Why I love visual albums: music, movies and spectacle
I always have some background music on when I'm cooking or doodling in my notebook, and have always been a big fan of cinema — so a good visual album is an absolute treat for me on the rare occasions that they pop up. This year has already seen a few great examples like Frank Ocean's 'Blonde / Endless,' which I've been really enjoying. Here are a few of my favourites of all time: Beyonce's 'Lemonade' was probably the biggest of the year — full of love, loss and betrayal. It's hard not to get sucked into the story of this one... and those dance moves!
Kanye West gets a bad rap for his antics, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for his music. 'Runaway' is a visceral take on his 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', with a phoenix falling from the sky and high fashion you can't really go wrong — this is a fun watch.
'Interstellar 5555' tells the story of an abducted pop band. I'm particularly a fan of all the soft focus and neon lights in this style of animation — it makes for great viewing of Daft Punk's music.
I've been a fan of Animal Collective since their breakout album. So as you can imagine, I was excited to see 'ODDSAC' when it came out in 2010. Make sure you watch this one on a big screen, if you can stomach the pace and spooky characters! It's a scary one that's for sure... perfect for a Halloween eve.
And finally, a golden oldie. I couldn't write about visual albums without remembering one of the most important groups in pop history. The Beatles 'A Hard Days Night' is one of those films I can watch over and over again, and still laugh every time.
What have you been listening to recently? If you need a little inspiration, here's the Khoollect team's favourite albums of the year so far.
