Greatest Album of All Time? Bold assumption, I know… Bear with me, though! I’m aware many of you have your own dogmas surrounding your favorite albums and won’t even think about letting a new album take your top spot but I urge you to try and read this with an open mind and hopefully give this album a listen. Overall, I’d love to prove to you that this 2015 album that was written, produced and performed all by the same artist deserves the top spot. Open mind people… Open mind.
If anyone knows anything about me, they know that I have a love for Lady Gaga like no other. I enjoy her material more than any other artist or musician and to have one her of many albums be my favorite was with no question, however, this Grimes album changed everything for me. Art Angels took my perspective and flipped it upside down. This is the type of album I have been waiting for for quite sometime and it took me awhile to realize it. I needed something to cleanse my music pallet– that is exactly what this amazing album did for me.
Before this record, I liked Grimes, however, she was nowhere near one of my favorites. Having her open for Lana Del Rey last year was my main introduction to her. I liked her a lot when I saw her but I quickly moved on to different stuff and kind of through her work aside. That was until a friend and I started listening to her album “Visions”. This album was definitely a meeting point for us. She liked grunge, I liked pop and oddly enough, “Visions” was unique and weird enough to fit both of our tastes in music. Being an album that both of us could jam out to, we quickly made grimes a go-to artist for our hangouts. When we heard about Art Angels coming out, we knew that we had to give it a listen, but being at two different colleges and hundreds of miles apart, it didn’t make it very easy. When the album came out in November, my friend and I chatted about it and we both had our doubts surrounding it. It was… different. Art Angels was nothing like Visions and we were both a little disappointed about that. This didn’t stop us from listening though. Slowly but steadily this album grew on me. More and more the tracks on this album became irresistible ear worms and were essentials on my Grimes’ Spotify playlist.
Listening to this album for months on end repetitively really made me grow fond of this piece of art. Every time I listen to this record from beginning to end (which is like every time I listen to it), I find new things that excite me and keep me listening over and over. I’ve never had this before with an album, it’s truly a breath of fresh air for me. Art Angels is considered “Synthpop” or “Indie” and rightfully so… This album is far from normal pop and doesn’t quite fit the bill for alternative so it had to find it’s own genre. Of course there are some songs that seem rather “Popish” like Flesh without blood or Pin but songs like SCREAM and Kill V. Maim are some of the farthest things from pop that Grimes has ever done. This album is all over the place but in a good way- refreshing almost. Regarding the genre of this album, the conclusion I have come to is that anyone, no matter their taste, will find something enjoyable about this album.
Let’s take a run through the track list with a track by track review!
The first song on this record Laughing but not being normal is a short 1:48 seconds but don’t let that question the quality of the song. This almost 2-minute track is bright, strange and such a unique song to start such a unique album with. The simple production matched with the high pitch of Grimes’ voice is such a nice pairing.
“I wanted to make a song that is so uncool that no cool hipster people would like it.” Is how Grimes explains her second song on Art Angels, California. Unique? Yes! Uncool? Hell no. California is one of the best songs on the album and is the farthest thing from not being cool. The twangy chorus mixed with the fun production makes this some of Grimes’ best work and really shows her versatility. Being that this song is at the front of the track list, it really gives you a taste at how animated and flavorful this album will.
Oh SCREAM… Being one of two songs that has a feature with another artist, this song is far from normal. Aristophanes and Grimes team up on this track to create an out of this world song that blurs the lines between sanity and psychosis. I mean it- this song is whacked. I can guarantee that all of you who are reading have never even heard of Aristophanes as she is an underground Taiwanese rapper, which makes this song all the more recherché. The rapping mixed with the extreme production and of course the many overlaying screams during song makes this the weirdest song on the album. Weird is good though, so throw this song on your playlist and hold on tight because it’s a crazy one.
PS. Don’t expect to understand a single word because it’s all in Taiwanese.
The fourth song on this album, Flesh Without Blood is the most mainstream song of Grimes’. The album at this point (if you’re listening from beginning to end) is starting to get bizarre so this piece is a nice break for your ears. Even though this song is mainstream and rather popish, it is still a lot of fun to listen to and personally one of my favorites on the whole album. If this is the first song you listen to off this record though, don’t expect the rest of the album to follow in it’s track, you’ll be disappointed.
Belly of the Beat is the fifth song on this record and is something idiosyncratic for grimes. It is upbeat yet relaxing at the same time. It’s hard to explain this song because it is so peculiar and odd… but I like it a lot. Instead of focusing on her voice or the production of this track, it’s far easier to focus on some of the lyrics residing in the chorus. The reason I say this is because the song has a rather upbeat and happy motive about it, however, the lyrics seem twisted and distorted in a way that is hard to display in writing. This song is a fun listen to and I urge you to give it a listen for yourself so you can see what I am saying.
The next song on the track is a true spectacle and an obvious standout on this album. Kill V. Maim is probably not a song you want to start your Grimes listening experience with though, as it is rather unconventional and eccentric. The song is one that builds up gradually until the chorus completely blows up in your ears. When picturing this song, it can only be described as a unpredictable rave song. It’s easy to get lost in the big production or her tempting high-pitched voice which is something to remember when jamming out to this track. Get your glitter and strobe lights ready folks, this song is your chance to use them.
Here comes my favorite song on the album (maybe even of all time): ART ANGELS. This song is almost as if you’re in a dream. Being such a vivid and rapturous track, it’s almost as if my ears are begging me to never stop listening… No exaggeration. I’m not just saying that because the song is so good- it’s because her voice works remarkably well with the production that it almost creates a euphoric experience. The overlaying vocals encompassing the track and her soft vocals clinging to your ears make this something out of this world- Heavenly almost.
Easily is the eighth song on this album and it is a nice comedown from the previous three songs that were rather intense. Her soft vocals and the easy-going chorus make this a song that you can easily (No pun intended) sit back and listen to. Relaxing and fresh is a nice way to put this track. Being a rather fluffy song in a sharp and edgy album, it is breath of fresh air for your ears. I like this song a lot, however, it doesn’t reflect the album much as it doesn’t hold some of the same qualities that Art Angels truly embodies.
The ninth song on Art Angels is one that really grew on me after awhile. It’s fun chorus and catchy harmonies form a curious song that is definitely one for the books. Pin is the title but don’t overlook it because of it’s little name, this song has a lot of heart packed along with it. The track is bright and airy with it’s production along with being extremely catchy. This song, along with Flesh Without Blood, are some of the most mainstream pieces of work that she has created. Who doesn’t love a good mainstream track though? Seeing that the album is pretty dark, this is a nice song to listen to brighten your mood.
Realiti follows Pin on the track list and they contrast off of each other very nicely. Both being very upbeat, Realiti is much more acute and fits the sound of Art Angels a little better. This song was released as a demo before the album was even announced to fans. That being said, this song has been touched up a bit since then and thus, becoming more produced to fit the album’s overall sound. A lot of people look at this song as one of the better tracks on the album and I would agree. The chorus is E X T R E M E L Y catchy. Dare I say it… Radio Friendly??? For Grimes, this song is really stepping out of the box.
As the album begins to wind down, Grimes pulls a beautiful song out of her hat: World Princess II. Probably the best production on the entire album, this five minute track is a knock out of the park. The heavy beat makes this an easy song to bop to and an even easier song to get lost in. The vocals are so crisp and high pitched that it blends perfectly with the big production. I really enjoy this track- it’s such great song to start winding the album down with, not to mention that the chorus is really enjoyable and catchy!
The second and final feature on this album, Janelle Monáe, makes her appearance on this track: Venus Fly. This is a very fun song, however, if you’re a die-hard Grimes fan, this one probably isn’t one of your favorites. It takes more of Janelle’s style rather than Grimes’, which can be nice but I don’t know if it was a right pick for this album. I think it would have been a great promotional single for the record but it doesn’t exactly feel like Art Angels to me, unfortunately.
Life in the Vivid Dream is the second to last song and does not disappoint at all. This short 2 minute track is nothing short of a piece of art. The lyrics are beautifully written along with dramatically vivid vocals and a soft but strong production. There is no dancing to this song though, it is a rather somber song with a rhythmic storm and rain shower gracefully hitting the back of the track. This short song is easy to listen to many times over- it’s very nice and I would recommend for sure.
The final song off this album, Butterfly, taps off the album splendidly. It is done in a way that lets her voice compliment the instrumental almost effortlessly. Butterfly is a nice example as to how diverse Art Angels is as a whole. It is strong, empowering and exotic all in one song which is why this was the perfect song to sign off with. Grimes killed it with this track.
The album as whole is something else, something inspiring, something like a story that needs to be told. I find myself, months after the album’s release, still listening to it. Art Angels is a masterpiece. Sure, other albums can be considered the same but this record struck a cord with me. It gave me a reason to give every artist a chance. It showed me the power in music and the idea that I should never turn away from unfamiliarity! Art Angels will be a classic hidden in the shadows of the mainstream world and I’m okay with that because popular doesn’t always mean quality. Thank you Grimes for this beautiful album- A treasure.
Some unique lyrics from the album:
“Everybody dies, we cut out their eyes and we dance like angels do
Breaking our name in a world that feigns some knowledge of you” [Belly of the Beat]
“Angels will cry when it’s raining
Tears that are no longer clean” [Life in the Vivid Dream]
“Kiss me with a big knife, fighting hard off paradise
Led him like a soldier, beats in line, must be nice” [Pin]
“If I stare into the darkness, I won’t know where I am
I haven’t seen the daylight since I started giving in
My eyes are falling heavy, my feet are moving slow” [World Princess II]
“The things they see in me, I cannot see myself
When you get bored of me, I’ll be back on the shelf
And when the ocean rises up above the ground
Baby I’ll drown in” [California]
“Oh, the fire it’s all right
Cause we can make ’em all go crazy
We can make ’em wanna die
Oh, the fire it’s all right
The people touch it
I can’t touch it
Even though it’s mine” [Kill V. Maim]
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