The Archandroid - Janelle Monáe (2010)


 

The Archandroid is an art-pop album that is part of a multi-album concept series about...I don't know, some futuristic robot coming back in time to a future totalitarian city and freeing the people....or something. I don't really pay attention to concepts, especially concepts with a narrative. I just listen to the music.

Anyway, this album is parts two and parts three of this series -- the first part was released on an EP, but otherwise The Archandroid is Jonaelle Monae's debut album, and it's a masterpiece. One of the finest debuts I've heard, in fact.

The Archandroid runs through all types of styles: latin-ish disco, R&B, hip-hop, fiery rock, folkish pop, Nancy Sinatra-like baroque pop, sweeping orchestral bits,  classic jazz/torch songs,  even Fleet Foxian (haha, made that word up) mystic harmonies. It's definitely a very cool album -- gorgeous and like nothing you've ever heard, though perhaps I just haven't heard enough....It also features a song written and made with Of Montreal artist Kevin Barnes, for you old Elephant 6 fans....

Anyway, here is one of the many, many stellar songs, but you won't get an idea of how truly eclectic and wide-ranging this album is just from this: I urge you to check out the album.





5/5

Spotify Link:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7MvSB0JTdtl1pSwZcgvYQX?si=t-xRh-fzQ7SyExKOplUOjQ

I just have an iTunes album. The sound is awful, compressed and brick walled almost but not quite to the brink of unlistenability. Avoid listening on decent headphones.


Coming Up:

A.M. Wilco

A.T.O.M. - Carbon Silicon

ABBA - ABBA 

ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits

Abbey Road - The Beatles

Achtung, Baby! U2

Actually - Pet Shop Boys

Adult/Child- The Beach Boys

Aerosmith's Greatest Hits

After The Gold Rush - Neil Young

Afterglow - Crowded House

Aftermath (UK Version) - The Rolling Stones

Against The Odds: 1974-1982 Blondie (three disc version)

Aimee Mann Live at St. Ann's Warehouse

Aiming For Your Head - Betchadupa

The Album -- ABBA

The Album That Never Was - The Kinks

All Four One - The Motels

All Over the Place - The Bangles

All Summer Long -- The Beach Boys

All the Great Hits -- Diana Ross

All Things Must Pass -- George Harrison

All This Useless Beauty -- Elvis Costello & the Attractions

All-Time Greatest Hits - Neil Diamond

Alluvium -- Eddie Rayner

Almost Blue -- Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Almost Summer - Celebration

Alpha Mike Foxtrot -- Wilco*

The Alphabetchadupa - Betchadupa

Altitude - ALT

American Idiot Green Day*

American Prayer -- The Doors

Amnesiac Radiohead*

And I Feel Fine...The Best of the IRS years (1982-1987) - R.E.M.

Animals - Pink Floyd

Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo

Another Life - Another Life

Another Music in Another Kitchen: The Buzzcocks

Another Side of Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Anthology: Diana Ross & The Supremes

Anthology: Smokey Robinson & The Beatles

Anthology 1: The Beatles

Anthology 2: The Beatles

Anthology 3 The Beatles

Anthology: North South, East West - Tim Finn

Apple Venus: Volume One -- XTC

Apollo 18 - They Might Be Giants

The ArchAndroid: Janelle Monae

Are the Village Green Preservation Society -- The Kinks

Are Well-Respected Men - The Kinks

Armed Forces -Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Around the World in a Day - Prince

Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - The Kinks

At My Piano - Brian Wilson

Autoamerican - Blondie

Automatic for the People - R.E.M.

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