4B — Thursday, January 5, 2017
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Best Albums

of 2016

1. Blonde
Frank Ocean

In a year of anomalies, norm-

breaking and the unexpected,
Frank Ocean remains his own
island. When an artist can get hun-
dreds of thousands of young people
to watch paint dry on live stream
over a two-week period, there’s
something unique happening. It
indicates a shift in what we inter-
pret as “popular culture” or “main-
stream music.”

But Ocean is a master of subvert-

ing whatever your norms might be.
It’s his world, and we’re just living
in it. In an Internet era where every
opinion is granted the same space
on the screen, it even amounts to
criticism and anger. As the most
prominent gay hip-hop artist per-
haps ever, there’s a lot that Ocean
is expected to do and say, and when
he doesn’t, questions hover. But like
the genius of his music, he never
follows the rules — your rules,
that is. Ocean is revolutionary in
his expression of his sexuality in
that, at least through Ocean’s own
voice, it garners little fanfare. He
talks about having sex with women
in one track, and men in another.
Where so many artists have mis-
leadingly co-opted queerness to
gain attention (ahem, James Fran-
co), Ocean does the opposite. He’s,
well, frank about the struggles he
faces as a man who loves other men
(“Bad Religion” from his official

debut is one of the most power-
ful musical expressions of sexual-
ity in decades), but never loud. It’s
there, and you deal with it or you
don’t. Ocean doesn’t care either
way. When queerness, particularly
male, is so often unapologetically
stereotyped as flamboyant, dainty
and in-your-face, it’s a refreshing,
necessary perspective.

That kind of subversion also

happens to be astoundingly fruitful
musically. Ocean has yet to release
an official project which doesn’t
exceed expectations, and Blonde is
no exception. It’s less immediately
approachable than Channel Orange
or even Nostalgia ULTRA, but when
it settles, what you find is one of the
most beautiful, shattering pieces of
sonic work in the last decade. The
quiet build of “Ivy,” the tangibly
downtrodden “Siegfried,” the crys-
tal clear “Good Guy” — these are
all sparkling, somber moments on
a journey which will continue not
just tomorrow, but years down the
road. With Blonde, Ocean has creat-
ed something which can be lived in,
experienced; it can be taken apart
and rearranged as you approach it
with your own feelings and your
own moments.

Blonde, simply, is felt.

— MATT GALLATIN

2. The Life of Pablo

Kanye West

Like all Kanye West albums, The

Life of Pablo closes with a satisfying
resolution. While “Wolves” doesn’t
cap the actual track-list, it feels like
the unofficial parting piece; unlike
the 40-minute whirlwind that
preceded it, Frank Ocean’s fleet-
ing but sobering appearance after
“Wolves” brought with it a certain
sense of rest and stability. For only a
minute, it felt like Kanye was going
to be alright after the perplexing
and often indefensible buildup to
the album’s release.

The seed of hope turned out

being all we were offered, as 2016
had Kanye in a knots over a whole
host of issues, including the kid-
napping of his wife and anniver-
sary of his mother’s death. It’s an
important hindsight; his dynamic
with the various guests on the
album, and how he creates space
for them, paints a bigger picture.
The grandiosity of The Life of Pablo
becomes unexpectedly intimate
and relatable despite initial critical
response to the contrary.

Revisiting the album at the end

of a bumpy year, it’s easy to reimag-
ine the ranting on “Pt. 2” as part of
what might be going on in Kanye’s
head when he, say, cancels a show
after three songs. Or perhaps the
paranoia and insecurity of “FML”
can be found in his recent hospital-
ization. But this album isn’t about
bleached assholes and sex with

Taylor Swift so much as it is about
trials and tribulations, as every
Kanye album is.

Though renowned for his ability

to orchestrate unlikely collabora-
tions, Pablo is surprisingly most
gripping when Kanye is alone,
frantically
teetering
between

hopelessness and absurdly con-
fident transparency. Throughout
the album he alternates between
the security of a group dynamic
and the retreaded shelter of his
character-defining thoughts. Not
for the first time (see: Pusha T on
Runaway), he channels the voices
of others to clear the jumbled mess
in his head.

Tracks like “Ultralight Beam”

and “Low Lights” hardly feature
the voice of Kanye West at all. Yet
they shed light on what he clutches
onto most dearly to “get through
the day”. “Freestyle 4” sees ‘Ye
drunkenly snarl fantasies of having
sex on the table at a dinner party:
He blurs the line between spoken
and unspoken, external and inter-
nal — what you do and what you
want to do. The Life of Pablo is a
meditated narration on a real life.
It’s about those moments of pri-
vacy, depression, laughter, sex, love,
confusion, helplessness; it’s about
Ye, yes, but it’s also about me and
you.

— SHAYAN SHAFII

3. A Seat at the Table

Solange

Four years after her last offi-

cial release — eight since her last
proper album — Solange Knowles
has returned with a genre-defy-
ing album that is triumphant,
nuanced and deeply frustrated.
A masterclass in both sonic and
thematic cohesion, A Seat at the
Table is an R&B album at heart
— most of its melodies driven by
piano and closely accompanied
by percussion. These melodies,
however, flow freely, visiting
and revisiting the album in short
stints, lending even more poten-
cy to the interludes that deliver
the deeply personal points of the
album’s story.

In terms of race relations in

the United States, that the past
four years have been tumultuous
is not a point that is up for con-
tention. Thematically, Solange’s
album is a summation of the
anger, sadness and disappoint-
ment accumulated during these
years, but also a demonstration
of resilience. It is an unapologet-

ic exploration of what it means to
be a Black woman today, an eval-
uation of progress (or the lack
thereof) and an affirmation and
reinforcement of Black pride. I
doubt that the significance and
sheer power of this album can
be overstated. A Seat at the Table
carries more weight than I, as
a white male, will likely ever
understand, and I must admit
that I do not trust in my ability to
do justice to the album.

Any word of criticism that

I utter should be taken with a
grain of salt, no word of praise
necessarily trusted, no evalu-
ation taken at face value. This
album is beyond me — beyond
many of us — and only if we
acknowledge that can we hope to
progress. What is ultimately and
absolutely apparent, however, is
that Solange has earned her seat
at the proverbial table; what she’s
telling us, all too clearly, is that
no one should have to.

— SEAN LANG

Best

Community


Events of

2016

1. Canterbury House

Each month, the Canter-

bury House, located at 721
East Huron Street, presents “A
Night for Us: Colorful Soul,”
as part of a concert series pre-
sented by “Artists of Color in
Ann Arbor,” a student-formed
organization
conceptualized

and executed by SMTD stu-
dents Alexis Lombre, Brian
Juarez, Mike Perlman and
Tristan Cappel. Each month,
a local student artist of color
headlines a live concert, show-
casing immense talent and
passion for music and com-
munity. With free admission
and free (delicious) soul food,
the welcoming environment of

the Canterbury House is tan-
gible; all are invited, all are
embraced. This space offers
and encourages discussion of
social issues, the chance to
meet those of similar (or com-
pletely different) opinions and
mindsets and the opportunity
to become part of a community
and cause vital to the Univer-
sity of Michigan. Featuring
some of the University’s most
talented musicians, the per-
formances are truly not to be
missed. Their next event is
January 26th at 7 p.m.

— ALLIE TAYLOR

2. Ross Gay

In September, Ross Gay read

from his third book of poetry
“Catalog of Unabashed Grati-
tude,” a series of poems that
explore the natural world’s
beauty and all of the simultane-
ous joy and pain it encompasses.
A few miles away from central
Ann Arbor, at Lotus Farm, the
picturesque backdrop led for an
immersive experience of Gay’s
lush imagery. Amid the twilight
and blooms, Gay exalted every-
thing from the musical names
of plants to the dance of a robin,
while still finding moments of

silence and stillness to honor
loved ones gone too soon. He
shared “essayettes” as well,
anecdotes focused on “delight”
steeped in humility that harkens
back to an alternate definition of
an essay as an attempt or trial —
humorous musings on anything
from nightmares to sneakiness.
Gay’s work did, and still con-
tinues to, remind its readers
of the small joys and ineffable
bliss that persists amid an often
gloomy backdrop.

— MARIA ROBINS-SOMERVILLE

3. Nick Offerman

This past October the Mich-

igan
Theater
hosted
Nick

Offerman, the man behind
the beloved Ron Swanson of
“Parks and Recreation” in
honor of his new book, “Good
Clean Fun: Misadventures in
Sawdust at Offerman Work-
shop.” At times, it was difficult
to distinguish Offerman from
his most celebrated charac-
ter. Yet aside from physical
characteristics, the two have
little in common. Reading
select passages from his new
book, a collection of thirteen
exploring his own and other’s

projects, Offerman pinpointed
the singular love he and his
character share — woodwork-
ing. Galavanting through his
workshop, Offerman peppered
his book with comments on his
own and others’ woodworking
technique, accompanied with
a wit and insight he inevitably
brought to the Michigan The-
ater stage and the Ann Arbor
community.

— NATALIE ZAK

Best TV Episodes of 2016

1. “Fish Out of Water”

Bojack Horseman

As an homage to Charlie

Chaplin, Looney Tunes and
Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Trans-
lation,” the tour de force “Fish
Out of Water” is a masterwork
in both animation and storytell-
ing. Despite the lack of dialogue
— the episode is almost entirely
silent — “Fish Out of Water”
compels in its wonderful, eye-
popping visuals, as well as its
zany and surprisingly poignant
premise. When the hapless
BoJack descends into the sea to
promote his biopic Secretariat at
the Pacific Ocean Film Festival,
shenanigans immediately ensue.
Without a cigarette to light, a
vodka to drink or a voice to com-
municate with sea creatures,
BoJack is both physically and
emotionally lost in this unfa-
miliar
environment,
causing

for some deeply unsettling (and
hilarious) gags.

It’s a delight and a pity to see

BoJack interact in this beauti-
fully constructed abyss, which
is a testament to the brilliant
artistic vision of creator Raphael
Bob-Waksberg. After going on
an insane, death-defying quest
to find Kelsey Jennings (Maria
Bamford, “Lady Dynamite”),
the woman fired from directing
Secretariat, BoJack digs deep
into his soul and writes: “In this
terrifying world, all we have are
the connections that we make.”
It’s a bit of risk for a show built
on excellent banter to solely rely
on animation, but “Fish Out of
Water” pays off tremendously in
its experimental approach and
reaffirms “BoJack Horseman”
as one of the most touching,
vibrant and genuinely thought-
provoking TV satires currently
on air.

— SAM ROSENBERG

2. “The Animals”

Orange is the New Black

While so much of TV watch-

ing is passive, the penultimate
episode in season four of
“Orange is the New Black” is
anything but. The series has
never been afraid to be politi-
cal or controversial, readily
employing what is considered
taboo as an agent to explore
the humanity of its characters.
But in “The Animals,” this is
taken a momentous step fur-
ther. The episode culminates
in a heartbreaking, nuanced

and complicated death of one
of the series’ most beloved
protagonists that inevitably
transcends from the fiction-
al screen to the messy, real
world. With impeccable writ-
ing and nuanced storytelling,
“The Animals” perfectly cap-
tures the tension that lies at
the core of the entire series:
Right and wrong is rarely
black and white and good peo-
ple sometimes do evil things.

— DANIELLE YACOBSEN

3. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”

People V. O.J.

A key reason why “The People

v. OJ Simpson” is among the best
shows of the year is in how it brings
the real figures of the case to life
and makes them three-dimension-
al characters. No episode of the
series does this more than “Mar-
cia, Marcia, Marcia.” The hour
focuses on Marcia Clark, the main
prosecutor on Simpson’s trial. It
depicts the toll the trial took on
her, both in terms of her relation-
ship with her family and her emo-
tions. In the episode, her husband
complains to the press about how
she’s failing to take care of her chil-

dren and she gets the famous hair-
cut which the press makes fun of
her for. Sarah Paulson (“American
Horror Story”) won an Emmy for
her performance as Clark and this
episode was likely the centerpiece
for that campaign. Her chemistry
with Sterling K. Brown’s (“This
is Us”) Chris Darden is another
highlight, as Darden and Clark
become closer. While the entire
run of “The People v. OJ” was quite
remarkable, this hour proved to be
its best, mostly due to Paulson’s
amazing work as Clark.

—ALEX INTNER

4. “B.A.N.”

Atlanta

Part of what made “Atlanta”

such a success in its inaugural sea-
son was its unabashed willingness
to take risks with the assuredness
of a well established series, as it
often turns to the surreal and unex-
plained to provide further insight
on its unique subject matter and
characters. Written and directed
by series creator and star Donald
Glover, “B.A.N.” proved to be the
biggest dive the series took and it
paid dividends.

Framed as an episode of the

fictional talk show “Montague”
on the titular “Black America
Network,” the episode focuses its
spotlight on Bryan Tyree Henry’s
(“Vice Principals”) Paper Boi as
the program forces him to navi-
gate several complex subjects, from
transphobia to Black culture. Hen-
ry’s performance continuously ties
the episode together as he conveys
Paper Boi’s confusion, frustration

and eventual clarity, saying, “It’s
hard for me to care about this when
nobody cares about me as a Black
human man … where’s tolerance for
people like me?”

Meanwhile, “B.A.N.” ’s use of

parodic commercials further bol-
stered its arguments, as Glover
puts on a showcase in comedic
writing, constantly raising the
bar with each subsequent seg-
ment, ultimately culminating in
a cereal commercial that steers
into a shocking display of police
brutality.

In a first season that constantly

challenges its form and struc-
ture, “B.A.N.” serves as a peak
to “Atlanta” ’s many highs, con-
fidently encapsulating the hilari-
ous, perplexing and challenging
tone that defined the show’s first
brave steps in the landscape of
television.

— MATT BARNAUSKAS

5. “The
Magic

of

David

Copperfield”

“The
Americans”
typically

doesn’t traffic in big, show-stopping
moments. Even when it must
depict scenes that, on any other
show, would be executed in showy,
headline-grabbing
fashion,
the

FX series applies the same rigor,
patience and subtlety that it has
become known for. “The Magic
of David Copperfield” opens in
several
minutes
of
sustained

silence, culminating in Martha’s
heartbreaking
departure;
the

episode ends with a seven-month

time jump, the family — ostensibly
— in much better shape than it was
before.

What transpires between those

bookending
scenes
is
vintage

“Americans:”
pressure-cooker

tension and all the cutting family
drama that feeds into it. Every line,
shot and character choice in this
show is beautifully judged; “The
Americans” is pulp as high art,
narrative as sustained metaphor,
the
intra-familial
psychological

warfare of marriage, children and

patriotism as Cold War spy thriller.
As the episode ended, I was almost
relieved at this relaxed sigh of a
time-jump. But, as “The Americans”
is wont to do, the show can’t resist a
twist of the knife: Everyone in this
family, just as every family must do,
is feigning happiness. Paige is not
contentedly hanging with Pastor
Tim; she’s on assignment from her
parents, and we see the remorse on
her face. The Statue of Liberty has,
indeed, disappeared.

— NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT

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