Buying a physical copy of an album has become an anomaly. That's been the case for a few years now thanks to services that allow us to stream music and, or download straight to digital devices.
In 2017 I noticed a new trend: not only were people not buying albums but people weren't listening to albums. Thanks again to those same streaming platforms, people can listen song by song, artist by artist. People can make playlists, listen to a mixed tape, shuffle songs, etc. At the end of 2018 I saw a lot of "Best Songs of the Year" lists, not "Best Albums of the Year" lists. There are even popular artists who have yet to release a full album, only singles and they hit the road with sold-out tours and, or are on heavy rotation on the festival circuit.
The art of the album is fading away and that is a sad thing. Albums are made to be listened to from start to finish to paint you, the listener, the picture the artist sees/feels, allowing you to personally interpret their vision when you hear their songs in the order they're meant to be played.
I call my end of the year "Best of Lists" my "Favorite of the Year Lists" because I know that I tend to be biased, I like what I like. I don't listen to every single new album that's released in any given year, therefore how can I, let alone anyone else who hasn't listen to every new album, be able to say what is the best. I base my album of the year list on how much I listen to a new album and the one I listen to the most is my favorite album of the year, naturally.
In 2018 I only really listened to one album consistently since it's release and that album was Santigold's I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions.
On July 26th, 2018, Santigold announced she would be releasing a surprise dance-hall album in the style of a mixed tape and the very next day the mama of 3 dropped album number 4. I had no idea that she was even working on a new album and I loved the surprise element behind it.
(I also didn't know that the 40 something year old recently had twins!)
The album opens strong with the un-official single, "Coo Coo Coo" (personally, my favorite track on the album) and the first official single off the album, "Run the Road".
The up-tempo, summery, reggae/dance-hall/SKA inspired melodies become a little more lo-tempo by the forth song, "I Don't Want" and continues on that way pretty steadily through the end of the album. And, though the tempo drops, the up-beat feel of I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions does not. There's a sassy, flirtiness to this collection of songs, a confidence that Santigold exposes and wants to instill in you. When you hear the lyrics you know that: she knows what she wants, she knows what she doesn't want, she sees through all the bullshit, she won't put up with anyone's bullshit, she knows who she is and she's damn proud of it. The timing of her follow up to 2016's 99 cent is poignant in the year of the woman and the age of social media, etc. yet she manages to have fun with it.
I'm a fan of the mixed-tape style, the way tracks blend into the next with no definitive ending or beginning. Even the contrasting collage cover art plays into the mixed-tape theme.
There's cleverly two title tracks, the a fore mentioned "I Don't Want" heard early on and the closing track, "Gold Fire" which is the perfect track to end this album with because you can take the heat from it and the rest of your day/night will be lit.
I've been a fan of Santigold since she was known as Santogold and this album brings her back to her roots. It's a great album to listen to when you're getting ready for your day, walking down the street, getting your sweat on at the gym, getting ready for a night out on the town, cooking dinner, folding laundry, cleaning your room...it's just a great album.
Here are some other albums I listened to last year:
- Humans = Going Late
- Years and Years = Palo Santo
- Dorothy = 28 Days in the Valley
- H.E.R = I Used to Know Her part 2 (EP)
On July 26th, 2018, Santigold announced she would be releasing a surprise dance-hall album in the style of a mixed tape and the very next day the mama of 3 dropped album number 4. I had no idea that she was even working on a new album and I loved the surprise element behind it.
(I also didn't know that the 40 something year old recently had twins!)
The album opens strong with the un-official single, "Coo Coo Coo" (personally, my favorite track on the album) and the first official single off the album, "Run the Road".
The up-tempo, summery, reggae/dance-hall/SKA inspired melodies become a little more lo-tempo by the forth song, "I Don't Want" and continues on that way pretty steadily through the end of the album. And, though the tempo drops, the up-beat feel of I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions does not. There's a sassy, flirtiness to this collection of songs, a confidence that Santigold exposes and wants to instill in you. When you hear the lyrics you know that: she knows what she wants, she knows what she doesn't want, she sees through all the bullshit, she won't put up with anyone's bullshit, she knows who she is and she's damn proud of it. The timing of her follow up to 2016's 99 cent is poignant in the year of the woman and the age of social media, etc. yet she manages to have fun with it.
I'm a fan of the mixed-tape style, the way tracks blend into the next with no definitive ending or beginning. Even the contrasting collage cover art plays into the mixed-tape theme.
There's cleverly two title tracks, the a fore mentioned "I Don't Want" heard early on and the closing track, "Gold Fire" which is the perfect track to end this album with because you can take the heat from it and the rest of your day/night will be lit.
I've been a fan of Santigold since she was known as Santogold and this album brings her back to her roots. It's a great album to listen to when you're getting ready for your day, walking down the street, getting your sweat on at the gym, getting ready for a night out on the town, cooking dinner, folding laundry, cleaning your room...it's just a great album.
Here are some other albums I listened to last year:
- Humans = Going Late
- Years and Years = Palo Santo
- Dorothy = 28 Days in the Valley
- H.E.R = I Used to Know Her part 2 (EP)
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