Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
2016 was a year in which trends held and proper, traditional album releases have continued to be lose importance and focus, while the music world revolves more and more around customized playlists and streaming services. With the barrier to entry for music lowered to its most extreme level ever, even songs that are never released as proper singles can, in their own way, become “singles” – in fact, our favorite song this year was never formally released as a single. With that in mind, formulating a list of the year’s best songs becomes a much more intensive task. In tandem with our annual Album of the Year list, we’ve taken a deep and scrutinizing look back at the entirety of 2016, identifying the songs that resonated with us most, the songs that inspired us.
50. The Coathangers – “Nosebleed Weekend”
Garage jam that sneers with attitude, as The Coathangers’ bratty energy propels the song with vigor.
– Tim White
49. The Avett Brothers – “No Hard Feelings”
A song that ponders rather dark aspects of fate channeled into a sweet, soft ballad.
– Melissa Daniels
48. Banks and Steelz – “Speedway Sonora”
RZA’s confrontational versus drive the song between Bank’s vivid choruses.
– Tim White
47. Leonard Cohen – “You Want It Darker”
Like Bowie’s Blackstar, Leonard Cohen left us with his own parting gift, You Want It Darker. From its choral intro, to myriad religious themes and sounds, the LP’s title track is classic Cohen. “Hineni, hineni, I am ready my lord,” Cohen growls, like a man who lived without fear of his final goodbye.
– Kyle Smith
46. Touché Amoré featuring Julien Baker – “Skyscraper”
Trading in their signature high intensity hardcore-driven approach for a more ethereal but equally energetic shoegaze-y sound, Touché Amoré enlists celestial songwriter Julien Baker for “Skyscraper,” which both recounts a trip vocalist Jeremy Bolm took with his mother to New York City near the end of her life and suggests her possible continued existence in the afterlife, capping off an emotional album with a totally weighty exploration of memory following the death of a loved one.
– Sam Skopp
45. Blood Orange featuring Empress Of – “Best To You”
Blood Orange’s third album, Freetown Sound, gave us “Best To You,” an ethereal inquiry into love with a tropical twist.
– Danny Karel
44. Jenny Hval – “Female Vampires”
This is the reversal, the man stalked in the night by creeping horns and withered vocals; be sure to turn around before the attack.
– Drew Pitt
43. Underworld – “I Exhale”
“Exhale” was a full eight minutes of why Underworld was needed after their six-year hiatus.
– Megan Huffman
42. Agoraphobic Nosebleed – “Not a Daughter”
That introductory guitar screech is like a syringe full of grimy fixation: entirely too addicting.
– Cervante Pope
41. Kvelertak – “1985”
Norwegian rockers Kvelertak form at the intersection where classic ’80s rock and black metal intersect. It is an unexpected crossroads, but the best introduction is their track “1985” off Nettesferd, released this past Spring.
– Rachel Zimmerman
40. Mumford and Sons featuring Baaba Maal – “There Will Be Time”
Though they’re known for their folksy draw, Mumford and Sons change their own game strategy this year with the release of “There Will Be Time,” a collaboration with Senegalese artist Baaba Maal. Maal’s call and return with Marcus Mumford alone makes it worth giving the song a listen.
– Rachel Zimmerman
39. Dillinger Escape Plan – “Limerent Death”
“Limerent Death” proves that even a mathcore band with a pension for incorporating everything from jazz breakbeats to girl group-style chorus lines can still mix things up with a straight-ahead breakdown now and again.
– Conor Fagan
38. Bleached – “Keep On Keepin’ On”
“Keep On Keepin’ On” is the opening track on Bleached’s latest album, Welcome the Worms, and sets the tone for a driving, yet uplifting femme-punk sophomore LP.
– Ilana Tel-Oren
37. Casualties of Cool – “Mountaintop”
This is a rollicking track off from Devin Townsend and Che Aimee Dorval that epitomizes the mysterious and moody tones throughout the imaginative Casualties of Cool concept album, complete with otherworldly tones.
– Melissa Daniels
36. Pretty Lights – “Only Yesterday”
It has been nearly 3 years since anything has come out of Derek Vincent Smith’s (aka Pretty Lights) musical laboratory, but after fans began hearing this track during his live sets, they knew it would not be long before he released it to the public. The track is a fantastically mixed song that utilizes hip-hop-rooted beats that get layered on with samples of different instruments and vocals that Smith records himself in order to find the exact sound he needs in order to create his unique style. “Only Yesterday” is a heartfelt, emotional, but uplifting track that asks the question “Where are my friends?”
– Joel Longini
35. Allegaeon – “Gray Matter Mechanics – Appasionata Ex Machinea”
Allegaeon are rising up in the ranks of technical death metal, and for good reason. “Gray Matter Mechanics” is a masterpiece of musical virtuosity, elevated by the fingerstyle talents of classically-trained guitarist Greg Burgess, who brings a sophisticated beauty to the cacophony of technical mayhem.
– Max Sindermann
34. Nevermen – “Hate On”
In “Hate On,” the distinctive voices of alt rock legend Mike Patton, eclectic indie rocker Tunde Adebimpe and experimental rapper Doseone meld together to form a hauntingly memorable electronic track, all culminating in a brief, but rousing medley of overdriven power chords.
– Steve Bonitatibus
33. The Avalanches – “Becase I’m Me”
The opening song to the Australian duo’s newest album, a track that manages to transport the listener from wherever they may be into the past, when hip-hop beats were being mixed in back rooms and clubs by top disc jockeys. The track utilizes ‘get-down’ sections from many classic songs which are then perfectly mixed and layered on with motivating rap lyrics laid down by its MC, Camp Lo.
– Joel Longini
32. Cate Le Bon – “Wonderful”
Quirky, upbeat Cate Le Bon brought us her fresh perspective earlier this year with her fourth album Crab Day. The first single “Wonderful” takes us on a whimsical journey filled with happy xylophone moments and twangy guitar chords.
– Rachel Zimmerman
31. Big Business – “Popular Demand”
This is a seven minute long song of stoner metal goodness and even after it has ended, there’s a huge desire for its groovy, distorted guitar and drums and Jared Warren’s muffled vocals to continue.
– Lauren Doyle
30. Devin Townsend Project – “Stormbending”
In a welcome reversion to his Ocean Machine days, Canadian maestro Devin Townsend summons a massive tsunami of intricate layers, grand arrangements and shifts in timing more than worthy of a name like “Stormbending.”
– Conor Fagan
29. Casualties of Cool – “Forgive Me”
“Forgive Me” is a capricious track, with strong layers, echoey production and a sultry yet vulnerable vocal performance from Che Aimee Dorval. Appearing as part of a concept album, it serves its purpose as part of a larger whole, but also stands on its own as an excellent showcase of what musicians with an idea, focus and 110 percent feel.
– Melissa Daniels
28. TEEN – “Another Man’s Woman”
The resurgence of retro styles has mostly produced bands comfortable with being nostalgic and derivative. TEEN is not one of those bands. Their smooth, heart throbbing electro-pop tastefully infuses sounds of past eras while looking forward, and songs like “Another Man’s Woman” are a testament to that vision.
– Danny Karel
27. Cross Record – “Steady Waves”
Cross Record’s sophomore effort, Wabi-Sabi, firmly builds upon the mellow, lo-fi atmospheres of their debut release. Its lead single, “Steady Waves” in particular, demonstrates the duo’s ability to craft a memorable track. Featuring a rich blend of delicate vocals, arpeggiated fingerstyle figures and gnarly electric guitars, “Steady Waves” offers a level of textural complexity that rivals a Radiohead production.
– Steve Bonitatibus
26. Flock of Dimes – “Everything is Happening Today”
This dreamy, indie-pop track successfully balances delicate and upbeat sections, featuring hazy synths and guitar with a driving beat. The chorus brightens up the song with a jumping melody and quickening pace, making “Everything is Happening Today” one of the standout tracks from album, If You See Me, Say Yes.
– Ilana Tel-Oren
25. Santigold – “All I Got”
Santigold has always been a master of incorporating a plethora of influences into her music, and “All I Got” is no exception. This time she aims for a reggae-inspired sing-along. On an album that seeks to tackle some pretty heavy topics like consumerism, “All I Got” shines as a playful pop anthem, that sees Santigold slowing things down a bit.
– Jackie Van Zelst
24. Myrkur – “Onde Born”
Delicate fingers gracefully trickle across piano keys throughout “Onde Born,” aiding in its establishment as one of the more classically consonant tracks on Myrkur’s newest album. Bruun and the Norwegian Girls Choir’s vocals are so harmoniously in sync, it’s near difficult to believe that they aren’t the tones of actual dark angels.
– Cervante Pope
23. 65daysofstatic – “Supermoon”
There is beauty in the empty spaces. Between punching drums and humming guitars 65daysofstatic paints stars on an infinite background. Who said space had to be silent?
– Drew Pitt
22. ScHoolboy Q – “JoHn Muir”
In an era which hip-hop increasingly makes inroads with the pop mainstream, ScHoolboy Q dropped a taste of classic Southern California G-funk on “JoHn Muir.” ScHoolboy Q jumps all over the infectiously grinding funk beat with his simple, swagger-driven bars (which were freestyled) deftly transitioning into a surprisingly sweet brass-infused chorus.
– Matt Matasci
21. Kate Tempest – “Europe is Lost”
Though only one segment of the masterpiece that is Let Them Eat Chaos, “Europe is Lost” is equally powerful when it stands alone, a vindictive diatribe against the shallow self-involvement of the Western status quo. Often lauded for her poetic achievements, Tempest tackles such issues with acute awareness and without devolving into sermonizing.
– Julian Bridges
20. Angel Olsen – “Shut Up, Kiss Me”
Featured on My Woman, “Shut Up, Kiss Me” shines through as a strong, catchy, femme power anthem. This is the fastest track on the album and is filled with relationship angst and force, distorted garage rock guitars and quivering vocals that range from soft to belting.
– Ilana Tel-Oren
19. The Black Queen – “Ice to Never”
Coming off of Fever Daydream, “Ice to Never” was the first single to be released ahead of time, first as an extended dance mix with the original to follow a few months after. With crooning lyrics of pining love and becoming “ice to never thaw,” it stood out as the album’s opening track. It held close to its ’80s synth-pop roots, especially when the music video was thrown into the mix, showcasing a conglomeration of diluted color shots of traveling down Skid Row and the silhouette of Josh Eustis singing, but it nonetheless remains rooted in a firmly modern framework.
– Megan Huffman
18. Zack de la Rocha – “Digging For Windows”
In “Digging For Windows,” Zack de la Rocha’s puts unchecked power on blast. No one is safe from his ire; the ex-Rage Against The Machine assails cops, CEO’s, correction officers, and for-profit prisons in his debut solo single. While rebellion against the powerful is standard in art, de la Rocha’s aggressive hopelessness sets him apart. Too often, artists eschew confrontational issues for the prospect of turning these difficult subjects into hopeful—but adulterated—messages. Over a beat produced by El-P, Zack de la Rocha refuses to take his foot off the neck of his issues, rendering “Digging For Windows” all the more powerful by putting his unrelenting fury front and center.
– Tim White
17. Devin Townsend Project – “Offer Your Light”
Combing EDM-style synths and metal is a tricky task, but if there’s anyone who’s up to the challenge, it’s Devin Townsend. “Offer Your Light” is electronic-fueled metal mayhem that would put Rammstein to shame. With a strong back-beat and soaring melodies, it can feel a bit confusing whether or not you should dance to it or mosh to it, but even the most elitist EDM-hating metalheads will have to cave in and submit to its strong energy. Progressive music is all about breaking down genre barriers, and Townsend handles it with such a level of finesse that it’s hard to see how these styles were so different from each other in the first place.
– Max Sindermann
16. The Last Shadow Puppets – “Bad Habits”
The Last Shadow Puppets, English supergroup and brainchild of Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner and fellow rocker Miles Kane, dropped Everything You’ve Come To Expect in April of 2016. On that baroque, almost art house album, ornamented by a 29-piece orchestra and infused with California spirit, the song “Bad Habits” emerged as a stand out track; a redwood in a forest of fir trees. Violins swarm like bats through the song’s echo chamber, and psychedelic screams bubble up through the smoldering foundation. The result is performative and cerebral, grabbing you by the hand and pulling you through visceral experience of combating a truly bad habit.
– Danny Karel
15. Die Antwoord – “Banana Brain”
“Banana Brain” from Die Antwoord is truly an adventurous track from a group famously known for combining rap and rave. The track begins out with a soft melody that will get toes tapping. The falsetto dreamlike lyrics hook listeners in before the aggressive percussions begin to get the heart racing. A quick return to falsetto lyrics acts as a bridge into the rap portion of the track. “Banana Brain” sounds like a song out of a racing video game but having more depth with its masterfully crafted lyrics. The climax of the song takes the rhythm to an explosive level which will delightfully surprise listeners.
– Kevin Nguyen
14. TEEN – “Tokyo”
The first song to any record can either make or break the album. Luckily, the first track off the album Love Yes shatters the expectations of the listener and constructs a wholly unique musical experience. “Tokyo” from the band TEEN opens with dreamy synthesizers and looping drum machines that transport the listener from the monotony of reality into a whimsical alternate universe. Don’t be fooled though; while this pop song may sound carefree, the thoughtful lyrics and story behind all drenched in noise are just as impressive as the instrumentation.
– Lauren Doyle
13. Common – “Pyramids”
Chicago’s rap gem Common came out swinging this year, releasing single after single until the official debut of his new album Black America Again. A true lyricist, he uninhibitedly targets political issues with swift slight of tongue, rhyming through the entire jam. The throwback Ol’ Dirty Bastard vocals punctuating the song at the hook act like a reincarnation making it feel as though he is really in the room with you. Common proclaims, “I’ve been commissioned to deprison the prism of your mind,” an assertion that he is destined to speak wisdom and truth almost as a preacher of his generation, explaining how all these political pyramids got made.
– Rachel Zimmerman
12. Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”
Maggie Rogers garnered tons of attention this year with her song “Alaska.” It went viral earlier this year when Pharrell was hosting a masterclass for NYU Tisch School of the Arts to provide feedback to students. He was blown away by Maggie Rogers’ “Alaska” and it’s extremely easy to hear why. “Alaska” is a song that combines native tribal beats with modern deep-house elements creating a harmonious experience. Her folksy voice is angelic as it flows along with a rhythm so addicting it almost puts you into a trance. It’s practically impossible to listen to the song just once.
– Kevin Nguyen
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “I Need You”
This crestfallen dirge is a standout from Skeleton Tree. Cave effectively waves his white flag in surrender with the words “Nothing really matters anymore, not even today.” He is directing these words to an ex-lover, but having lost his son during the recording of the album, it’s easy to feel that this scope of his fatalism extends far beyond the wreckage of carnal desire, to something closer to the pure and uncomplicated love of a parent who simply aches for their lost child. Surely this track comes part and parcel with the incalculable weight of desperation, but it’s a burden that feels therapeutic to take on.
– Kyle Smith
10. School of Seven Bells – “Open Your Eyes”
On an album that is loaded with emotional heft, “Open Your Eyes” stands as one of the crown jewels of SVIIB. In heartbreaking fashion, Alejandra Deheza’s lyrics directly broach the mix of emotions surrounding the death of her longtime bandmate and friend Benjamin Curtis. Lines like “What you don’t get is the color of regret / Is the thing that made you sweat / When you tried to paint a picture of life / Then the future when the present’s still wet” and “I know that you were strong but life is moving on so / Get it together cause now anger is your pleasure and / That pleasure is a tether that fits you for too long” create a vivid image of Deheza’s struggles in the months after Curtis passed. Along with miles-deep instrumentation from Deheza and producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, the song points at the trajectory School of Seven Bells would have followed if they were able to continue on.
– Matt Matasci
9. David Bowie – “Lazarus”
In 2016, we reluctantly said goodbye to David Bowie, barely aware that his time had come. Starting with the line, “Look up here, I’m in heaven,” “Lazarus” is a microcosm of what Blackstar proved to be; a farewell sent from beyond the grave, and a gesture that amounted to an artistic and sly wink that cannot be overlooked. For an artist that has been permanently interwoven into our galaxy’s celestial fabric, it couldn’t have gone down any other way. Tim Lefevre’s bass work and the lilting horns on “Lazarus” give the song its soul. And how about the line “By the time I got to New York, I was living like a king / There I’d used up all my money / I was looking for your ass”? To the last drop, Bowie upheld his mythos of eternally mysterious and intimidating rock swagger.
– Kyle Smith
8. Solange featuring Sampha – “Don’t Touch My Hair”
In a rather racially and politically charged year, singer-songwriter Solange takes the beast head-on in her funky, rhythmic protest “Don’t Touch My Hair.” Vocally bolstered by Sampha, Solange soulfully expresses her frustration and offense taken by white oppression permeating her personal space – a rather unintentional nod to one of Patrick Swayze’s most memorable quotes, “This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours, you don’t go into mine.” She acknowledges the fact that as a woman bearing her natural hair, she should not be viewed as an item placed in the room for observation and experimentation. Physically entering her personal space, even just to touch her hair, without permission makes her feel like a showpiece and not a real person of equal respect. Her approach builds with a steady beat permeated by the occasional cowbell and finally culminates drawing in a full sonic experience including a somber horn section. Perhaps the most triumphant track on her new album A Seat at the Table, “Don’t Touch My Hair” hits the nail on the head.
– Rachel Zimmerman
7. Savages – “I Need Something New”
Adore Life, Savages’ sophomore album, was released three years after their critically-acclaimed breakthrough, Silence Yourself, and features a more thoughtful, introspective point of view than their boisterous debut. Many of the songs on the newer album use a medium tempo to build to an explosive, post-punk crescendo, meaning that the energetic “I Need Something New” is one of the album’s bangers, so-to-speak. The content of Adore Life is conceptually focused on love and romance, from the markedly non-normative perspective of vocalist Jehnny Beth. “I Need Something New” is about as straightforward as its title; there’s some nuance to it in the lyrics accompanying the song’s build-up, but the title eventually becomes a refrain that’s repeated as it reaches its emotional apex, simply capturing the anxiety of looking for novelty in love and romance. It’s a primal and powerful experience to which practically any listener can relate, making the comparatively straightforward punk rock approach an appropriate way to express the simple but nonetheless weighty feeling laid out in its title.
– Sam Skopp
6. A Tribe Called Quest – “The Space Program”
It seems like the world has always needed A Tribe Called Quest, and their return feels like a breath of fresh air. Their sixth and final album opens with the standout track “The Space Program,” a timely politically-driven call to action urging their listeners to “get it together for brothers” to “get it together for sisters.” The track features Q-Tip and the late great Phife Dawg completely in their element, trading bars that make us stop and think. In typical ATCQ fashion, the group provides us with a socially and politically conscious message that doesn’t shy away from the hard truth. A truth that is all the more important given today’s political landscape. But the track also feels nostalgic, as if these guys haven’t missed a beat in the 18 years since they last released a collaborative effort. In a family reunion of sorts, the song also showcases Jarobi, Consequence, and Busta Rhymes. It ends with an eerie finish, utilizing Gene Wilder’s “The danger’s must be growing” bit from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a haunting and relevant conclusion, given Wilder’s recent passing.
– Jackie Van Zelst
5. DJ Shadow featuring Run the Jewels – “Nobody Speak”
DJ Shadow is an undeniable master of the fusion of old and new, perhaps one of the most experienced hands at interweaving and aggregating historic samples. This lineage is continued with “Nobody Speaks,” a track that emerges from an interpolation of a melodic fragment from Caterina Valente’s 1968 recording of “Ol’ Man River.” However, DJ Shadow expertly blends this hook with sounds both retro (drum programming reminiscent of the 1980s, horn figures that refer back to James Brown era soul) and strikingly modern (endless reverb tails, electronic countermelodies).
On the mic are El-P and Killer Mike of hip-hop supergroup Run the Jewels. The two deliver cutting and syncopated verses that hearken back to the crisp articulation and syncopation of early releases by the Native Tongues collective, and though the song is essentially a chest-beating declaration of authority, the emcees don’t hesitate to delve slightly into the political sphere (“Flame your crew quicker than Trump fucks his youngest,” El-P retorts). This union of artists is a perfect fit, and the jubilant energy of their collaboration makes the strongest case for innovation through imitation and assimilation.
– Julian Bridges
4. Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas – “Chevron”
The five-song EP Mariner crafted as a collaboration between Swedish metal band Cult of Luna and American singer Julie Christmas came forth with a monstrosity of a single, “Chevron.” The six-piece band morphs between driving bass, swirling synths and sparking atmospherics. All peppered throughout, Christmas alternates between howls, snarls and angelic vocals. At nearly nine minutes long, it’s an epic journey, but it’s so well crafted, it passes by in what feels like only a moment.
There’s a rare cohesion on display here, where the combined efforts of the musicians shape shift from measure-to-measure without ever sounding like cut-and-paste pastiche. There’s a sense of urgency to the track, and it all comes down to the craftsmanship: the opening fear and horror evolves into frenetic chaos before ultimately settling down to serene whimsy in the closing minutes. Christmas sparkles singing in the closing bars, “And now you see not blue, but red / A toothless shift to dark again / I told you so – she said.”
Cult of Luna’s melodic framework becomes the perfect foundation for the mutating capabilities of Christmas. Their performance is whatever it needs to be. It captures essence and spirit without worry about form and genre. It all feels like true artists rendering something wholly unique.
– Raymond Flotat
3. Casualties of Cool – “Bones”
In its haunting beauty, there’s little in 2016 that captures the dread, despair and longing of the year better than Casualties of Cool’s “Bones.” The duo fronted by the ultra prolific Devin Townsend and singer Che Aimee Dorval here concoct a stunning nocturne, one replete with subtle atmospherics and delicate guitar melodies. Ominous tones and nuanced chords set the stage. Dorval’s voice appears as if emerging from infinite night singing “For all your light / you were not delivered / Landing hard / Amidst the bones and myself.” She weaves a tale of those that entrusted someone incorrectly, hoping to find solace for all their “worries and wonders.”
Instead, the narrator promises only destruction, the pathway itself a roadway comprised of the fallen. Singing beautifully Dorval promises “I built this road and this journey before you / These bones were men who all fell at my feet.” As the semi-sinister warning is rolled out, Townsend nimbly plucks out an immaculate piece of fretwork. As if to recede back into the darkness, Dorval cues the bridge with only the simple refrain “This way, my child.” As with any brilliant art, it’s impossible to know whether the narrator is lamenting the errors of her ways, or pleasantly ruminating on her next victim. It’s a song of precision execution, and certain demise has never seemed so alluring, much like young love and confusion itself.
– Raymond Flotat
2. Deftones – “Prayers/Triangles”
While some may consider a metal band that started in the late ’80s and hailing from California’s capital, Sacramento, to be irrelevant, many will wholeheartedly disagree. Over the course of the career of the Deftones, they have released songs that have become imprinted upon any and every alternative metal fan. Songs like “Diamond Eyes,” “Engine No. 9” and “Change (In the House of Flies)” were so formidable in the lives of adolescents and those involved in the nu-metal movement, and now their newest single “Prayers/Triangles” is just another memorable track from an equally memorable band. It had been four years since the band had released a new record, and for those who had been pining for new Deftones, this song did not disappoint. With its echo-y guitar and vocals from lead singer Chino Moreno, it’s as if the band had returned as a more evolved version of itself and broke yet another barrier in the metal genre. From a band that was influential for so many adults and teens, it’s comforting to know that “Prayers/Triangles” still proves the artistry that the band possesses and permanence they have within the metal community.
– Lauren Doyle
1. Polica – “Lose You”
Midwest synthpop band Polica quietly dropped one of the year’s most impressive albums. While throngs of critics salivated over the likes of Beyonce, Kanye West and Frank Ocean, Polica’s United Crushers was its own world of sonic brilliance. The entire album exudes a feeling of its own little world, almost as if listening to it is a vacation to a familiar and hazy place. Though it contains many of the standard confections that make synthpop what it is, it somehow feels impossibly like nothing else. If it can grab you for even a moment, you want to roll up in it like a warm, snug blanket on a freezing winter’s night and just never leave.
Chief among the amazing songs delivered in United Crushers is the album closer “Lose You.” Like all truly magnificent songs, three and a half minutes go by in what feels like thirty seconds. It all comes together so marvelously you want to immediately roll the track back to the beginning and start again. The lyrics are an almost stream-of-consciousness piece of perfection. Think the interlocking thought chain of LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends” but tied all to the concepts of love, fidelity and preservation and that’s about where “Lose You” effortlessly lands.
As the watery synths greet the opening seconds lead singer Channy Leaneagh opens meditatively with “So at least now it is clear / You don’t want to take it there at all / Just a holding / ‘Till you feel secure.” As the stream flows forth, various moments demonstrate with power and conviction the narrator’s disposition, for example “Well I cannot fuck you enough / and I wanna wake up wanting your touch / Please don’t leave baby,” and “Push me off and watch it crash / What’s to lose? What’s to lose? / Just you.” All told, it’s an unfaltering, honest look at the value of holding on to love when it really matters, no matter how much it stings; that no matter how difficult it can be, there’s no value to be placed on someone real by your side and to call your own. Not since the glory days of Broadcast has synth pop sounded as good as this.
– Raymond Flotat
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