Jury's Top 10 Records of 2013: #10

I'll count these down periodically as the year grinds down to its inevitable close.

#10: Wintergatan - Wintergatan

Entirely cheerful, tinkling, music made with non-typical instruments, like accordions, homemade music boxes, improvised player pianos and, presumably, whatever else is lying around.  Occasionally, they resort to straight-up synth pop but, for the most part, this record sounds like how I would imagine the soundtrack to Scandinavian children’s stories to sound like.  In some ways, this is music to be seen more than to be merely heard, as watching the musicians juggle instruments and somehow keep everything in sync is part of the full experience.

 

Also considered:

Dillinger Escape Plan – One of Us is the Killer: It’s fine but the squonk/rage/spaz bit is wearing a little thin.  The whiny “melodic” vocals that appear here & there are irritating.  Top musicianship not ruined but definitely compromised by the vocals.

Soilwork – The Living Infinite: It’s okay but, with only a few exceptions, each song pretty much sounds like the last, which is pretty tough sledding on a double-album.