11. GrimesArt Angels

I hate most contemporary music – there’s just too much of it and it’s so hard to sift through. I have a hard time finding stuff that I like, but Grimes is my favourite… pop star, maybe? I just think she’s totally brilliant. I started listening to this record right when I came to New Orleans. For some reason I really hold this up next to Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual – both albums are basically nothing but singles. Art Angels to me sounds like single after single after single after single after single – they’re all big pop songs. They’re not all easy pop songs, a lot of it remains kind of challenging, but I feel Art Angels is one of those records that’s fucking flawless. I think to make a 17 track album and to have all of them be barnburners is pretty glorious. I love her new album, which is like Enya meets Nine Inch Nails and that is totally fine with me.