72 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020
year in culture / the critics1.
Wilco, Ode to Joy
The argument for Wilco as one of
the great American rock bands of
the 21st century rests on its abil-
ity to synthesize the disorienting
mood of the past few decades: the
scent of wars around the edges of
comfort, the awareness of disorder
wrapped in the detachment from
it. Wilco has done it across nearly
three decades now, modeling torpid
’90s ennui throughout 1996’s Being
There, jacking into the jittery anxiet-
ies and technophilia-slash-phobia
of the early aughts on 2002’s Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot, and fighting to stay
positive against the odds on this
year’s Ode to Joy. Through jingles
about cemeteries and tribal dirges
lamenting the endlessness of war, a
picture of a people trying to hang on
to a sense of normalcy emerges. That
the band manages to reconfigure its
own roots-rock sound into a darker,
more wily one in the process is the
mark of a group of legends at work.
2.
Solange, When I Get Home
When I Get Home mixes jazz, soul,
hip-hop, dance, and screw music into
a fever dream about the comforts
of home. Inspired by the fearless,
unpredictable musicality of artists
like Stevie Wonder—specifically, by
the stretch in the ’70s when he fol-
lowed the masterful Songs in the Key
of Life with a murky, chaotic album
of songs about plants—Solange
deconstructs the warm neo-soul of
2016’s A Seat at the Table, reducingTHE TENBESTALBUMS OFTHE YEAR
By craig jenkinssmooth grooves to the synth and
drum vamps they’re made of.
3.
Vampire Weekend,
Father of the Bride
Resilient Vampire Weekend fans who
waited six years for a sequel to 2013’s
pop-smart Modern Vampires of the
City were treated this past spring to
Father of the Bride, a double album
teeming with new sounds and ideas.
“Unbearably White” takes a crack at
soul. “Sunflower” recruits the Inter-
net’s Steve Lacy for a blast of Zappa-
esque prog rock. “2021” samples
Japanese electronic-music auteur
Haruomi Hosono. Guiding the ship is
Ezra Koenig’s natural ear for gripping
melodies and engaging storytelling.
4.
FKA Twigs, Magdalene
Life gave Beyoncé lemons, and she
made Lemonade. FKA Twigs had a
breakup, plus emergency surgery to
remove painful fibroid tumors she
described as the size of fruits (two
cooking apples, three kiwis, and
a couple of strawberries), and she
returned with Magdalene, an ele-
gant cycle about redrawing bound-
aries and relearning trust after a
rough patch. It plays out more like
an internal dialogue from a multi-
faceted artist giving herself a pep
talk. The production splits the dif-
ference between abrasive electron-
ics and tender piano sounds, some-
times in the space of a single song.
5.
Brittany Howard, Jaime
For her debut solo album, Alabama PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW CHIN/GETTY IMAGES (REY); ZACHARY MAZUR/FILMMAGIC (CONWAY THE MACHINE); KYLE GUSTAFSON/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES (SIMPSON); NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK (HOWARD); BLACK PLANT (SOLANGE); TERENCE PATRICK/CBS (KOENING) PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES (TWIGS); SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES (GIBBS); LLOYD BISHOP/NBC (TWEEDY); ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC (HIGHWOMEN)TRANSMITTEDREVISED
________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 72 12/17/19 6:10 PM72 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020
year in culture / the critics1.
Wilco, Ode to Joy
The argument for Wilco asoneof
the great American rock bandsof
the 21st century rests on itsabil-
ity to synthesize the disorienting
mood of the past few decades:the
scent of wars around the edgesof
comfort, the awareness of disorder
wrapped in the detachmentfrom
it. Wilco has done it acrossnearly
three decades now, modelingtorpid
’90s ennui throughout 1996’sBeing
There, jacking into the jitteryanxiet-
ies and technophilia-slash-phobia
of the early aughts on 2002’sYankee
Hotel Foxtrot, and fightingtostay
positive against the odds onthis
year’s Ode to Joy. Through jingles
about cemeteries and tribaldirges
lamenting the endlessness ofwar,a
picture of a people trying tohangon
to a sense of normalcy emerges.That
the band manages to reconfigureits
own roots-rock sound into adarker,
more wily one in the processis the
mark of a group of legendsat work.
2.
Solange, When I GetHome
When I Get Home mixes jazz,soul,
hip-hop, dance, and screw musicinto
a fever dream about the comforts
of home. Inspired by the fearless,
unpredictable musicality ofartists
like Stevie Wonder—specifically,by
the stretch in the ’70s whenhefol-
lowed the masterful Songs intheKey
of Life with a murky, chaoticalbum
of songs about plants—Solange
deconstructs the warm neo-soulof
2016’s A Seat at the Table, reducingTHE TENBESTALBUMS OFTHE YEAR
By craig jenkinssmooth grooves to the synthand
drum vamps they’re madeof.
3.
Vampire Weekend,
Father of the Bride
Resilient Vampire Weekendfanswho
waited six years for a sequelto2013’s
pop-smart Modern Vampiresofthe
City were treated this pastspringto
Father of the Bride, a doublealbum
teeming with new soundsandideas.
“Unbearably White” takesa crackat
soul. “Sunflower” recruitstheInter-
net’s Steve Lacy for a blastofZappa-
esque prog rock. “2021” samples
Japanese electronic-musicauteur
Haruomi Hosono. Guidingtheshipis
Ezra Koenig’s natural ear forgripping
melodies and engaging storytelling.
4.
FKA Twigs, Magdalene
Life gave Beyoncé lemons,andshe
made Lemonade. FKA Twigshada
breakup, plus emergency surgeryto
remove painful fibroid tumorsshe
described as the size of fruits(two
cooking apples, three kiwis,and
a couple of strawberries),andshe
returned with Magdalene,anele-
gant cycle about redrawingbound-
aries and relearning trust aftera
rough patch. It plays outmorelike
an internal dialogue froma multi-
faceted artist giving herselfa pep
talk. The production splitsthedif-
ference between abrasiveelectron-
ics and tender piano sounds,some-
times in the space of a singlesong.
5.
Brittany Howard,Jaime
For her debut solo album,Alabama PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW CHIN/GETTY IMAGES (REY); ZACHARY MAZUR/FILMMAGIC (CONWAY THE MACHINE); KYLE GUSTAFSON/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES (SIMPSON); NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK (HOWARD); BLACK PLANT (SOLANGE); TERENCE PATRICK/CBS (KOENING)