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Song of the Day #2,384: ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’ – Future Islands

future_islandsFollowing up on my list of 2014’s best songs, and the discussion it generated about my album-centric vs. radio-centric tastes, it’s a good time to dive into Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop poll.

This poll compiles the top-ten picks of 612 music critics, covering both albums and singles. The points are compiled to arrive at the consensus list. Over the next two weeks I’ll feature the ten highest-ranking singles according to the critics’ aggregate list (excluding songs I’ve already covered on the blog).

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Song of the Day #2,383: ‘Buttercup (Demo)’ – Lucinda Williams

lucinda_blessedThe deluxe edition of Lucinda William’s 2001 album, Blessed, was accompanied by a companion CD called The Kitchen Tapes. It features the same 12 songs, in the same order, but recorded as demos by Williams sitting in her kitchen with a guitar and a tape recorder.

Some of those songs ended up with similar acoustic treatments on the final album, but others (like today’s SOTD) became hard-edged rockers, highlighted by excellent supporting guitar work by Elvis Costello.

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Song of the Day #2,382: ‘The Best of Everything’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

southern_accents‘The Best of Everything’ is the final track on Tom Petty’s excellent 1985 album, Southern Accents.

Having always been a huge fan of this album, I was surprised to see that it received generally tepid critical reviews. Individual tracks receive high marks (‘Rebels,’ ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’ and the title track, specifically) but the album as a whole was dismissed as an uneven hodgepodge.

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Song of the Day #2,381: ‘Late Bloomer’ – Jenny Lewis

jenny_lewis_the_voyager

Best Songs of 2014 – #1
‘Late Bloomer’ – Jenny Lewis

I knew Jenny Lewis’ ‘Late Bloomer’ was the best song of 2014 before I’d even finished listening to it the first time.

It’s rare that I “get” a song after just one listen (let alone half of one) but this elegant snapshot of a young woman’s coming of age struck a nerve instantly.

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Song of the Day #2,380: ‘Priscilla’ – Miranda Lambert

miranda_lambert_platinum

Best Songs of 2014 – #2
‘Priscilla’ – Miranda Lambert

For the second time since 2011, Miranda Lambert released my favorite album of the year. Platinum, like its predecessor, finds her at the peak of her powers, bending country music to her will, practically becoming her own genre.

The best song on an album full of great ones is ‘Priscilla,’ Lambert’s plea to the former Mrs. Presley for advice on how to manage a marriage in the spotlight.

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