Best Songs of 2013 – #2
New Zealand teen Lorde came out of nowhere to dominate the pop conversation in the latter third of 2013. Her debut album, Pure Heroine, was an unlikely smash, driven by minimalist beats, secret journal lyrics and smoky vocals.
First single ‘Royals’ was a deserving mega-hit — it’s perfectly crafted and executed — but it isn’t the best song on the album.
Best Songs of 2013 – #3
I apologize for the scheduling quirk that landed Eminem on Christmas Day. Not exactly the most festive choice, I know. Merry Christmas, everyone!
I had high hopes but medium expectations for The Marshall Mathers LP 2 after hearing the first few singles. But Eminem erased all doubts seven minutes into the record with this extraordinary opening track.
Best Songs of 2013 – #4
The final female country singer on my countdown, Brandy Clark, put out one of the best albums of the year in any genre.
Her 12 Stories is an elegant, focused and resonant work that calls to mind Bonnie Raitt and Mary Chapin Carpenter but still feels wholly original.
Best Songs of 2013 – #5
In the Year of Country Women, the biggest splash was made by Kacey Musgraves, whose refreshing millennial outlook landed her on Ellen and landed her debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, on both the country and mainstream charts.
Musgraves strikes me as a grown-up version of Taylor Swift (and I don’t mean that as a slight to Swift, whose best work evokes the adolescent experience beautifully). Her songs are simple, memorable and deceptively deep.
I’ve run out of meaningful things to say about Ron Sexsmith, after posting dozens of his songs on the blog over the years.
Truth be told, I probably ran out of meaningful things to say about him five songs ago.
He’s awesome; I love his work; if you don’t have any of his albums you should remedy that as soon as possible. That about sums it up.
Meet Me In Montauk 