Though it's always been a chess game, the music industry, specifically pop music, is a volatile space. We live in an age where buying music is sort of a thing of the past; Unless you're Beyoncé, Adele or Taylor Swift, you're not looking at record breaking album sales. There are those rare anomalies, such as Sam Swift and Ed Sheehan, that can shift eye popping numbers without being veterans, but that's all too rare in today's market. It's all about 'the single' today, and if you don't crack the Billboard Hot 100 (specifically the top 10), you're a lost cause and a flop. And taking time for an album? Well forget it, unless you want to be plagued with constant reports that your album is in trouble (just look at the press surrounding Rihanna's upcoming 'ANTi').
Over the summer, Grimes reported she was hard at re-working her follow-up to "Visions," after scrapping the entire thing. "It sucked," she flatly told music publications. Songs like 'Go' and 'Entropy' were released in the interim to hold us over, and while they were better than the average single, they all felt like Grimes playing dress up. 'Go' was actually written for Rihanna, rejected, and then recorded by Grimes herself. It's actually the perfect turn up song, but hardly the best evidence of what she's truly capable of. Similarly, 'Entropy' felt like Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, who produced the song, featuring Grimes. So if waiting was necessary to get some true Grimes music, then waiting was fine, even though many began questioning if this was a sign of trouble for the album.
I'm pleased to announced that waiting truly paid off. "Art Angels," the title of the record, is not only one of the best albums of the year, but a true step forward from Boucher. It's a career curveball in the sense it's unlike anything we've heard from the singer thus far.
The album starts off with an intro entitled 'Laughing and Not Being Normal,' which is entirely orchestral, leading right into 'California.' From the first few seconds, it's evident that Grimes' sound has shifted from electronic ambience to a much more pop heavy vein. Everyone who has listened to the brilliant 'Flesh without Blood' (the album's lead single) already knows this. But where most artists lose themselves in moving over to the world of pop, Grimes has actually grown as an artist. On 'Visions,' Boucher's voice played second fiddle to the menacing, sometimes overbearing, production. Here, her ethereal vocal range is front in center, floating graciously from song to song.
That's not to say that these songs are any less intricately produced. On the contrary, Grimes asserts her vocal talent and savvy production skills. Every song on the album is written and composed solely by Boucher, and manages to have the fun appeal of radio music without sounding like anything on the radio. The riveting guitar that underlays many of the tracks, the booming drums and Boucher's beautiful voice all make "Art Angels" a high-fructose sugar rush that never ends.
Though a step forward, it's impossible to compare 'Visions' and 'Art Angels,' because they're entirely two different sides of a very gifted artist. To decide which album is better comes down entirely to preference; Both are masterpieces, and proof that the hype surrounding Boucher the first time around was entirely warranted. In today's single dominated music marketplace, it's a miracle Grimes exists at all; You can still make great, cohesive albums with brilliant, catchy singles. She may not be as big as Taylor Swift, but our 'faves' could really stand to learn a thing or two from her.
Grade: A+
***Favorite Tracks: 'Artangels', 'REALiTi' and 'Butterfly' ***
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