Annuals - Be He Me

If you read this blog occasionally, it's not a secret that I'm a big fan of Annuals. After a summer of buzz and anticipation, their debut album Be He Me is about to be released on Tuesday, and Annuals deliver on the hype in a big way. I've had this record for several months now, and even though I initially liked it a lot, it's a grower, becoming better as I continue to give it more spins. Why? Because it's full of wonderful layers and textures, both in the soundscapes Annuals create and in the songwriting and lyrics. This is a ridiculously mature record for a debut, let alone from a band that were teenagers when they recorded it. The seamless and natural juxtapositions between acoustic and electronic instrumentation is a trick that many bands never pull off, and Annuals do like it's second nature. It's not just the sounds, but also the emotional shifts that make this record so ridiculously good. The same song often takes the listener from gentle introspection to joyous celebration in surprising and uplifting ways. The songwriting is consistently solid and durable, making this record difficult to burn out on.

For me, the most understated but enduring trait of Be He Me is its youthful energy and enthusiasm. Like other great records, it creates an uplifting experience that leaves me in a better mood after I've listened to it. And it only reveals itself fully after you've spent some time with it. As for individual tracks, I really like almost all of them. I know that Brother has already gotten a lot of love, and it's a great track, but I don't think it's their first hit. That would be the insanely catchy Carry Around, which I'm not going to even try to describe. I dig Complete or Completing a great deal, and my favorite track on the record is Ida, my. All of these songs I just mentioned don't sound anything like each other, yet another great quality of this record. In a year full of great debuts, this record stands up and out with the best of them. Very highly recommended.

Lastly, for anyone else that has this already, I've got a bet with a friend over Pitchfork's rating for the record. I think it lands about an 8.5. Anyone else care to venture a guess?

Labels: Album Review, Annuals