Deep Cuts. An idea spurred by those countless playlist drifters, jumping from single to single, without investigating albums further. Here you'll find the five best 2021 songs discovered by Dozens Of Donuts in the previous month, not given exposure via the duty of lead single. The only condition I've imposed upon myself is that no artist can have more than one song.
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DARKSIDE - Only Young
Spiral | Art Rock
Though Spiral's best tracks were all released as singles, the swooning closer still warrants praise. Jaar's latest collaboration with David Harrington masterfully moves through dynamic shifts in tension. 'Only Young' is when all that restraint is lifted, drifting in the ether, with stretched vocals and a background itching to feel the vibrancy. It resembles, in some respects, the works of Francis & The Lights, Son Lux, or Bon Iver. Delicate hearts afflicted by Electronic palpitations. Prior to 'Only Young,' Jaar moved within these parameters, but only when the connotations were darker. Here, rigidity goes with the wind, as serenity bears a celebratory tone.
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To those who've heard Debonair, calling it a schizophrenic balderdash is of no surprise. To those who've ventured to 'Wharf,' that description couldn't be more inappropriate. It's here where we find Jacob Read at his most sentimental, with sensual guitars swaying in a background eerily reminiscent of Jerkcurb's Air Con Eden. Combined with the belching chorus accompanied by a dreadful riff, Read's internal inspiration cements itself: Twin Peaks. The misplaced romanticism, that lush grief. His dubious duality, weightless in the verses, burdensome come time for the hook, further accentuates this influence.
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We knew what to expect from House Of Lull. Alexis Marshall is not an ordinary man. And yet, unlike the singles 'Nature In Three Movements' and 'Hounds In The Abyss' which carried the bravado of Hell's maddened demons, 'Drink From The Oceans' works in the psychological. It is slow and desperate, pained and suffering, exorcising shivers up the spine with the rattle of restless chains. It isn't gory, but diabolical. That is, until an opportune jump scare paves the way for a second half hellbent on Industrial shrill, forcing Marshall's hand and mind into succumbing to the tremors of regret. "The past is like an anchor" he wails, as those chains reel him in.
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Sure, the bulk of House Is Burning ignores Isaiah Rashad's recent troubles in favor of instantaneous satisfaction, but not when the clock winds down. At this point it's comedic how often Trap albums end with the prototypical "serious" cut, as if they weren't just mumbling their way around cliches the past 40 minutes. But I digress, as that doesn't pertain to Rashad. On 'HB2U,' the conflicted rapper reflects on his fame and tenuous handling of that wealth transition. It's moderately uplifting, yet remains grounded and all-knowing that more is needed to overcome. This progresses admirably into the phenomenal second half, with a coda for the ages. Soul sampled drums and Rashad's syrupy vocals culminates in a moment of appreciation. "You are now a human being" he says to himself, grasping the realization that enduring setbacks is what gives value to life.
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Yves Tumor - Secrecy Is Incredibly Important
Asymptotical World | Post-Punk
This was Yves Tumor's destined landing zone. From his early days of Sound Collage experimentation that valued emotional elasticity over substantiality, to his established Art Rock proclivities dripping with sensuality. 'Secrecy' moves within the creases of the underground. A Post-Punk revival that's not all pomp and circumstance, but rather gritty and tangible. Romance remains the bond that holds. Its fractious possibility a defining feature of 'Secrecy,' in regards to Tumor's Spoken Word-esque dialogue, vying for communication from a prosaic lover. The scuffed Joy Division percussion a spectacular compliment to Tumor's tender dinginess.
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