The first great album of the year: Thao Nguyen and The Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings And All

Upon first inspection of Thao Nguyen's first full length album, you'd think that she wasn't much more than some lazy Cat Power ripoff, but that's because her first full length was a lazy Cat Power ripoff. Of course, this is a bit of an overstatement, especially considering how much I really liked that album and how much I still like it, but in this moment, I am comparing that album to her new album, We Brave Beestings And All.

The thing that's the most startling about the new album is the huge amount of collaborative songwriting that is apparent throughout. This is made obvious by the change from Thao Nguyen to Thao Nguyen and The Get Down Stay Down, which is her backing band. Of course, the production, helmed by Tucker Martine, shows a great amount of growth, but this only enhances the amazing, lively arrangements laid out by Thao and her band.

This album is difficult to talk about. It's 3am and I'm sitting at the table in my kitchen. I'm supposed to be reading, and yet all I can think about is how great this album is. There isn't a dull moment I can think of. The hooks are all so simple, and yet so well thought out in terms of their placement in the songs. The production is clean and radio friendly, which comes in direct conflict with the music itself; the music isn't intentionally being difficult, but turns out that way due to the nature of Thao's songwriting.

From "Beat (Health, Life, and Fire)" to "Bag of Hammers" and "Big Kid Table", the transitions are nearly flawless without being intentionally strung together. The lead guitar parts on "Beat" are so clean and match so well with the horns that slowly worm their way into your brain without you noticing. The drums on "Bag of Hammers" are reminiscent of "Float On" in the best way possible and the long, fingerpicked drawl of "Big Kid Table" is just too good to pass up. Basically, this is one of the first great album of this year and shouldn't be overlooked.

Thao Nguyen and The Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Beestings And All