As the end of the year looms close and the seasons change (read:
it’s five degrees cooler outside and the sun stays down a bit
longer), it comes time for music geeks worldwide to start making
end-of-the-year lists. In addition to a year-end top-10 list, I
have another list I like to make: a collection of this year’s
best debut albums.
I consider this list just as important, if not more important,
than the year-end top 10 for two reasons: first, because most of
the albums on a year-end top 10 will have already been made known
to the general public, and second, because the artists behind this
year’s best debut albums are largely unknown and, as
they’ve only just begun their careers, will be making music
for years to come. And so I give you a selection of this
year’s best debut albums, though they aren’t in any
particular order.
“¢bull; The Pipettes, “We Are The Pipettes” This
irresistible, polka-dotted trio of girls delivers an equally
irresistible debut album, brimming with catchy hooks and cheeky
lyrics. They know their way around a pop song, combining beautiful
three-part harmonies with Beach Boys-caliber instrumentation and
hitting you with verses like, “We are the Pipettes / and
we’ve got no regrets / If you haven’t noticed yet /
We’re the prettiest girls you’ve ever met.”
“¢bull; Beirut, “The Gulag Orkestar”
Beirut is basically the musical outlet of Zach Condon, a
nineteen-year-old kid with a trumpet, a piano, a few ukuleles and a
variety of percussive instruments playing songs with a strong
Balkan influence and warm, soulful vocals. It’s not the kind
of music you hear every day. And that’s a compliment.
“¢bull; Lupe Fiasco, “Food & Liquor”
Lupe’s released one of the two good rap albums this year (the
other being Ghostface, of course) and it’s something to
behold. He’s hardly an innovator, but his smooth, articulate
flow does more justice to classic rhymes than has been done in
years. The album also offers some of the most positive, intelligent
lyrics mainstream hip-hop has to offer. If you need proof that this
kid’s bona fide, just listen to “Pressure” and
witness Lupe putting Jay-Z to shame.
“¢bull; My Brightest Diamond, “Bring Me the
Workhorse”
What’s extraordinary about this debut is the maturity of
its songwriting ““ each song is carefully crafted and
seamlessly arranged. The music is moody and atmospheric, setting
the perfect background for Shara Worden’s pristine vocals. It
may be too melodramatic for some, but listeners willing to take
Worden by the hand will find themselves aptly rewarded.
“¢bull; Beach House, “Beach House”
Beach House is a Baltimore-based duo playing straight
free-spirits-with-beards-on-a-beach rock. It’s all syrupy
synths and guitars beneath distant vocals, and while it may take a
couple listens to comprehend, the nuanced songs are more than worth
the wait. “Apple Orchard,” especially, is a
masterpiece, a carefree and inviting track with a chorus of,
“Let’s lay down for a while / you can smile / lay your
head in the arms / old-fashioned.”
“¢bull; Brightblack Morning Light, “Brightblack Morning
Light”
This album is my favorite debut of the year, and probably the
only one making my year-end top 10. It may be repetitive and
uniform, but I prefer to think of it as the product of a group that
knows its strengths and plays to them. All of Brightblack’s
tracks are based on killer blues grooves and soaked in reverbed
layers of synth. Rabob and Nabob’s melodies are spacious and
hypnotic, melting into the mix and, at last, giving naturalist
hippie anthems of old a run for their money.
Like most music columnists, Duhamel spends more time making
end-of-the-year lists than he does writing his column. E-mail him
at
dduhamel@media.ucla.edu.