#sam beeton

Wow I listened to some fantastic albums this week. I’m so excited about these ones. Also all of these were released this year which means I’m slacking on listening to stuff I should have listened to a while ago.

1. Carrie & Lowell - Sufjan Stevens: This was my first time listening to a full length album by Sufjan Stevens. I had heard random songs and enjoyed his style overall, but never expected to be so emotionally immersed in this album. The reviews put out by several reputable sites have all praised this album immensely, and while some of this praise may be excessive, the album is definitely worthy of it. I was getting a very Joshua Radin vibe from this album in terms of it’s musicality, but I was also drawn to the narrative style that reminded me of Sun Kil Moon. Sufjan combines emotional depth with beautiful sounds to make some poignant music in my opinion. I was really impressed.

2. Goon - Tobias Jesso Jr.: OMG WOW. Great singer and songwriter. I felt like he could be compared to someone like Ben Kweller, but at the same time this guy brings something unique to the genre in the sense that the album felt like it was from another time but not in the sense that it was trying super hard to imitate those sounds. Does that even make sense? I just appreciated that the piano was the main instrument in most of these songs not the mention that the melodies were really good. 

3. Strange Trails - Lord Huron: Okay I liked the whole album, but three songs really did it for me. "Hurricane”, “La Belle Fleur Sauvage”, “Fool For Love” exactly in that order fucking made the whole album. Like that right there felt like the best I’ve ever heard from Lord Huron. I thought their first album was really nice, but I enjoyed this one a lot more (not just because of those three songs but they had a little something to do with it). Overall I thought the melodies were better and that makes so much of a difference to me because if I can’t remember the songs or don’t feel like listening to them again, I just can’t say that I liked it as much. OKAY BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT “Belle” because WOW. I am in love with the way that song built up from something very simple to such grand and rich instrumentation just as the nature of this dude’s love was truly unfolding. And the guitar bit as the chorus was GORGEOUS. I pretty sure the song’s about a girl. The reason I question this is because he says something along the lines of “when I die I want her lying by my side IN MY GRAVE”. That’s romantic I guess? I mean I totally thought of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights but that’s just me. I don’t care I’ve had the guitar chorus stuck in my head for days and it the song means the world to me.