Best Rock Album in 2013

This:

"04-28-13: Synthfreek
Phosphorescent...nothing else even close. IMO that "star" was born about 10 years ago with their debut album A Hundred Times Or More."

He is one of the great songwriters of our time. Brilliance. Grab any of his records, all are top shelf. Bonus is he's a great producer too so we get proper sonics along with the heartfelt croon. A real favorite of mine.

richard, a bunch of guys whose opinions i respect highly (yours included) have touted this phosphorescent to me recently. i confess that i don't get 'em. they seem to be mining the same territory as fleet foxes or grizzly bear, but not nearly as effectively--where the aforesaid sound natural and unforced, there's something contrived and overfussy about the phosphorescent; the little electronic flourishes sound tacked-on and distract from the singer's very good, if hyperdramatic voice. maybe i'm just in a bad mood?

Loomisjohnson,

As they say: De gustibus non est disputandum.

You either like Phosphorescent or you don't. Personally, I think it is the best album of the year, and the prior album also is outstanding. It sometimes takes a few listens because it is an unusual sound and the viocals are unique -- as are the lyrics.

Neal

neal, i don't speak french (i can barely speak english), but i'll give 'em some more time to sink in. all the cognoscenti can't be wrong.

Now, I don't speak Swahili, but you can't convince me that 4 plus 8 doesn't equal 115, nine times out of three, or that your average horse won't recite original Shakespeare in Sanskrit if you slide it backwards under a chicken, gently -- provided of course you send it flowers first. (That was supposed to be funny. Forgive the flailing fail.)