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Hot Jam of the Day: The Antlers, “Hotel” // “Palace”

Posted on May 6, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

The Antlers
“Hotel” // “Palace”
Familiars (out 06.17 on Anti-)

Since its release, I’ve loved a lot of albums, but I still can’t name five that better the Brooklyn indie/post-rock trio’s incredible, gut-wrenching Hospice (2009). While 2011’s Burst Apart was very good, it was simply never going to live up to its nuanced, overwhelming predecessor, but judging by these two gorgeous, dreamy numbers, it looks like Peter Silberman and co. are back to their best.

The exquisite latter, especially, highlights the group’s knack for matching enchanting, ornate melodies with harrowing, devastating lyrics and vocals, resulting in songs that gently, gloriously break your heart. If there’s one thing that’s true about these guys, it’s that they are not a singles band, and I cannot wait to hear how these songs work in the context of an album that is one of my most anticipated of the year.

Listen to “Hotel” over at Brooklyn Vegan.

“Palace”

Starting V: My Favorite DJ Rashad Tracks

Posted on April 27, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Starting V | Comments Off

Late last night, a friend texted me that legendary Chicago house/footwork/juke producer Rashad “DJ Rashad” Harden had passed away at just 35. Anytime someone passes away at such an age, it is an impossible tragedy, and all thoughts and prayers must be extended to his family and friends. However, the timing of Harden’s death is even crueler because he was finally starting to get the international recognition that his genius, vision, and innovation deserved.

His fifth LP, Double Cup, was one of the best releases of last year and enjoyed almost universal acclaim. He spent the last couple of years criss-crossing the globe, playing to massive, sweaty rooms, packed to the brim.

I won’t speculate on the cause of death or the man himself, because I have no insight into either. I would, however, like to celebrate the great man’s incredible, influential catalog and the enduring legacy he leaves behind. I was lucky enough to see Rashad’s final two NYC performances, and both times I was left marveling at his uncanny ability to seamlessly weave massively diverse, frenetic tracks together with consumate ease and mastery. He must have been born with a metronome implanted in his brain to be able to match those beats. In short, he will remain one of the most influential, important producers of his generation and one of the men who brought the Chicago club sound to the world.

Also, I appreciate that I am not the person to craft a definitive collection of his best work or sum up his career, but I did want to devote some words to his songs that hit me hardest. RIP.

“Let it Go” from Rollin EP (2013)
Admittedly, I was late to the DJ Rashad party, as “Let it Go” was the first track of his I really fell in love with. One of my favorite songs of 2013, the track captures a lot of the elements that make his sound so remarkable. Rashad manages to balance hyperactive percussion with evocative swabs of synths, teetering on the edge of the beat. Just when the off-kilter number threatens to tip over, he masterfully reaches over to steady the ship, guiding it safely to its devastating climax.

“I’m Gone” from Just A Taste (2010)
While he was a master of manipulating chopped-up vocal samples, Rashad could also build around an extended sample like few others. Case in point, “I’m Gone” matches an evocative Gil-Scott Heron sample (one also famously used by fellow Chicago-native, Kanye West) with a syncopated, dancefloor backbeat and wobbly sub-bass to perfection. While he obviously made great party music, there’s an undercurrent of pain in a lot of his best work, and it’s on full display here.

“She A Go” (f/ DJ Spinn & DJ Taso) from Double Cup (2013)
One of Rashad’s greatest strengths was his versatility, and the Double Cup stand-out incorporates UK Garage influences and Southern rap into his Chicago sound. Obviously, this isn’t the only place he utilizes the aforementioned elements, but it’s one of my favorites. One of the smoothest Rashad tracks on record, he blends just-behind-the-beat chords with his signature syncopated percussion. It’s topped off with an infectious, screwed vocalsthat guide the listener through the track’s stunning 3-plus minutes.

“CCP” from TEKLIFE Vol 1: Welcome to the Chi (2012)
He had a knack for pulling apart vocal samples to inhuman levels, deconstructing them to the point of otherworldliness. That said, no matter how mangled, they never lost their humanity, as highlighted on this evocative banger. If that wasn’t enough, Rashad actually uses the vocal as a percussive element here, almost signaling tempo shifts with it. It’s something I’d never really heard done like that, and it’s yet another example of why Rashad will be remembered as a true sonic innovator.

“FootworKINGz” from Jukeville (2009)
Even though he was certainly never limited to the genre, it feels fitting to end this list with an example of pure footwork glory. “FootworKINGz” only uses a few sonic elements and two words, but in classic DJ Rashad style, it becomes much more than the sum of its parts. And isn’t that what being a great DJ/producer is all about? It’s about pulling the magic out of the small elements of recorded tracks and putting them together to make an entirely new, original piece of music. Only the great ones can do it, and it’s why he will always be considered the Footwork King.

RIP DJ Rashad.

Hot Jam of the Day: Devonte Hynes, “Palo Alto”

Posted on April 26, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Devonté Hynes
“Palo Alto”
Palo Alto: Music from the Motion Picture (out June 3 on Domino)

Ten years ago, I never would have imagined that people like Aaron Sorkin and Mike Judge would spend time in nondescript stretch of suburbia that I grew up on, let alone devote their precious brain-space to it. James Franco, on the other hand, never had a choice. In 2010, the 36 year-old Palo Alto-native penned collection of short stories about growing up in said suburbia, which I’ve never had the courage to read (TOO MANY FEELS, MAN. TOO MANY FUCKING FEELS.).

The film was scored by Blood Orange mastermind, Devonté Hynes, and title track nails the weightless melancholia of life in my hometown, simultaneously carefree and tinged with darkness. Hynes’ graceful, evocative vocal glides over a languid guitar line, capturing the alluring, ephemeral nature of a beautiful California town built on a booming yet unstable economy. Whether Franco and director Gia Copolla can capture those feelings on the silver screen remains to be seen. I’m certainly looking forward to finding out.

Album of the Week: August Alsina, Testimony

Posted on April 19, 2014 by TP1.COM in Album of the Week, Featured | Comments Off

August Alsina
Testimony
Out now on Radio Killa/ Def Jam

In the last couple of years, millions of words have been written about the deconstruction of R&B. The common narrative reads that the antiquated, oft-problematic genre needed a re-think, a shot in the arm. Artists like the Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Miguel were crowned as the men for the job — the forward-thinking minds ready to drag R&B into the 21st century (read: make traditionally black music palatable to white audiences). Before we knew it, the three of them were playing triumphant sets at Coachella, the Ed Sullivan Show of today. The verdict was in: mainstream millennials demanded R&B.

The great secret, however, is the most progressive R&B coming out continues to be produced by artists who are generally viewed as “traditional.” Whether it was The-Dream’s stunning 1977 (2011), Jeremih’s Late Nights with Jeremih (2012), or TeeFlii’s recent AnnieRUO’TAY 2, much of the best work of the last five years has come from outside the lauded PBR&B(ARF) scene. Another one of those artists who will not be coming to a Coachella near you is 21 year-old August Alsina.

The New Orleanian’s debut has been mostly skipped over by the pop blogosphere, which is hilarious considering they all had plenty to say about the Weeknd’s limp, Kiss Land . The truth is, Testimony, is an outstanding first statement, highlighting much of what makes him such a compelling artist. First and foremost, he has the chops: an effortless, graceful tenor that glides up to a falsetto without a hint of strain. Even better, he uses those million-dollar vocal chords to weave affecting stories.

The record is called Testimony for a reason. From cathartic leadoff track “Testify” to gospel-tinged closer “Benediction,” Alsina is hell-bent on telling his story — from his difficult childhood to his triumphant rise and everything in between. Through everything, he never loses his buoyant spirit and dogged desire to succeed, perhaps best typified by the lyric “Heard my brother got gunned down and it hurt me to my heart. / So I kept grindin’, kept pushin’, he told me to go far.”

That survivor’s spirit permeates every minute of the record. Whether he is paying tribute to his troubled mother (“Mama”) or giving props to strippers (the outstanding “Get Ya’ Money”), Alsina has a knack for seeing things as they really are and paying tribute to people who are doing the best they can with what they’ve been given. Even the album’s most romantic moment, the exquisite “Kissin’ On My Tattoos,” details a flawed couple, not brave enough to commit to each other but terrified that the other will move on.

The song’s ambiguity is a microcosm of what makes Testimony so strong and its author so interesting. In today’s world, artists tend to deliver easily-digestible, unvarying brands: the Weeknd’s dead-eyed lothario, Miguel’s sensitive bro. However, Alsina prefers to live in the moral grey area of the real world, where nothing is all one way or the other. And there’s nothing more progressive than that.

9.5/10

First Quarter Round-Up: The Best Songs of 2014 (So Far)

Posted on April 9, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured | Comments Off

Quite a few of my friends have asked me for new music, which is kind of insane, considering this has been an incomprehensibly strong year of music so far. We’ve seen a handful of brilliant LPs and some absolutely breathtaking singles. Here’s a super quick round-up of about 25 absolutely essential songs that came out this year.

How to Dress Well: “Repeat Pleasure” // “Words I Don’t Remember”
Longtime TP-favorite, Tom Krell, continues to make arresting pop(ish) jams that sound like nobody else. What is This Heart? is undoubtedly my most anticipated LP of the year.

Sean Nicholas Savage: “Heartless”
Ultra-prolific, weirdo crooner crafts a devastating break-up jam with notes of Arthur Russell. Melodrama at its absolute finest.

Young Thug: “Danny Glover”
Probably the song of the year so far, the 21 year-old ATLien is starting to make the establishment really nervous (Jay-Z is shaking in his slippers) with his devastating delivery and ear for progressive arraingments.

Que: “OG Bobby Johnson”
LeBron’s favorite song makes the list thanks to an undeniable, post-Lex Luger beat and the rising Atlanta native’s raspy, intimidating flow.

Small Black x Frankie Rose: “Lines of Latitude”
The shapeshifting Brooklynites dust off their boat shoes and head for warmer climes in this seductive slow-burner.

Future x Ciara: “Anytime”
It’s like “Drunk in Love”… if “Drunk in Love” was sexy.

Ratking x King Krule: “So Sick Stories”
The NYC crew certainly evokes memories of NYC’s golden age of hip-hop, but this brilliant effort reminds me most of Skinnyman’s still seminal, Council Estate of Mind.

Lewis: “I Thought the World of You” (Light in the Attic re-issue)
A heartbreaking whisper from years gone by, the anonymous vocalist’s statement is still profound, nearly 30 years after it was created.

August Alsina: “Kissin on My Tattoos”
The NOLA lothario unleashes the kind of classic-cum-modern slow jam that used to be reserved for his mentor, The-Dream. Impossibly sexy.

Jacques Greene: “No Excuse”
The consistent Canadian delivers again, lacing a vulnerable vocal over a swirling, wonky arraignment. Try not to get lost in it.

SD Laika: “Meshes”
The shadowy Wisconsin native weighs in with one of the most uncompromising, singular statements of the year. As uncompromising a take on dance music as you are ever going to find.

IYES: “Breathe”
The Brighton duo’s sweltering single sounds like the XX after a couple of Red Bull vodkas. Understated, moody, and seductive, but still looking to have a good time.

The War on Drugs: “Eyes to The Wind”
AM Radio makes its long-awaited comeback! Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Adam Granduciel summons the wistful spirit of Springsteen to chase the heartache away. The highpoint of one of the albums of the year.

Wild Beasts: “Pregnant Pause”
The sensuous Brits get their “concerned friend” on over a gorgeous, mellifluous piano arraignment. Falsetto enthusiasts rejoice!

Mssingno: “Brandy Flip”
The shadowy Londoner’s Mssingo EP was one of the finest of last year and his wonky, grime-influenced production is second to none, right now. BRB, praying to the Based God for a debut LP.

Motions: “To The Sea”
Nearly eight minutes of house bliss to get lost in, Brendan Neal (ex-Grown Folk) builds an arpeggiated, undulating masterclass that swallows you whole.

YG: “Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)” (f/ Kendrick Lamar)
The Compton native sets the way-back machine to 1993 on this Doggystyle-channeling cut. YG isn’t known for his lyricism, but even the Dogfather himself would be proud of his storytelling here. That Kendrick kid’s pretty good too.

Kevin Gates x Doe B: “Amnesia”
The murder of 22 year-old, Glenn “Doe B” Thomas, was one of the saddest stories of last year. However, he’s in great voice here, combining with the always, brilliant Baton Rouge Bully to devastating effect. RIP.

I do not love: “I Like you most”
I’m not quite sure how I stumbled on the Massachusetts-native’s gorgeous EP, IDNL., but I’m glad I did. It’s got a little bit of goth, a little bit of pop, and a whole hell of a lot of teen angst.

Lil’ Herb: “On The Corner” (f/ Lil Durk, KD Young Cocky)
The rising Chicago spitta certainly isn’t the first to write about the explosive intersections of American cities, but few are writing about the sobering state of America’s second city with the lyricism and depth of the 17 year-old. This dude will be the next Windy City rapper to blow.

Sun Kil Moon: “Micheline”
Mark Kozelek’s incredible, Benji, remains the high point of 2014, and I could have gone with many of its 11 songs. In the end, I’ll take the beautiful “Micheline,” a powerful example of Kozelek’s unparalleled storytelling and songwriting. Stop trying to fight it.

Yumi Zouma: “It Feels to be Around You” (cover)
I’m with Yumi Zouma; I fucking miss Air France too. The dreamy Aussies’ take on one of the legendary duo’s best songs with real care and craft, and it shows what a huge influence the Swedes continue to have.

Todd Terje x Bryan Ferry: “Johnny and Mary”
The legendary Roxy Music vocalist lends his now-raspy pipes to the Norweigan DJ’s gorgeous Robert Palmer re-do. Terje’s swelling, lush synths provide the perfect foil to Ferry’s breathy, spare vocals, resulting in a song that is difficult to shake off.

Future Islands: “Seasons (Waiting on You)”
If you’ve ever hoped that you could change somebody you loved… If you thought your love, devotion, and forgiveness could make that someone realize what huge fucking mistakes they were making… And if, one day, it dawned on you that you were wasting your fucking time with that person… And if that revelation made your life a thousand percent better, then this is your fucking song. This is my song, too.

Bok Bok feat. Kelela – ‘Melba’s Call’
Kelela is a vocalist who likes a challenge. She could lace her graceful, expressive voice over just about anything, but she’d rather bob and weave over something a little bit more daunting. Something like this herky-jerky arraignment from Night Slugs stalwart, Bok Bok. Too fresh.

100s: “Ten Freaky Hoes”
The Too Short to YG’s Snoop Dogg, the Berkeley MC’s filthy IVRY mixtape channels the Bay Area sound of the mid-90s to absolute perfection. It was about time we had some new Cocktails in the Bay.

Francis Lung: “A Selfish Man”
The ex-members of WU LYF have certainly kept themselves busy since their surprise break-up, and former bassists Tom McClung’s debut single is the best of the lot. With a shuffling beat and puncturing guitars, “A Selfish Man” opens up to a gorgeous rumination on one of humanity’s greatest shortcomings.

ZMoney: “Dope Boy Magic”
The Chicago MC’s monstrous single knocks harder than just about everything. The catch? “Dope Boy Magic” does it almost entirely without percussion, relying on ZMoney’s byoant flow and trunk-rattling sub-bass to make one hell of an impression.

James Blake: “40455”
The South London mastermind brings out some seriously 2010 vibes on the unofficial single, harkening back to his glorious R&S days.

Linda Perhacs: “Prisms of Glass” (f/ Julia Holter)
When you don’t make a record for more than 40 years, I’d imagine you’d have a hell of a lot to say. The reclusive fringe folk singer finally graced us with a follow-up to her magical 1970 debut, Parallelograms, and it was more than worth the wait.

Ricky Eat Acid: “God Puts Us All in the Swimming Pool”
Baltimore-native Sam Ray’s emotionally striking LP seemed to fall out of the sky, which was fitting thanks to its celestial feeling. Though it should be experienced as one full album, this cut shows Ray’s mastery of mood and vocal manipulation.

Yung Lean, “Motorola”
GOLD ON MY WRIST, PHONE IN MY POCKET. GOLD ON MY WRIST, PHONE IN MY POCKET. GOLD ON MY WRIST, PHONE IN MY POCKET. I love it. Sorry.

Hot Jam of the Day: Young Thug, “Treasure” (f/ Zuse)

Posted on April 8, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Young Thug
“Treasure” (f/ Zuse)
Digital Single

If you’re still not sold on Atlanta’s Jeffrey “Young Thug” Williams, I don’t know what to tell you. Since the release of 2013’s brilliant, 1017 Thug mixtape, Williams has cranked out envelope-pushing, breathtaking deconstructionist trap anthems, crafting tracks as unpredictable and fractured as his public persona. In classic Internet fashion, the narrative has focused on the least interesting facets of the 21 year-old (who he’s sleeping with, what he’s wearing) rather than his revelatory music. Simply put, Williams has the potential to take the throne from Gucci Mane as Southern rap’s most fascinating, influential fringe MC, and tracks like this are the ticket to get him there. Producer Dun Deal (who also produced Thug’s ubiquitous, “Stoner”) deserves a mention as well, as his distressed, wonky arraignments provide the ideal canvas for Williams to smear his frenetic delivery over.

April Showers: 17 Releases That Demand Your Attention This Month

Posted on April 2, 2014 by TP1.COM in Album Reviews, Featured | Comments Off

S. Carey, Range of Light (April 1, JagJaguWar)
What: Bon Iver member/multi-instrumentalist/classically trained folky Sean Carey’s 2nd LP
Where: Eau Claire, WI
Sounds Like: Sensitive bros sitting around a lake, reflecting on life, sipping PBR’s, and shit.
Giddy-O-Meter: 8/10

Four years since his ornate, orchestral-folk debut, All We Grow, Carey returns with a gorgeous, reflective follow-up.

Gucci Mane & Young Thug, Young Thugga Mane La Flare (April 1, Brick Squad)
What: Atlanta iconoclast/trap poet laureate vs. the City’s most fascinating, promising young weirdo
Where: (Only in) Atlanta, GA
Sounds Like: A garbage fire at a gas station.
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.2/10

The indomitable Gucci may have finally met his match, as he takes on the most generally combustible, original, exciting MC to emanate from the scene since the Guwop himself came up nearly 10 years ago.

Pure X, Angel (April 1, Fat Possum)
What: The mopey, pastoral slowcore four-piece’s third LP.
Where: Austin, TX
Sounds Like: Smoking waaaay too many cigarettes.
Giddy-O-Meter: 8.5/10

Fresh off 2013’s ace, Crawling up the Stairs, the mellifluous Texans return with another emotional-yet-chill effort. Great for: drinking beers in the summer with friends, weeping in the winter by yourself.

Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks, Enter the Slasher House (April 8, Domino)
What: The second solo LP from the Animal Collective frontman
Where: Los Angeles, CA via Brooklyn, NY via Baltimore, MD
Sounds Like: 3 parts weird. 1 part pop.
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10

Animal Collective member makes super weird/potentially brilliant solo album. Maybe you’ve heard this one before?

Hot Jams of the Day: Yung Lean, “Gatorade” (Lido Remix) // Disclosure, “Latch” (Lido Remix)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Yung Lean
“Gatorade” (Lido Remix)

Disclosure
“Latch” (Lido Remix)

Last week, I went to see Cashmere Cat and Trippy Turtle at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and while Cash Cat is always a great show, I was completely floored by the still-anonymous opening act. While Trippy Turtle is best-known for his ravenous Jersey Club remixes, it was these two remixes from Norweigan producer, Lido (who is possibly one of Trippy Turtle’s pseudonyms, it’s complicated), that really brought the house down.

He opened with the stunning Yung Lean remix, that prompted a rapturous singalong from the sold-out crowd. The pitch-shifting in the second half turns the original’s low-key vocals into a melodramatic, diva-licious powder keg. It was possibly the most fun 3 minutes I’ve had a show this year.

Trippy Turtle then proceeded to melt everyone’s faces with the devastating Disclosure remix. The world needs another remix of “Latch” like it needs another Russian Olympics, but this previously-unheard take blows all the others out of the water. Like “Lemonade,” Lido’s take ratchets up the drama, adding big-band stabs and rapid-fire high-hats to the original’s unescapable chorus. It’s tough to make the 6th best song of last year better, but somehow the young Norwegian does here. Easily two of my favorite remixes of the year.

“Lemonade”

“Latch”

Album of the Week: The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream

Posted on March 24, 2014 by TP1.COM in Album of the Week, Featured | Comments Off

The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
Secretly Canadian

It’s been a remarkable musical year already, but the hazy Philly rockers’ third album has been one of the picks of the bunch. For better or worse, frontman Adam Granduciel has always been compared with fellow Philadelphian and former W.O.D. guitarist Kurt Vile. While the narrative seemed to be that Granduciel would always be in his shadow, this brilliant LP proves that he is no sideman. In fact, it could be easily argued that Lost in the Dream surpasses anything the celebrated Vile has ever put out.

First thing’s first, there’s a lot of pain on this album; it doesn’t take Rust Cohle to figure that out. Tracks titles like “Suffering,” “Under the Pressure,” and “In Reverse” serve as pretty solid clues, but if you dig deeper, there is plenty of light seeping out of the cracks. Much of that comes from the group’s rich, lush arraignments, inspired as much by psych rock as classic 70’s AOR (album-oriented rock). His penchant for sparkling piano melodies (see: standout cut, “Eyes to the Wind”) and major chord grooves balances out his lovesick lyrics beautifully, keeping Granduciel’s heavy-duty feelings from collapsing on themselves.

For that reason, it’s obvious why Lost in the Dream has drawn so many Springsteen comparisons. The Boss is the master of making hard times feel so god-damn easy — someone capable of turning a story about some sad-sack New Jersey steel town into a life-affirming 80,000 person singalong. While it probably isn’t a fair comparison, Granduciel’s got a little of that in his locker.

The beginning of lead single, “Red Eyes,” is fraught with claustrophobic frustration, before breaking into a triumphant crescendo. He may not be singing about “a town fulla losers,” but it certainly sounds like he’s “pullin’ outta here to win.” Even the crushing monolithic, break-up ballad, “In Reverse,” is peppered with gushing swabs of synth and longing guitar licks (think: 2014’s “I’m On Fire”). No matter how dark things get here, we never forget that the sun will rise again, even when he admits, “in reverse, I’m moving.”

It’s this balance that makes Lost in the Dream so impressive. There’s an incredible amount of sonic, musical, and lyrical diversity on this album, and Granduciel’s ability to harness it all into such cohesive statement deserves all sorts of plaudits. Previous War on Drugs records (especially 2011’s Slave Ambient) taught us that Granduciel could write great songs; Lost in the Dream tells us that he is a great songwriter. And there aren’t that many of them kicking around these days.

9/10

Check out the exquisite performance of “Eyes to the Wind.”

Hot Jam of the Day: How to Dress Well, “Words I Don’t Remember”

Posted on March 7, 2014 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

How to Dress Well
“Words I Don’t Remember”
Digital Single

Within seconds of listening to Tom Krell’s spellbinding new single, it’s clear that he’s never gone this far. That he’s never pulled the curtains back like this. That he’s never let this much light in.

“Words I Don’t Remember” — HTDW’s first studio work since 2012’s superb, Total Loss — continues his astonishing transformation from reverb-soaked, lo-fi shadow lurker to full-on clear-eyed, full-hearted, can’t-lose pop singer. It also highlights how natural and seamless that progression has been.

After listening to the track four or five times, I went back and listened to Love Remains (my favorite LP of 2010 and possible favorite album of the last five years). I was struck by both how singular it still sounds and how far Krell has come as a songwriter and vocalist. That said, no matter how much he’s drifted toward traditional, palatable pop music in the last four years, he still sounds like nobody else. In fact, you could argue that “Words I Don’t Remember” is just as subversive and challenging as any of his beguiling, occasionally desolate early work.

Over a stark chord progression, Krell deftly builds an arresting devotional that seeks to answer what happens to the purity of love, commitment, and trust in ” this world of simulations” (his words, not mine). While it sounds like drama camp stuff at face value, every ounce of that comes through in the ensuing six minutes. Though undoubtedly a gifted lyricist, Krell has always had a knack for communicating wordlessly (see: 95% of Love Remains), and it’s fitting that a song called “Words I Don’t Remember” packs such a devastating wordless crescendo, beautifully expressing the essence of the emotion that so often leaves us speechless. It is also the answer to his core quandary simply put, who fucking knows what happens to all that good stuff? But, like all the most important questions, it’s not about figuring out the answers; it’s just about seeking them.

It’s gorgeous. It’s powerful. It’s the best song I’ve heard so far this year.

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