That's My Dad.

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #29, Alabama Shakes - Heartbreaker

Mama couldn’t tell me about the feeling. 

Earlier in the year when I reviewed “Boys & Girls”, singer Brittany Howard blew me away with the force of a torpedo with her stunningly raw and eerily striking vocals that channeled greats like Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone as if they possessed her soul. Her take on a break-up song is “Heartbreaker”: a visceral, goose-bump inducing three minutes of gargantuan misery. Howard creates her own chapter in soul and blues music, regardless of setting or era, with an unadulterated passion that sings as if ten thousand people watching yet explodes with sadness as if she’s the only one there. 

(Source: Spotify)

Safety Not Guaranteed - 

It may not trump “Little Miss Sunshine” (same producers, similar themes) in terms of quotability or sustenance, but “Safety Not Guaranteed” does well for a charmingly wholesome indie rom-com basking with adamant nostalgia and endearing finesse over past lovers and time travel. (7/10)

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Beach House - Bloom

If the world of independent music were a diner in the ’50s, Beach House would be it’s own ice cream flavor; orange creme, to be exact. Since their adored 2009 LP “Teen Dream” dazzled listeners, both easy-going and nit-picky, this dream pop duo has undoubtedly taken city and seashore dwellers by storm. Already known their profoundly lush sonic textures and eloquent technical abilities, it comes to no surprise that Beach House didn’t want to change a thing on their latest album: “Bloom”. In fact, Beach House revisits the gorgeous sonic sculpture created on “Teen Dream” and chisels out an extra layer of detail, texture and effect. This remodeling ends up making “Bloom” their most thematic album to date, constructed with punctual compositions and a set of flourishing lyrics to match. These details, while bound with comprehensive traits, are intensely subtle, challenging and hard to wrap your head around, especially to those unfamiliar with Beach House’s sound. Unlike the instant click you’d feel on “Teen Dream”, there is a serious trade-off of patience involved with “Bloom”. From the nautical-sounding opener “Myth” with its glistening guitar tones to the equally heartwarming/breaking “Wild” composed of nostalgic teenage memories, “Bloom” proves to be the most rewarding listening experience of 2012. (8/10)

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House of Lies (Season 1) - 

As Showtime’s latest addition to their acclaimed prime-time collection, House of Lies is a successfully entertaining dark comedy that feels more of a grown-up, still swagged-out Entourage. It falls in the deep crevice of premium channel show cliches, but the show creates an engaging world in the most least likely of places: business consulting. And sure, House of Lies, at times, results as an ineffective and indulgent example of a flawed protagonist drama. It’s certainly not worth particular attention or acclaim, but thanks to Don Cheadle’s charming performance and the show’s grandiose cynicism, House of Lies isn’t worth tossing in the bin. (6/10)

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M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion  

Read My Full Review on ‘Listen Before You Buy’

[…] Matthew Ward, better known as M. Ward, better known as the quiet dude who plays behind Zooey Deschanel in She & Him, returns with his much-awaited seventh album: “A Wasteland Companion.” In the past few years, critical responses held a minor taint of lack-of-seriousness under the pretension of M. Ward’s stylistic and nostalgic indulgence. As a follow-up to previous release “Hold Time,” Ward re-examines certain qualities of his, yet refuses to interfere with his signature style. With a unique recording approach, having done “A Wasteland Companion” over eight studios around the world, along with a more detailed lyrical quality, M. Ward is out for a drive in the same old car looking for a new muse. […] 

(8/10)