86 March 2014 www.bahrainthismonth.com downtimemusic Daft Punk Random Access Memories RATING: WHAT’S THE STORY? The fourth studio album by the French electronic music duo pays tribute to the late 1970s and early 1980s era of music in the United States, particularly the sounds that emerged from Los Angeles. Daft Punk felt that, while current technology allows for an unlimited capacity to store recorded material, the content produced by contemporary artists has diminished in quality. Their goal was to maximise the potential of infinite storage by recording a sprawling amount of elements. This process is the inspiration for the album’s title. WORTH A LISTEN? Daft Punk’s first album in years doesn’t disappoint. They recreated the revolution they sparked back in the 90s. You might not love every song on the album, but you will love most of them. There is a fine difference between an experimental collaboration and methodically curated music. Daft Punk nailed the latter with what can be called the music of the future. Is this their best album? Perhaps not. Is it the best album of 2013? It most certainly is. That being said, the album is nostalgic for nostalgia's sake. You have to respect their devotion to the classic styles of dance music. It's alluring until the last track.p Verdict: The robots have found their souls. TOP TRACKS: Get Lucky, Instant Crush and Doin’ It Right Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album — Macklemore might just be the best thing that happened to the music industry last year. With tracks like Same Love, he proved that there is much, much more to him beyond the goofiness portrayed in Thrift Shop. The astute observations on the human condition and keen self-awareness set the duo's album, The Heist, apart from others released last year. They offer a rich combination of fresh and familiar. Michael Bublé To Be Loved Nearly four years since Crazy Love, Bublé walks away with the award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album as though he’s never been away. His fifth record is a great collection of ‘instant classics’, which shows that he is capable of releasing some great original material. Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox Mars’ sophomore album mixes stylistic choices with relatively bold ideas. While it might be a step back from his doo-wop performances, the album is a step forward in his career. And he has the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album to prove it. ALBUM OF THE MONTH Winning Tunes We revisit the works of artists who won Grammy Awards this year. Did or didn’t they deserve the title? Macklemore & Ryan Lewis The Heist
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