Totally Unauthorized 2013 2nd Quarter Playlist: April - June

Of all the quarterly reports, the midyear/summer one is always the toughest. April through June are typically the most fertile breeding for mindblowing music releases, and this year has proven that to be more true than most. After painstakingly narrowing it down, here is the best of the past three months.

TYLER, THE CREATOR - COWBOY

Tyler has grown and matured since his last album, and in the process his mood pieces have become even more impressive. "Cowboy" serves as a dual threat by offering a relaxed, chilled out hook and beat while contrasting that with Tyler's deep sense of personal and social tension.

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA - JAMA KO 

Here's a nice change of pace for you. Malian musician Bassekou Kouyate is skilled with the ngoni - a West African lute instrument. "Jama Ko" is full of political tension and dissension that has marred his homeland, but is also brought to life by rich African harmonies and intricate yet electrifying sound from Kouyate's strings.

THE KNIFE - FULL OF FIRE

No doubt one of the most insane songs of the year, "Full of Fire" is a masterwork that explores nearly every area of electronica conceivable. It's filled with primal, instinctive jungle beats, passionate sexual tension, and distorted vocals stretched to the breaking point. And that barely begins to scratch the surface.

DEERHUNTER - PENSACOLA

Few would have predicted dreamy shoegaze heroes Deerhunter would have started pumping out dive bar music, and even fewer would have guessed they would do it this well. The guitars and drums are dirty, grimy, and totally captivating, while Bradford Cox's hazy storytelling method will leave you spellbound.

SAVAGES - SHUT UP

Post punk revivalists Savages sound like a powder keg under extreme pressure throughout this song. Vocalist Jehnny Beth resurrects the image of a defiant and empowered rock and roll vocalist in stunning fashion, while Gemma Thomspon's guitar strains pierce your consciousness like shards of broken glass.

DAFT PUNK - GET LUCKY

The definitive song of summer for many, Pharrell's blazing collaboration with this French pop electronic duo had fans salivating. The long awaited return of Daft Punk was headlined by this tune, which features a supersize dose of sensuality, smooth falsetto vocal, and a heavy helping of Daft Punk's funky disco vibes.

DARK TRANQUILITY - THE SCIENCE OF NOISE

The original wave of Gothenberg melodic metal bands have been dropping like flies, so it's nice to see that at least Dark Tranquility is still putting out quality content. "The Science of Noise" is melodic metal at its best, combining winding leads with catchy, driving hooks and rhythms.

LAURA MARLING - MASTER HUNTER

Many people think of folk music as something mellow, but Laura Marling shows that intensity can crackle with nothing more than her voice and an acoustic guitar. The dizzying guitar work grabs your attention, giving Marling the chance to assert her claim as a dynamic force to be reckoned with.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - I SAT BY THE OCEAN

Queens of the Stone Age have one of the best comeback stories in recent memory, and this cut is easily among the most compelling of their new material. Grooving rock and roll riffs combine with Josh Homme's heady wordplay to create one of the most footstomping sing alongs of the year thus far. 

PORTUGAL. THE MAN - CREEP IN A T-SHIRT

Funky psychedelic rockers Portugal. the Man strike back in a big way. John Gourley's high falsetto may remind some of Dan Auerbach, but the musical backdrops are far more varied. "Creep in a T-Shirt" boasts driving piano, a big brassy sound, and lilting melodies that will burrow their way into your brain.

BOARDS OF CANADA - REACH FOR THE DEAD

 With 2013 serving as the year of comebacks, this Scottish electronic duo couldn't allow themselves to be outdone. They're capable of covering many different emotional planes, but "Reach for the Dead" aims for a more blissful and serene type of vibe. It's the perfect type of sound for chilling out and vegging out.

KANYE WEST - NEW SLAVES

Kanye reinvents himself on each successive release, but now he's gone somewhere far beyond what anyone could have imagined. Aphex Twin couldn't imagine beats this dense and foreboding in his worst nightmare, while Kanye himself unleashes a unprecedented torrent of anger over racial and economic inequality.

 

RUN THE JEWELS FEAT. BIG BOI - BANANA CLIPPER

When three of the most explosive emcees of the year converge on a single track, you should expect things are going to get heady. This collaborative project between Killer Mike and El-P features lots of braggadocio and repping of Atlanta, while Big Boi steps in with his smooth delivery to provide a little contrast.

Dark Tranquility continues to cultivate trademark sound on Construct

Of all the virtues possessed by melodeath bands, a long shelf life isn't often one of them. For most bands it plays out one of two ways: either they stick to their guns and become derivative, or they discard their entire core philosophy in favor of jumping on trends, often burying the ideas that led them to prominence in the first place.

Swedish Gothenburg/melodeath godfathers Dark Tranquility have flirted with both outcomes at times, but they remain among the best of the bunch due to their dedication to a shared vision, and their consistency in executing it. Their 10th full length, Construct, doesn't change the blueprint much and generally consists of slower paced to mid tempo crunchers, but the band does their damage in enough ways to keep things varied and maintain your attention. One of the key themes is an expanded emphasis on the airy, atmospheric side of their sound. "Uniformity" is laden with excellent keyboard work from Martin Brändström and benefits from Mikael Stanne's impeccable baritone vocals. It lends of sense of stoic grandeur to the track, while sounding like their take on Katatonia's patented brand of atmospheric metal.

Speaking of which, "State of Trust" is dominated by clean vocals that very much capture the vibe championed by Katatonia frontman Jonas Renske, or perhaps Steven Wilson. It certainly stands out within their recent catalog. But of course, melodic metal has always been the band's forte, and yet again they do not disappoint. "The Science of Noise" boasts a downright catchy chorus which is followed up with some great winding melodic guitar passages; if this isn't the album's best track it's certainly one of the top two or three. "Endtime Hearts," with its twinkling keyboards and driving guitar passages, is reminiscent of Children of Bodom song, while "Weight of the End" boasts some of the album's best headbanging sections.

However, those looking for something fast and visceral would be advised to look elsewhere. "Apathetic" is one of the fastest and most aggressive songs the band has penned since 2005's ultra aggressive Character. It's anchored by Anders Jivarp's pounding drums and a kickass solo, but unfortunately it's the only real screamer Construct has to offer. The only song that noticeably falls flat, curiously enough, is the opener "For Broken Words." It does feature a nice verse riff from guitarists Niklas Sundin and Martin Henriksson, but its attempts to focus on atmosphere are somewhat awkward. It features several passages consisting mostly of just the bass, drums and vocals, but it's too slow to develop, and feels entirely too tepid and unsure of itself. As for the bonus tracks, "Immemorial" serves up more catchy metal while proving the band still has some grit, while instrumental closer "Photon Dreams" feels like it should have been a little more fleshed out.

As always, the instrumentation is first rate. There's not much about any of the individual performances that really grab your attention -- rather, the focus is on demonstrating how each part of the whole works together as one cohesive unit. Stanne's vocals are full of their trademark bubbling, sneering wrath, and he has shown great improvement in his clean vocals. The lyrics, meanwhile, are typically glum and moody, delivering a darker undertone to the project as a whole.

Anyone familiar with the band's output following their 2002 album Damage Done won't find any major breakthrough or revelation here, although Construct does come at a pivotal time in the band's career. It sees them picking themselves up and re-energizing following 2010's We Are the Void, which notably lacked punch and seemed to be the first major sign of lethargy and monotony setting in.

Dark Tranquility have managed to adjust and make alterations to their sound over the years without sacrificing their credibility, and there's good reason they remain one of today's most viable and well respected metal bands. Construct excels at upholding one of the band's innermost principles of consistency along with catchy and well constructed songwriting, and can stand ably in the band's catalog alongside Damage Done, Character, and Fiction.

Score: 84/100