in "A Dancing Shell." A shift in sound to something more expansive, Wild Nothing effectively moves forward.
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