Best of 2013 #5: John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts (Partisan)

My pic for #5 album of 2013 wasn't a favourite when I first heard it. It took several listens for me to start to hear the brilliance within. At first, I found the album a jarring mix of styles that didn't really fit together. John Grant comes from a roots/indy pop background, starting with a Colorado based band called the Czars. His first solo album in 2010, Queen of Denmark, was a lush indy pop album. His follow up, Pale Green Ghosts, was nothing like his debut. Grant has a dense, rich baritone voice well suited for indy pop, but clashed greatly with the music in Pale Green Ghosts, which was performed by Biggi Viera of the lush, experimental Icelandic electronic band GusGus. As I said, the two styles don't fit together easily, but settled down into a dense, atmospheric and almost funky groove upon multiple listens. As typical for Icelandic bands, more depth reveals itself after long sessions with headphones. This album is a grower, and not for the casual listener. You'll find more and more the deeper you dig.