Scoring the Polaris Prize Shortlist 2012

Twelve hours. Ten albums. Ten criteria. Fifty possible points. Polaris Prize 2012.

This year’s Polaris Prize shortlist challenged me horribly. The more I listened to the ten shortlisted records, the more unsure I felt. The truth is, none of them really stood out to me as exceptional or brilliant. Some had those characteristics, but did not embody them whole. I asked myself, “What makes a great album?” After picking ten criteria, I listened to all ten records in the space of 12 hours, scoring them from 1-5 in each area to determine the best Canadian album of the past year.

Criteria:
opener – the first track of a record can make or break it
flow – does this feel like an album, or a bunch of songs by the same artist?
good:bad ratio – way of gauging consistency. Forgive me for generalizing.
variation – can the songs be distinguished for another, or is the record repetitive?
lyrical content – points for anything deep, relatable, creative etc.
uniqueness – does the album stand out in a crowd?
listenability – could this appeal to the masses?
closer – does the last track leave you feeling awesome or disappointed?
memorability – will you remember a riff or a line a week from now?
bonus – self-explanatory, can be plus or minus

With this scoring system, each album has the potential to score up to 50 points.

Here are the results, followed by a breakdown of each album scoring:

1. Cold Specks – I Predict A Graceful Expulsion (39)

2. Grimes – Visions (38)

3. Feist – Metals (36)

4. Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital (32)

5. Yamantaka Sonic Titan – YT//ST (31)

6.  Japandroids – Celebration Rock (29)

7. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life (26)

8. Drake – Take Care (22)

9. Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur (21)

10. Cadence Weapon – Hope In Dirt City (17)

CADENCE WEAPON – HOPE IN DIRT CITY

1	Opener	“Get On Down” is brief and unimpressive. The first two words leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.
2	Flow	Some tracks have a connection with each other in terms of theme, but all in all they feel like a bunch of rap songs instead of an album.
2	G:B Ratio	4 – 7
3	Variation	A little variation is created with reggae, electronic and latin influences.
3	Lyrical content	Blunt and raw, his words cut, but often with intelligence and thought.
1	Uniqueness	Unique among rap records? Maybe. But among all music? Definitely not. This is not revolutionary.
1	Listenability	“Hope In Dirt City” is not listener friendly, I even had a hard time getting through it. Its themes are not relatable to the masses, and you have to be a fan of its genre to get something out of it.
3	Closer	Best for last! The title track ended up being a sort of redemption in that it’s poetic, has a great beat and makes a point.
1	Memorability	Because of a combination of personal preference and quality, I can say that I will not be coming back to this album and it will soon be out of my mind.
-	Bonus	-
17	TOTAL

COLD SPECKS – I PREDICT A GRACEFUL EXPULSION

5	Opener	“The Mark” is musically simple but executed with such beautiful emotion.
5	Flow	Underlying passion and honesty is the backbone of the record, and this constant makes it seamless.
4	G:B Ratio	6 – 1
3	Variation	The elements are similar in each song (piano, guitar, vocals) but the ways in which they are played make things interesting.
5	Lyrical content	Al Spx is a poet by all means. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and it’s evident in every word of every song.
3	Uniqueness	It’s a great blend of soul, folk and experimental that’s not often done this well, but it is still done.
4	Listenability	I think everyone can appreciate honesty as well as beauty. “I Predict A Graceful Expulsion” is precisely this.
5	Closer	“Lay Me Down” is similar to the opener in the way that they are both simplistic. Just as it begins brilliantly, it ends the same.
4	Memorability	Cold Specks will draw you in. As many times as I’ve played this record, I have yet to grow tired of it and doubt that I will.
1	Bonus	What a great album title! +1
39	TOTAL

DRAKE – TAKE CARE

3	Opener	“Over My Dead Body” puts Drake’s talent with words in the spotlight. This debut actually impressed me.
3	Flow	The theme of vulnerability is widespread on “Take Care”, unusual in a rap album.
2	G:B Ratio	7 – 11
2	Variation	Though he switches from crooning to rapping to various guest features, I have a hard time getting away from the repetitiveness of the album as a whole.
3	Lyrical content	A really great thing about “Take Care” is its relatability, even for a non-rap-loving white girl from a small town. The messages are universal.
3	Uniqueness	My problem here is that some tracks are really innovative, while others come short of being even good. Consistency please!
2	Listenability	Though this is a decent album, profanity and rap itself aren’t things that all people enjoy.
1	Closer	“The Ride” kills me, it really does. Headache-launching repetitive pretentious crap.
2	Memorability	Congrats, you reference Marvin Gaye and got a great Pitchfork review. However I will not be coming back to this album.
1	Bonus	High five putting humility into rap! +2Nikki Minaj makes it onto the Polaris short list? -1
22	TOTAL

FEIST – METALS

5	Opener	“The Bad In Each Other” is an outstanding track with plenty of different elements all combined. What a great drum beat!
4	Flow	The whole album feels earthy, embodying at times dirt and at other times a ray of light. This is a real album.
4	G:B Ratio	10 – 2
3	Variation	For a folk-rock record, Feist manages to fit a decent amount of different styles in, executing them all equally well.
5	Lyrical content	Here we have a different kind of lyricist, one that tells a story, a story that perfectly suits the music its set to.
3	Uniqueness	She does incorporate different time signatures and other unusual elements, but at heart is a sound that’s not entirely individual.
5	Listenability	There is something on this record for everyone.
3	Closer	“Get It Wrong, Get It Right” is nice, however I’d hoped for more.
3	Memorability	Most of the songs on “Metals” are quite good, but only about five really left an impact on me.
1	Bonus	Juno album of the year! +1
36	TOTAL

FUCKED UP – DAVID COMES TO LIFE

4	Opener	“Let Her Rest” is a fantastic way to start of this album. The instrumental grows and grows, leading to the energy of the coming tracks.
5	Flow	This is one of few shortlisted albums that actually has a consistent story, making it miles better in my books.
3	G:B Ratio	9 – 9
2	Variation	This is where the album lacks. There truly is a limit to what you can do with a magnificently bearded man and some power chords.
3	Lyrical content	A storyline adds so much more to lyrics, but I find that the brilliant words are obscured by the music. If you really listen, there’s some great stuff to be found
3	Uniqueness	The contrasting vocals of Fucked Up are most definitely unique, but the music itself is something that has been done a lot.
1	Listenability	The lovely voice of Damian is harsh to put it plainly. If you dig it, you dig it. But you probably won’t dig it.
3	Closer	I am a fan of “Lights Go Up”, it ends the album well, wrapping everything up with a mini climax.
3	Memorability	Oh you’ll remember this. Whether it’s for good reasons or bad is entirely subjective.
-1	Bonus	Boo, you’ve already won the prize. -1
26	TOTAL

GRIMES – VISIONS

5	Opener	“Infinite ♥ Without Fulfillment” is a great starter, the multiple vocal tracks and interesting beats wet the whistle without drowning it.
2	Flow	The album lacks a little in this department, feeling like a greatest hits CD. Every song is really good, but they don’t fit together to form a complete thought.
4	G:B Ratio	12 – 2
4	Variation	Grimes does a really good job in varying a chiefly electronic album, always keeping it interesting.
4	Lyrical content	To be entirely honest, I have no idea what’s being said most of the time. That being said, what I do understand is neither good nor bad.
5	Uniqueness	The most unique album on the list, Grimes’ sound is matched by no one.
3	Listenability	Rest assured, this isn’t exactly for everyone. However I do think it can grow on a person, maybe not for enjoyment factors but because it’s so captivating.
5	Closer	“Know the Way” is an outro if I ever heard one. Faraway vocals meld into floating synths, leaving you in a trance.
5	Memorability	Whether you like it or not, “Visions” will stick with you because it’s different, and because Grimes seems to be an earworm farmer.
1	Bonus	One woman show. Power to you! +1
38	TOTAL

HANDSOME FURS – SOUND KAPITAL

4	Opener	Great energy is found in “When I Get Back” without kicking it into too high of a gear. The synthesizers are very effective in creating another voice.
2	Flow	Minimal continuation and linkage between songs.
4	G:B Ratio	7 – 2
3	Variation	Surprisingly, there’s some decent changing up of things even within Handsome Furs’ distinct style.
4	Lyrical content	If you take the time to really listen, there are treasures awaiting in not all, but many of the songs!
3	Uniqueness	I like this record because it’s different enough to be interesting but not so much that it’s hard to listen to.
3	Listenability	New wave electronica that actually makes sense!
5	Closer	The seven-minute epic is exceptionally good. They saved the best for last, and there’s so many great things to be found in “No Feelings”.
3	Memorability	“Sound Kapital” is not greatly impacting, but it’s good enough to stick on repeat.
1	Bonus	High five for NSAW album cover!
32	TOTAL

JAPANDROIDS – CELEBRATION ROCK

5	Opener	Perfect opener for a rock album, “The Nights of Wine and Roses” is full of pent up energy that gets you pumped up for what’s to come.
4	Flow	Unusual amount of connection that really surprised me. The fireworks sandwiching the album help a lot.
4	G:B Ratio	8 – 1
2	Variation	Repetition is a bit of a problem, as the drums and loud guitars can get a little relentless.
3	Lyrical content	It isn’t poetry, but it’s definitely worth something. The words embody a sense of youth and recklessness that transcends.
2	Uniqueness	Japandroids do have an individual brand of rock, but it’s not new in any sense.
2	Listenability	Power rock is not for everyone, nor is it for everyone all the time. By that I mean I’ve got to be in a certain mood to really get the best out of it.
4	Closer	It’s like The Who mixed with Greenday, both critically acclaimed by the way. It seems to say hey, it’s been great rocking with you, but go make your own noise.
2	Memorability	“Celebration Rock” is like an AC/DC album. There’s nothing revolutionary about it, but it just sounds awesome. If you even remotely like it, you’ll go back to it.
1	Bonus	Phenomenal energy created by just two guys. +1
29	TOTAL

KATHLEEN EDWADS – VOYAGEUR

1	Opener	“Empty Threat” screams pop-country generic. Can someone please tell me why this is on the shortlist?
4	Flow	Kathleen does do a good job in terms of common themes and music ideas, the album flows quite nicely.
2	G:B Ratio	4 – 6
2	Variation	Few of the ten songs are distinguishable from one another. They are all quite similar in rootsy sound.
3	Lyrical content	Amidst a lot of staple folk ideas are a couple of gem phrases.
1	Uniqueness	There is really nothing special about “Voyageur” at all. There are hundreds of ladies who sing like birds and play guitar.
4	Listenability	The thing with mediocre music is that pretty much anyone can listen to it anywhere. That’s where this album excels.
2	Closer	“For the Record” is quite pretty. That’s pretty much it.
1	Memorability	I don’t think I need to use more adjectives to reiterate how forgettable this record is.
1	Bonus	I’m feeling slightly harsh. The record isn’t that horrible, it’s just not one of the best ten records released in Canada over the past year. +1
21	TOTAL

YAMANTAKA SONIC TITAN – YT//ST

3	Opener	“Raccoon Song” is very intriguing, however I would have liked to see a little more development.
5	Flow	The seven songs feel like continuations of each other, exactly what I want to hear in an album.
4	G:B Ratio	5 – 2
3	Variation	While at times repetitive, the vast array of musical styles make it tolerable and interesting
3	Lyrical content	Lyrics are not at the forefront of this musical project, and their effect is neither positive nor negative.
5	Uniqueness	At times operatic with Asian influence and metal energy, you will never hear anything else like YT//ST
1	Listenability	As with anything that’s incredibly different, the ear-friendly meter sinks. This will not appeal to everyone.
3	Closer	So many things happen in a short five minutes. At times it’s chaotic, but in the it leaves you satisfied with the experience.
4	Memorability	The record as a whole is captivating, mostly because you have no clue what comes next, it could be anything. That’s what will keep you coming back.
1	Bonus	These ladies do an incredible stage show. +1
31	TOTAL

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