The Daily Spin, March 17
Years & Years | Communion
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Communion (2015)
Artist: Years & Years
Link:
Communion was one of the first albums I listened to after I had begun to get into music in earnest - I’d been baited hook, line, and sinker through the synths on ‘King’, and was definitely interested in seeing what the British trio had to offer - and I’m so glad I did.
Communion, in many ways, feels like rote pop - it has all the hallmarks of what boils down to pretty rote song structure, and doesn’t feel terribly innovative in much of its content. It’s clear that the lyricism has more meaning to Olly Alexander (the star of It’s A Sin who has since taken the Years & Years mantle on as his solo project) as he tells the story of navigating the world through a queer lens and navigating queer spaces as someone trying to find their way in the world at large. It’s something that resonates with me deeply for myriad reasons, and part of why I love this album the way I do.
Where this album particularly excels is the precise nature in which each song is built - previously, I’ve decried albums for being too manufactured - that’s what not I’m referencing here. Each instrument and note feels placed, not in the way that feels corporate, but one that feels as though it was done with a careful balance considered - as though there’s only really the need to use as much music as is necessary to get the job done.
It’s that precision that allows the message of the album to flourish, a vicious duology between loathing and love through a sense of self. It’s beautifully orchestrated, wonderfully set, and in all ways, excels.
Rating: 9.6/10
Best Tracks: King; Gold; Take Shelter; Desire
Worst Tracks: Memo