London Grammar
“Metal & Dust”
Metal & Dust / Hey Now 7″ (out 02/25 on Metal & Dust)

I approached young London trio, London Grammar, with quite a bit of apprehension after their admitedly very impressive debut single, “Hey Now,” hit late last year. Simply put, they felt a little too good to be true. Their sound and image seemed a little too fully realized for such a young band, and as we learned from our dear friend Señorita Del Rey, it’s simply too easy to effusively praise and set unrealistic expectations for young artists nowadays.

However, their follow-up single — the remarkably restrained, exquisitely crafted, “Metal & Dust” — makes it even tougher not to fire up the “these guys are going to be FUCKING huge” hype machine. Hannah Reid’s evocative, pliable voice combines the sensual power of Jessie Ware with the vulnerability of Romy Madley Croft (hyperbolic, but accurate) and is nimbly supported by a delicate, swelling arraignment that recalls Ms. Croft’s group. Their true acid test will come when they unleash their debut full-length (lest we forget that Lana had “Video Games” AND “Blue Jeans”), but they are off to a hell of a start.

James Blake
“Retrograde”
Overgrown (out April 1 on Polydor)

I feel pretty comfortable writing about most tracks after listening to them three or four times, but James Blake’s majestic new single is not “most tracks.” After letting it sink in for about a week, I feel comfortable calling this his most spellbinding original work (ie, not counting his perfect cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”) since the genre-defining title track from his seminal 2010 EP, CMYK.  This, of course, includes all of his break-out debut LP — one of my Top 5 albums of 2011 — so there’s no hint of faint praise.

In many ways, “Retrograde” is the most fully-realized pop song he’s ever released and one of the few with something that approaches a verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, but that isn’t what makes it stand out. It’s Blake’s ability to embrace and combine those sensibilities with his experimental roots and challenging, innovative sonic palette. His debut hinted that he was capable, yet uncomfortable with the notion of reinventing himself as a pop musician, and “Retrograde” is very much the sound of the Londoner fulfilling that potential. I can’t promise that it’ll end up as my song of the year, but I can promise that it’ll take some serious beating.

Kisses
“The Hardest Part”
Kids in L.A. (out 5/14 on Cascine)

In 2011, the Los Angeles-based BF/GF duo released one of my favorite debuts of recent years — the bubbly, beachy The Heart of the Nightlife — so I rejoiced when the group (made up of Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson) announced their follow-up late last week. Frontman Kivel may have spent most of 2012 with his other group — the underrated indie rock quartet Princeton — but from the album’s first proper single, it seems like he hasn’t been neglecting Kisses. In short, “The Hardest Part” is basically everything that I loved about the group’s debut.

Its light and airy feel is anchored by a rock-solid, driving bassline and a touch of melancholy and urgency, resulting in a track that is easy without feeling devoid of substance. Kivel’s remarkably smooth tenor is reminiscent of velvety vocalists like Jens Lekman and (less so) Arthur Russell, and while it is often the highlight of his tracks, it is the slithering outro synth line that steals the show here, which suggests that the duo might have some new tricks up their sleeve on Kids in L.A. I can’t wait to find out.

LIZ
“XTC”
Digital Single (out now Mad Decent) 

Don’t look now, but we may just stumbled across the first truly great pop single of the young year. While little is known about Ms. Liz, we do know she is from Tarzana, has some famous friends, listens to a shitload of 90’s pop and R&B, and wants you to “love her like your Xbox” (Lana shout-out?). Her debut single, “XTC,” has more than a few shades of 2012 favorite and fellow Angelino Sky Ferreira’s devastating, “Everything is Embarrassing.” We’ll see if it sticks the same, but it certainly has the same kind of timeless, wistful keytar-tastic melody and nostalgic feel. We’ll see if she has any more tricks up her oversized army jacket, but the mysterious Valley Girl’s debut single is just about everything I want in a pop song.

Sky Ferreira
“Everything is Embarrassing” remixes by Krystal Klear, Twin Shadow, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Digital

Sky Ferreira remixes are like London busses — you wait ages for one to come and then three show up at the same time*. Even though it has been out for the better part of a year, the part-time model’s lovelorn, dancing-in-my-room jam never really got a worthy remix until recently when George Lewis Jr of Twin Shadow, Mancunian serial remixer Krystal Klear, and PDX-via-NZ trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra all took a whack at it. All three artists left Ferreira’s intoxicating vocal line in tact but took decidedly different spins on the arraignments. Lewis’ is a delicious, synth-slathered lazer show of a synth jam, while Krystal Klear flips it into a scintillating Euro house jam — think sexy Jazzercise — that is my pick of the bunch. While I still like it, UMO’s take is my least favorite of the three, as the group’s drum-heavy version feels a touch ponderous at times. Either way, I’m just glad that the brilliant original finally gets the remixes that it deserves.

*other things that are like London busses: job opportunities, sexual partners, triplets

Krystal Klear

Twin Shadow’s Remix

umo made it.

Local Natives
“Colombia”
Hummingbird (out tomorrow on Frenchkiss)

Earlier this year, someone I love very much tragically lost their mother, many years before her time. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to say to that person, which was complicated by the fact that I didn’t know what to say to myself. Do these tragedies happen for some clandestine reason? Or do they happen because the world is a fundamentally amoral place filled with beings with fundamentally fragile bodies?

During the production of their second LP, Local Natives’ vocalist Kelcey Ayer lost his own mother. As many great writers do, the Angelino finds words — beautiful, poignant words — for the kind of loss that renders the rest of us speechless. When he admits to asking himself every night whether he’s “loving enough” and “giving enough,” it is simultaneously heartbreaking and  redeeming. It reminds us that, no matter what, the people we love are always with us to guide us and remind us what is really important. It’s a truly beautiful sentiment and the centerpiece of what will undoubtedly be one of the most important albums of 2013.

Dawn Richard
“Tug of War”
Goldenheart (self-released, out now)

Dawn Richard is an utterly fascinating creature. Miscast early in her career as the squeaky clean mouthpiece of Diddy’s radio R&B group, Dannity Kane, the New Orleans native has flourished since the group folded in 2009. Richard’s triumphant post-DK debut LP is a swirling, mystical rumination on the end of a relationship that highlights Richard’s diverse palette of influences (R&B, electro-pop, hip-hop, Eastern music), impeccable taste, and unique voice. Though it is probably six songs too long, it is full of golden moments, namely this emotive, slow-burner that somehow both recalls The-Dream and Stevie Nicks. Richard chronicles the way that break-ups turn into power struggles, and as she’s shown throughout her career, she’s in no mood to back down. The diverse, challenging nature of Goldenheart may turn off a high percentage of R&B and pop fans, but those who are willing to persevere with it will be rewarded handsomely  One of the albums of the young year.

Listen to Goldenheart on Spotify.

Justin Timberlake
“Suit & Tie” (f/ Jay-Z)
The 20/20 Experience (due out in 2013 on RCA)

It’s hard to believe that it has been seven whole years since JT released his watershed sophomore LP, FutureSex/LoveSounds. Considering how quickly pop culture moves on these days, the fact that the record still sounds so next level is remarkable, and you could easily argue that nobody has been able to touch it since its release. For that reason, Timberlake has been welcomed back into music with all the excitement of a Vince Young Wednesday night trip to the Cheescake Factory. Once the album was announced, some questioned whether he still had it, after seven, long years away. It takes Timberlake about 43 seconds to dispel that worry, as he weaves his effortless falsetto over an airy, brassy Timberland masterclass. If I was setting odds for album of the year, JT on the money line would officially be off the board. Unless, of course, Lance Bass’ long-awaited solo album, Japanese Theocracy, finally sees the light of day.

Frank Ocean
“Pink Matter” (Remix) (f/ Big Boi + Andre 3000)
Digital Single (Def Jam)

As much as I’d love it to be, this isn’t really an Outkast reunion track. That said, if anybody could reform the greatest hip-hop group of my lifetime, it would be someone with the awesome power of Mr. Ocean. The “Pink Matter” remix does highlight one thing that made Outkast great: their totally different perspectives. While most hip-hop groups generally see the world the same way, Big Boi and Dre’s tracks always worked so well because they would consistently found the diametric opposite sides of the same coin. While Andre’s verse is a brokenhearted lament to an absent girlfriend who was “made for cuddlin’,” the playful Big Boi gets his T-Pain on, pining for an exemplary stripper who was “the perfect hoe.” Considering how different they seem, it’s kind of amazing they were able to co-exist for four near-perfect albums and two pretty alright ones. Hopefully, the rumors of an Outkast reunion come to fruition, and if they do because of this collaboration, Frank Ocean deserves the Noble Peace Prize. Seriously.