Best
of 2014
The albums and songs that made this year
2014.
What a year. It may have the blockbuster nature of 2013 but that's
what made it all the better as new artists that were previously
unknown to the masses made a name for themselves with some of the
most impressive records in their retrospective genres. That's not to
say that there wasn't any big names releasing
albums this year. If 2013 was a AAA film directed by Tarantino then
2014 was a Zach Braff film with Bill Murray and who could deny the
appeal of both of them.
Albums
Weezer –
Everything Will Be Alright In The End
1996. 5
Californian boys in an alt rock band write what's been hailed as one
of the greatest albums of the 90's. The band in question is Weezer
and for the past decade or so they've suffered from the success of
Pinkerton. With every new release, fans are expecting a worthy
successor to the album and are regularly disappointed but this was
all changed with the release of Everything Will Be Alright In The
End. Featuring some of the best songs that the band has produced in
recent memory, arguably their whole career, EWBAITE is an apology
letter to the fans and one that makes it hard not to forgive Rivers
Cuomo and co.
Mac DeMarco –
Salad Days
"I
feel sort of weathered and beat down and grown up all of a sudden.
I've always had some kind of plateau that I wanted to reach, and now
I just can't see the next one.” This is how Canadian
musician Mac DeMarco felt after his extensive touring that lasted
over a year and you can really hear it. Salad Days , recorded in
DeMarco's apartment, is laid back and relaxing, drawing you in with
unwinding melodies like Let My Baby Stay and Blue Boy. It'll be a
hard feat to find any other album that can calm and entertain you as
much as this psychedelic pop beauty.
Aphex Twin –
Syro
2014 wasn't just
the year of the up and coming, as proved by the return of this
borderline insane genius. Announcing his return by flying a small
blimp over London carrying the trademark Aphex logo, master of
ambience Richard D. James came out of nowhere to clinch the bronze
with an album full of a sound that is brand spanking new yet
quintessentially Aphex Twin. Starting off with what is arguably the
best song of the year, Syro manages to captivate its audience from
beginning to end with lovely minimalistic piano solo aisatsana [102]
delivering an amazing end to an amazing album.
Bombay Bicycle
Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Fans
of Bombay Bicycle Club can relax knowing that the boys have cemented
themselves as one of the best in the current wave of British indie
bands with such a tremendous album, infusing everything from synth
pop to RnB that transfer to their live performances seamlessly. It’s
odd to think how a band could create a record that has every single
track bringing something new or tremendous to the table but Bombay
Bicycle Club have managed it and from the looks of things, it’s not
set to be the last time.
1. Run The
Jewels – RTJ2
Hip Hop was a
dominating force last year with Drake, Kanye, Tyler The Creator, Earl
Sweatshirt and A$AP Rocky just a small slice of what the genre had to
offer. However no album last year could prepare you for what Run The
Jewels have to offer. You need proof? Take Blockbuster Night Part 1,
a song true to its name as Killer Mike and El-P rap over a
Godzilla-like beat, rap's equivalent to the Jaws theme tune. Every
track is dark and fresh, I could honestly write page after page on
why I love this abum. I'll save you all the earache and just tell you
to go pick up Run The Jewels 2, it's in a whole fucking league of its
own.
Songs
10. Alt J –
Hunger Of The Pine
9.Kasabian -
eez-eh
8. The Black Keys
– Fever
7. Lana Del Rey –
West Coast
6.Bombay Bicycle
Club - Luna
5.Weezer – Back
To The Shack
4.Run The Jewels –
Lie, Cheat, Steal
3.Jack White -
Lazaretto
2. Slaves –
Where's Your Car Debbie?
1.Aphex Twin –
minipops 67
4.Sun
Kil Moon – Benji
Mark
Kolezek, love him or hate him, is undoubtedly one of the best
songwriters of all time. And Benji (his 6th record under
the Sun Kil Moon moniker) has cemented that claim. Benji isn’t an
easy ride, but it’s a vital one. All of the album’s 11 tracks are
heartbreakingly sad, from album opener Clarissa (which tells of one
of Kolezek’s relatives who died in a freak fire at the age of 25)
to closer Ben’s My Friend (Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie being
the Ben in question), each and every song paints a vivid picture of a
man who doesn’t truly know how to express himself outside of his
music. Look past the public beefs and media bullshit and lose
yourself in the mind of the 21st centuries finest solo
artist.
3.
La Roux – Trouble in Paradise
If
you’d have told me that the girl who sang Bulletproof would one day
write one of my favourite pop albums of all time I would have laughed
right in your face, yet here we are. Trouble in Paradise is a pop
masterpiece. It’s 9 tracks are nothing short of pop-funk brilliance
and I urge anyone and everyone to listen to it as soon as possible if
you haven’t. The departure of founding member (and Elly Jackson’s
former boyfriend) Ben Langmaid was, at the risk of sounding like a
dick, the best thing that could have happened to La Roux from a
creative standpoint. It gave Jackson more freedom to experiment with
funk, afro-pop and Caribbean sounds, and these influences compliment
Jackson’s voice greatly. Songs like Kiss and Not Tell and Sexoteque
will instantly put a smile on your face, and remind me of Prince at
the height of his powers. In short, this album is absolutely
essential.
2.
The Xcerts – There is Only You
Ah,
the Xcerts. Hailing from my hometown, I couldn’t help but feel a
wee twinge of pride when listening to their latest LP “There Is
Only You”. This record is an absolute monster. It’s relentlessly
catchy (I can say with complete honesty I get at least one song from
the album stuck in my head a day, and I’m still not sick of it) but
underneath the catchiness lies real lyrical heart. Songs like Pop
Song and Kick It, while feverishly memorable, are truly sad at their
core. This, from an outsider’s perspective, sounds like the album
the Xcerts have always wanted to make. Heavy, poppy, sad, brilliant.
1.
Taylor Swift – 1989/The Twilight Sad – Nobody Wants to be Here
and Nobody Wants to Leave
I couldn’t do
it. I couldn’t pick between these two albums. I tried, so hard to
make a call and I just couldn’t. They’re both the best albums of
the artists’ respective careers and they’re both absolutely
stunningly brilliant. Content-wise, however, these albums couldn’t
be any more different from each other. Taylor Swift has perfected the
art of the pop song. She’s 100% the best pop star of the 21st
century, and she may well end up being the biggest pop star ever.
Songs like I Know Places and Blank Space solidify this, some of the
best pop songs to come out in YEARS. I could have used any song on
the album to make that point thought: from start to finish it is
nothing short of pop perfection. Now onto the Twilight Sad, the polar
opposite to Swift’s bubblegum sweetness. The Twilight Sad are
gritty, raw. Their songs have no happy endings, and they couldn’t
give a fuck. There’s more heart and sadness poured into this album
than there is in all the album’s released this year put together.
From the devastating Drown So I Can Watch to album closer Sometimes I
Wish I Could Fall Asleep and all the songs before and after, you’re
grabbed by the throat and taken on a journey. It’s not an easy
album to listen to, it’s a harder album to truly enjoy, but it is
crucial to listen to.
Favourite
albums of 2014:
FKA
twigs-LP1 Although Britain can boast about its
electronic success stories like James Blake, Jai Paul and Jamie XX,
female artists in the genre are few and far between. However this
year, Tahliah Debrett Barnett, aka FKA twigs, served the U.K (and
the rest of the world) a plate of female electronic goodness with
her debut album LP1. The album is an absolute beauty, combining
experimental pop, R&B/hip hop beats, and layered whispery vocals
to create an original, almost angelic sound. LP1 undoubtedly
features the newest sounds I’ve heard in British music in a while
and is definitely the coolest, most weirdly seductive release this
year.
Favourite track: Give Up
Nicki
Minaj-The PinkprintNicki Minaj is easily one of the
most hard working women in mainstream hip hop at the moment.
Throughout 2014 she created buzz for the follow up to Roman
Reloaded, releasing single after single, controversial video after
controversial video and presenting the MTV EMAs. After all the hype
I was worried that The Pinkprint wouldn’t live up to my
expectations, but if anything, it exceeded them. Minaj is no one
trick pony. The record is full of variety, going from emotional
looks into her past, sultry duets with the likes of Beyonce and
Ariana Grande, heart breaking ballads, pop bangers and impressive
examples of her sheer rap talent. Trash talking Nicki is old news.
The Pinkprint is fierce, fantastic; and makes her numerous skills
absolutely undeniable.
Favourite
track: Feeling Myself
Warpaint
are talented ladies. As impressed as I may have been with their debut
“The Fool”, this follow up is so, so much more mature and
developed. With production and mixing assistance from the likes of
Flood and Nigel Godrich, and a new band line up, it seems Warpaint
has truly allowed the girls to find their sound. As the songs were
written mostly during jamming sessions the record has a raw,
experimental feel to it, and as expected the vocals feature heart
stopping harmonies that are hauntingly atmospheric. Alongside the
indie dream pop vibes there are also aspects of shoe-gaze, electronic
music, and most notably hip hop and R&B which gives the album a
feel of originality. It’s a stunning release that can be left on
repeat and still somehow manage to leave the listener fascinated.
Favourite track: Biggy
Favourite
songs of 2014:
This
song stunned me into silence the first time I heard it. It’s one of
those tracks that makes your whole body feel like it’s melting from
utter pleasure. I’m not even sure how you would go about making
electronic music of this quality without selling your soul or
something, and what’s more did the guy not only produce the thing
with captivating samples and intelligent progression, he sings
flawlessly on it, in a style reminiscent of James Blake but somehow
smoother. I hope to hear a lot more from Jack in 2015 as this song
has definitely caught my
attention.
I
have a thing for 80s style synth. The first record I ever bought when
I got my turntable was The Human League’s “Dare”. Sometimes on
Garage Band I just play with the retro keyboards instead of doing
anything productive. I’ve also listened to the Drive soundtrack
about a million times. This song is all of these things combined but
with Zola Jesus style vocals and a more house-y rhythm that makes it
perfect for dancing. It’s the definition of lovely uplifting synth
joy.
Azealia
Banks-Miss AmorAzealia’s long awaited debut album
“Broke With Expensive Taste” surprised everyone this year. It
proved beyond anyone’s doubt that she is a powerful and talented
lady, capable of working in various styles and genres. The stand out
track from the record is “Miss Amor”, with beats similar to
those of Lone and reminiscent of 90s house, as well as a killer flow
AND seriously skilled vocals from AB. If you want cool 90s style
rap, I suggest you turn to this song and the rest of Azealia’s
album to satisfy your craving.
SBTRKT
ft ASAP Ferg-Voices In My Head
The closing track
to the excellent “Wonder Where We Land” is an example of the
success SBTRKT has found in mixing live recordings with his typical
electronic sounds. The stunning piano lead melody sounds like a dark
jazz song, accompanied by swirling, faded electronic keys, live
drums, and ASAP Ferg’s brilliant flow. Towards the end the girls
from Warpaint add in a few airy backing vocals to complete the killer
combination, making this easily one of the best tracks of the year.
Sonic
Highways by Foo Fighters
Foo
Fighters’ eighth studio album received mixed reviews but you can’t
deny they’ve still got it. The theory behind Sonic Highways-
recording each song in a different city- flaunts the creative ideas
of the band. Using the influences of each location, each track is
distinctive but the classic Foo’s clash of guitars and strong
vocals is still recognisable.
Most
of the mere 8 songs are on point and carry a punch, making up for the
limited length. As a stand-alone album, the music is more important
than the concept, but the Sonic Highways documentary provides a
deeper insight into the record.
Listen
by The Kooks
From
the first time hearing Listen, it felt like a world away from The
Kooks’ earlier albums. They’ve gone in a completely different
direction, experimenting with a variety of ideas. No more indie rock,
although the guitars are still there, disguised under layers of funk,
tambourines and claps. If you don’t want to sing along then you’re
not listening properly. Each track is individual, standing out from
the others, making their fourth album the most diverse one yet. Their
older fans may not like the big change but some may be pleasantly
surprised by this fun, upbeat release.
There
Is Only You by The Xcerts
You
can’t help but keep coming back to this album. The Xcerts put so
much passion into their music and There Is Only You is no different.
Blending rock with a small amount of pop, they’ve found the perfect
balance of not-too-heavy but still rough enough. Even from the first
listen, the songs leap out and don’t all mix into one. Catchy?
Definitely. And the elegant title track is an unusual but beautiful
finish. Touring recently with fellow Scottish band Twin Atlantic
helped to boost their popularity along with this energy-filled album.
Royal
Blood by Royal Blood
You
only need to listen to this to see why Royal Blood have become so
popular in such a short space of time. This self-titled debut has
propelled their career- going from small shows to supporting Foo
Fighters next year. It’s
incredible how full and heavy the sound is for just bass and drums.
Every song is epic in its own way, whether it’s for the pounding
drum beat or the killer riffs. This album is filled to the brim with
energy and it would be amazing to see them play live for it to come
to life.
3.
Temples // Sun Structures
Anyone
who knows me will know I'm a huge Temples fan, in fact I also run a
Temples
Fan Blog,
with my friend Andrew. I've seen them twice this year, and will see
them for the third time in December. They're a fantastic Psychedelic
rock band from Kettering, in England. The album sounds very like some
of their influences, personally I feel their guitars sound quite
Byrds-esque in some parts. James Bagshaw is an excellent writer, as
is Thomas Warmsley. The pair wrote the full album together on their
own. Their song "Shelter
Song"
has an excellent riff, as does "Colours
To Life".
The album sounds quite Egyptian in parts, with the organs and
relatively simple drums. James has a thick guitar tone, with lots of
distortion in songs like "Sun
Structures"
and "Mesmerise".
The
album is full of fantastic bass lines, all of which are complex.
2.
The Orwells // Disgraceland
Until
a few weeks ago this was probably my favourite album of 2014, and
definitely up there with my favourite ever. It's an incredible album.
The guitars are everything I've ever wanted to get through my crappy
amp in my bedroom. The lyrics are fantastic and also at times really
relatable, due to the band being approximately the same age as me.
Grant Brinner lays down some great bass lines on the albums, as
expected following up from their debut "Remember When"
which is also worth a listen. The band produce excellent lyrics, and
their drumming is pretty good too. To pin the album down to one track
to one song is hard to do, but "North Ave" and
"Dirty Sheets" are the ones I mostly find myself
listening to. It's an album you'll listen to once, and each time have
to listen louder, and louder.
1.
Honeyblood // Honeyblood
Yep,
you guessed. It was incredibly close, but Honeyblood's debut just
beat The Orwells. I absolutely love this album, and seeing Honeyblood
literally just made me want to drop everything and start playing
gigs, really loudly. They're a two piece, and have an amazing sound.
They're all killer, all filler. There's no empty spaces. The guitars
suit every single song perfectly. The drums are simple and complex
when they need to be, and there’s no overdoing it, or under-doing
it. Stina has a sweet, prominent Glasgow accent in her voice, and it
is full of attitude, and I love that. The band go from punk, to
grunge, to pop, to light rock in the space of a few songs. The album
is full of amazing songs, and I could go on about them for a lot
longer, but you can read that in my full
review.
"Killer Bangs", "Super Rat" and "Fortune
Cookie" are worth a listen, but the whole album is really.
Forget HAIM. This is the band you want to be listening to. Also, did
I mention they're Scottish too? Fuck yeah.
<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- blinkclyro.blogspot.com_336x280 -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9902932026081440"
data-ad-slot="4692718012"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>