CREDIT: CHILDISH GAMBINO
Childish Gambino’s Because The Internet is worth a listen.

I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. In years past, I've taken the opportunity in this first column of a new year to look ahead to some of the more notable albums on their way toward release, but I confess to being distracted lately: a lull in sales in the last quarter of 2013 has induced an alarming number of press coverage foretelling the end of the full-length album format as we know it.

“The album is dying in front of our very eyes,” wrote music industry analyst Bob Lefsetz in his Lefsetz Letter on October 30. In a world in which attention spans are shorter than ever and the listening public outgrows a hit radio single in a couple of weeks, he wrote, “No one wants album tracks anymore. Not unless they're every bit as satisfying as the hit.”

His widely quoted newsletter spawned articles far and wide with headlines like “Is the album dead?” in publications from Rolling Stone to the Toronto Star. As proof of his argument, Lefsetz cited a slump in U.S. music sales that saw Katy Perry's latest album Prism debut with under 300K units sold, the same week that saw Miley Cyrus only sell some 45K copies of her much-hyped album Bangerz.

Make no mistake, the industry isn't afraid of the change — if anything, the trend comes as a result of the average listener having more freedom in choosing how they consume music. But the general appetite for popular music has become so voracious that a full-length album and the traditional timeline that accompanies it are becoming more and more obsolete, and faster than ever before.

Take for example the latest album by Arcade Fire — when they premiered their single “Reflektor” with its groundbreaking video, they captured the attention of the whole world. And most recently they've struck up a lot of discussion by suggesting that fans who attend their shows this year do so in formal attire to contribute to the overall atmosphere of the event.

Now a couple of months later, the video and the hype that did much to bring the band to the forefront of music headlines for a couple of weeks has simmered and the dust has settled. When it's all said and done, Reflektor is a good album that offers few other surprises, unless the band has further tricks waiting to be unveiled.

Which raises a different question entirely: are artists making enough of a statement with their craft? Suppose the “rethink” that Lefsetz calls for shouldn't only occur on the side of record labels and organizations, but also on the side of the artist releasing the music. Is the statement in question worth much of our time?

Although it was released too late to appear on anyone's end-of-year lists, Childish Gambino's latest album Because The Internet is sure to be on a lot of people's minds this year. A powerful concept record that throws the listener into a strange world without explanation, the album alone is only a part of the larger picture.

In actuality, Because The Internet is a soundtrack to a 70- plus page screenplay, and intended to be experienced while reading through the story. Featured online at becausetheinter.net, the script is posted with other (soundless) multimedia elements that propel the overall story, offering a unique bilateral context to the album.

Gambino has long tried to separate the proverbial church and state of his career — while his alter-ego Donald Glover is best known for his comedy and acting on hit shows like Community and writing on 30 Rock, his music has provided much more insight to the man behind the laughter. His 2013 short film Clapping For The Wrong Reasons addressed his frustration; employing a ‘day in the life' style of storytelling, viewers are offered a glimpse into Gambino's life when the TV cameras are off.

Initial reviews of Because The Internet praised it for being Gambino's most honest work to date, but likely read too much context from the short film as a prequel. Allmusic.com posted a generally favourable review by David Jeffries, who described the album as “an indulgent kaleidoscope of studio tricks and celebrity problems,” noting at one point that “Gambino often frames his angst and anger with the burden of being born rich (something he mentions quite often on the album),” suggesting that he missed the point entirely.

Released on December 10, Because The Internet caps off a year in which hip-hop's heavyweights came out swinging — Eminem, Jay-Z and Kanye West (whose album Yeezus topped year-end lists more than any other record this year) all released acclaimed albums in 2013, and further, all turned to veteran producer Rick Rubin to fine-tune their albums before release. And although he worked with something in mind to prove, Gambino took the idea of a concept record to another level and created something truly unique.

But back to business — if you're hungry for new music, you'll be happy to know that this month sees the release of highly anticipated albums by Bruce Springsteen (High Hopes, January 14) and Against Me! (Transgender Dysphoria Blues, January 21), while February will see the release of the new crowdfunded studio album by The Presidents Of The United States Of America.

For more of the latest music news, previews and even upcoming album releases, consider following this column on Twitter @fsu_bobbyisms. Happy new year! Be sure to check out the latest exclusive concerts and events here on campus at fsu.ca, I'm out of words.