In case you missed it, 2013 has had a breathtaking first quarter. In the last ninety or so days, I’ve counted no less than 25 very good albums and 13 potential classics.
In case you missed any of them, I’ll be rounding them up over the next few days.
Up next, we’ve got Dawn Richard’s devastating second LP.
Dawn Richard
Goldenheart
January 15th, Our Dawn
Fresh off two brilliant genre-bending EPs last year, the ex-Dannity Kane leader could have been forgiven for putting her 4-inch stilettos up for 2013, but barely two weeks into the new year, the New Orleanian unleashed her herculean, 16-track break-up opus on the unsuspecting public. The result is startling sonic experience, that sees the 29 year-old offer an honest take on loss, while fearlessly bringing the listener into her headspace.
Richard refuses to let Goldenheart‘s heavy subject matter weigh her down and brilliantly interjects lightness and humor in all the right places. Musically, it touches on everything from mystical future R&B to full-on Broadway balladeering (see: the show-stopping title track). The album it reminds me most of is 1977, The-Dream’s headfuck of a break-up album. Though I’ve been listening to it for nearly two months, it continues to open up in new ways to me. It’s a stunning achievement from an artist with a fascinating past and a wide-open future.
Hottest Jams: “Tug of War,” “Ode To You,” “Goldenheart”
Rating: 4.9 penguins out of 5
