We both know we got complications

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Best Albums of 2020 list...

#46 : Three - The Necks

The bustle of pre-Covid life seems to be evoked by Tony Buck’s drumming in the latest release by the veteran Australian avant-jazz trio, particularly on the opening track Bloom, which clatters and rustles with ferrety industry. The second of these 20-plus-minute pieces, Lovelock, turns anxious and distracted, before Further closes the set out with one of their most purely gorgeous compositions, a lush rainmaking groove anchored around a two-note organ motif.

Three twenty-minute tracks (sorry, "pieces") of avant-jazz (wtf that is).  Mmmmm - yes please!  Let's just say I approached this with caution...

...and having endured it, I'm not sure where to start.  The playing is undoubtedly extremely impressive (particularly the drumming on Bloom) and there are moments of hynoptic beauty scattered throughout the tracks (sorry, "pieces").  But... 

...seriously, who listens to this?  I can imagine it playing in the background if I went to a modern art gallery to help me "experience" the "installation" (because you can't keep me out of such places, obviously) but I can't imagine there are many people that would put this on, sit down and actively listen to it.  More than anything, it was an ordeal to get through each track (let alone the album) and I wouldn't wish anyone else to have to experience it.

Having said that, the important thing to remember with everything is that no matter what you're going through, there's always someone worse off than you.  This is vividly brought home by their Wikipedia entry - "They play improvisational pieces of up to AN HOUR in length" so I guess I was lucky to get away with "only" 20 minutes.  "Customers also listen to" Hedwig Mollestad Trio and Miroslav Vitous and let me assure you that I will be doing no such thing (watch them both now appear further up this list - you have my permission to laugh hysterically when they do!).

#45 : Rare - Selena Gomez

Considering the dramatic origins of her third album – lupus, a kidney transplant, splitting from Justin Bieber and the Weeknd, rehab for her mental health – Gomez could justifiably have released an hour of equally high-intensity bloodletting, but Rare abides by the maxim “when it’s hot, write it cold”. Aside from the wrecking ballad Lose You to Love Me, it’s confidently unruffled, taking the Talking Heads-aided oddness of her 2017 single Bad Liar as her template. The often very funny Gomez excels at nimble vocal kiss-offs, which she layers into satisfyingly percussive patterns: the chorus of People You Know seems to fold in on itself like origami; you’d expect Vulnerable to burst into gaudy EDM, but it pares back to Gomez caressing every syllable of the word, as if putting her own seams on show.

Whilst I wouldn't describe myself as a huge Selena fan ("Selenators" apparently), I'm happy to admit i don't mind a bit of Gomez from time to time - and I had heard this album was OK, so I was looking forward to listening to it.  So, imagine my surprise when I discovered it featured a 30 minute piece on which she collaborated with The Necks!  No, thankfully that didn't happen...

Listen, it's not going to set the world alight unless you're a grade-A Selenator but it's perfectly serviceable slice of pop - there's lots of similar stuff around at the minute, but this is towards the higher quality end (although I have my suspicion she's been taking some tips from Tove Lo).  The write-up from The Guardian describes it as cold and I agree it certainly does seem somewhat detached - I think "Lose You To Love Me" and "Vulnerable" were probably the top tracks for me.  I was also pleased to see my new fave Kid Cudi is still around (#459) - I've been an expert on him for at least 3 days now!

For someone at the tender age of 28, her Wikipedia page is a veritable tome but I guess that happens when you get your first TV role at the age of 10.  Youngsters today eh?  No motivation at all.  "Customers also listened to" Camilla Cabello, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Miley Cyrus, etc, etc, etc and this album certainly doesn't suffer in comparison with any of them.  And whilst I'm not sure it will get the chance with me, I suspect the album would be a grower (and it's certainly not been the most unpleasant hour I've experienced this afternoon).

#48/47 - A fine new introduction
#44/43 - Two I knew nothing about (and still don't)