2014 featured a wide range of wonderful new albums by older
performers as well as a slew of newer artists.
The internet has made it so that an artist can be whatever he or she
wants to be, without conforming to what record companies want. As a result, there are countless definitions
of what constitutes popular music, thereby enabling each of us to listen to
what sounds and feels good to our own musical tastes.
As you know if you’ve read my list before, I generally favor
alternative rock, R&B/soul, indie rock, singer-songwriters, and inventive
pop music. I tend to like music that is
up-front, rather than hidden by layers of production. This last point is important because a lot of
the albums that reviewers are raving about this year have a “lush, haunting
sound” that is generally achieved through overproduction. As a result, those albums don’t appear on my
list or are further down the list than other reviewers might place them.
I want to point out that some of the songs on these albums
have explicit lyrics. That’s just part
of rock & roll, but I apologize in advance for any offense you might take. Also, keep in mind that I’m just a guy who
likes music, and pays for it like everyone else. Nobody pays me to do this, sends me free
samples, or wants me to meet the artists.
As a result, my reviews are not colored by what the record companies or
PR mavens want me to say. It’s just my
opinion, and I invite you to agree or disagree…that’s what’s so great about
music.
I could only narrow this year’s list down to 123 albums (I
know it’s a strange number, but those are the albums I really liked). As such, I have numbered and described the top 60 and listed
the others as “Honorable Mention.” The
numbering is somewhat random, because on any given day, I might want to hear
one album ahead of another, and each of the “Honorable Mention” albums were
really good, and could easily have made the top 60.
Here is my list in ascending order:
60. Kina
Grannis, Elements
The 2008 winner of the “Doritos Crash the
Super Bowl” contest and 2011 winner of MTV’s award for “Best Web-Born Artist,”
Grannis is from California. On this, her
second album, the music is straightforward, drawing on her elegant voice and
strong guitar skills. Songs include “Dear
River,” “Forever Blue,” and “Sorry.”
59. Hunter
Hayes, Storyline
I don’t mind that teenage girls love this
22-year-old, Louisiana-based, country-pop, singer-songwriter. The truth is that the kid has talent, which
is on display on this, his second album, including “Storyline,” “You Think You
Know Somebody,” and the poignant “Invisible.”
58. Christina
Perri, Head or Heart
I love Perri’s voice as well as her
songwriting. On her second album, she
follows up last year’s “Lovestrong” with a set of songs including “Be My
Forever,” “I Don't Wanna Break” and the beautiful ballad, “Human.”
57. K.
Michelle, Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?
Atlanta-based Kimberly Michelle Pate, who
performs as K. Michelle, released her first album last year, and followed it up
with this excellent set of soul songs.
Her clear and powerful voice is best cherished on songs including “Love
'Em All,” “How Do You Know?” and “Maybe I Should Call.”
56. Tom
Petty and the Heartbreakers, Hypnotic Eye
Oddly enough, I think this is the first time
Tom Petty has made one of my “best of” lists.
That’s not because I haven’t loved his songwriting skills or the
excellent talents of the Heartbreakers, but this is the first of his albums
since I started writing reviews that is more than just a collection of pop
hits. This is Petty’s 16th
album, and the songs include “Fault Lines,” “U Get Me High,” and
“American Dream Plan B.”
55. The
Soft White Sixties, Get Right.
This first album by this San
Francisco-based, alternative rock group features a combination of power vocals
and pure rock hooks. Songs include “Up
to the Light,” “Lemon Squeezer,” and “I Ain't Your Mother.”
54. Shakey
Graves, And the War Came
Alejandro Rose-Garcia performs under the
name, Shakey Graves, and this debut album shows a depth of songwriting skills
and musical sensibilities that will hopefully lead to a long career. Songs include “Only Son” and two duets with
Esme Patterson—“ Dearly Departed” and “Big Time Nashville Star.”
53. Ed
Sheeran, x
Maybe I like him because he’s from
Framingham (England), but Ed Sheeran’s career has already taken off with just
two solo albums. His songs combine folk,
pop, R&B, and an excellent tenor voice that accents the series of emotional
songs he has written. Those songs
include “Bloodstream,” “Thinking Out Loud,” And the toe-tappingly infectious
“Sing.”
52. Hozier,
Hozier
Andrew Hozier-Byrne is an Irish
singer/songwriter who performs simply as Hozier. This is his first, full-length album, and it
shows off a very self-assured artist who combines rock, blues, and R&B into
a terrific set of songs that includes “Take Me to Church,” “Jackie and Wilson,”
“Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene,” and “Work Song.”
51. The
GOASTT (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger), Midnight
Sun
After performing and recording in different
forms for several years, Sean Lennon and his girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl,
recorded their first full-length album under the name, The Ghost of a Saber
Tooth Tiger (or The GOASTT for short), based on a character from a short story
by Muhl. The album has a 60s,
psychedelic feel to it that, when combined with Lennon’s voice, is reminiscent
of later Beatles albums. If you liked
those albums, you’ll probably like this one, with songs including “Animals,” “Moth
To a Flame,” and “Don't Look Back Orpheus.”
50. Foo
Fighters, Sonic Highways
The Foo Fighters’
eighth album, this accompanies a documentary, directed by Dave Grohl, on the
roots of American music. The band’s
well-known musical prowess is on display throughout this album, which includes “Something
From Nothing,” “Congregation,” and “What Did I Do? / God As My Witness.”
49. Candice
Glover, Music Speaks
Winner of the 2013 American Idol show,
Candice Glover possesses a powerful and elegant, R&B voice. That and her outstanding vocal runs make her
a real presence in today’s pop market, and on this, her first album, she excels
on songs like “Cried,” “I Am Beautiful,” and her adaptation of the Cure’s
classic “Lovesong,” which her album lists as “Love Song.”
48. David
Guetta, Listen
Pierre
David Guetta is a French music producer who dropped the Pierre for his
recording career. He and Calvin Harris
are the best of the writer-producers who populate today’s music scene, and this
is easily his best album, written and recorded after divorcing his wife of 20
years. He enlists the vocal talents of
several performers including Sam Martin, Emeli Sandé, The
Script, John Legend, and Sia. Songs
include “What I Did For Love,” “Listen,” and “Bang My Head.”
47. You+Me,
rose ave.
An acoustic collaboration between Alecia
Moore (aka P!nk) and Dallas Green (of City and Colour), this album is a rare
chance to hear two artists in their prime, performing stripped-down songs that
they wrote together. Those songs include
“Love Gone Wrong,” “You and Me,” and “Break the Cycle.”
46. Jackson
Browne, Standing in the Breach
This Jackson Browne’s 14th,
full-length, studio album, and it’s his best in a long time. It’s a true pleasure to hear this rock
troubadour return to form in both writing and performing songs like “The Birds
of St. Marks,” “The Long Way Around,” and “You Know the Night.”
45. Eli
“Paperboy” Reed, Nights Like This
Eli
"Paperboy" Reed is really Eli Husock of Brookline, Massachusetts, who
moved to Mississippi to immerse himself in Southern R&B. This is his fourth studio album, and
definitely his best, having added some polish and production to Reed’s
signature raw edge. I dare you to keep
still while listening to song like “Grown Up,” “Nights Like This,” and “Shock
To the System.”
44. Original
Cast Recording, Here Lies Love
Hold on while I describe this: an
off-Broadway, rock musical written by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the
life of Imelda Marcos. And it’s really
good. But you can judge for yourself
with songs like “Child of the Philippines,” “Eleven Days,” and “God Draws
Straight.”
43. Aphex
Twin, Syro
Jon Burke first introduced me to the music
of British electronic guru Richard David James (aka Aphex Twin) several years
ago. This is his 6th album as
Aphex Twin and his first in 13 years. More
polished and approachable than much of his previous work, it is musically
excellent, with songs like “minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix],” “180db_
[130],” and “PAPAT4 [155] [pineal mix].”
42. Say
Anything, Hebrews
This band is the brainchild of Max Bemis,
and its genre is often referred to as art rock, but here, on the band’s 6th
full-length album, he diverges from previous albums with a scalding portrayal
and self-examination of what it’s like to be Jewish and in the music industry
today. He also changes up everything you
might expect from a rock album, drawing on the talents of artists from other
bands, while replacing guitars with string arrangements. The result is a very good, very unusual album
with song like “Judas Decapitation,” “Hebrews,” and “Lost My Touch.”
41. We
Are The In Crowd, Weird Kids
Hailing from Poughkeepsie, New York, this
quintet displays consistent rock musicianship, well-written songs, and
outstanding vocals by lead singer Tay Jardine.
This is their second full-length album, and it includes “Manners,” “The
Best Thing (That Never Happened),” and “Don't You Worry.”
40. She
& Him, Classics
This duet consists of Zooey Deschanel and M.
Ward, and they have recorded five albums together, but this is the first time
they have done a complete album of older music, accompanied by a scaled-down
orchestra. If you like interesting
versions of classic songs, you’ll likely enjoy this album, featuring “This
Girl's In Love With You,” “Time After Time,” and “Teach Me Tonight.”
39. Weezer,
Everything Will Be Alright In the End
Gavin first introduced me to Weezer in the
late 90s, and they have been a consistently good rock band. Rivers Cuomo always finds a way to write and deliver
high quality music, and on this, the band’s 9th studio album, they
go back to basics with great songwriting, singing, and guitar work. Songs include “Back To the Shack,” “I've Had
It Up To Here,” and “Go Away.”
38. Larkin Poe, Kin
The Atlanta-based Lovell sisters (Rebecca
and Megan) display an unusual brand of Southern-influenced folk-rock on this,
their first full-length album. Their
music is outstanding as is their musicianship—all of the instruments, except
bass and drums, are played by the sisters.
Songs include “Jailbreak,” “Crown of Fire,” and “We Intertwine.”
37. Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour
This is one of those albums that is both
popular and good, and it’s the debut of Sam Smith, a British singer-songwriter
with an outstanding, melodic, tenor voice.
It’s likely you’ve already heard the hummable “Stay With Me,” but other
songs of note include “Money On My Mind,” and “I'm Not the Only One.”
36. The New Basement Tapes, Lost On the River
In 1967, Bob Dylan and The Band secluded
themselves in a house in upstate New York and recorded the Basement Tapes, an
amazing set of songs that signaled Dylan’s return from self-imposed exile. Recently, a batch of song lyrics Dylan wrote
at that time were discovered and verified.
While Dylan was not interested in completing the songs, T-Bone Burnett
was, so he assembled a group of songwriter-performers including Elvis Costello,
Marcus Mumford (from Mumford & Sons), Jim James (from My Morning Jacket),
Taylor Goldsmith (from Dawes), and Rhiannon Giddens (from the Carolina
Chocolate Drops). They added tunes they
felt best suited the lyrics and recorded this artful set of songs including
“Kansas City,” “Liberty Street,” and “When I Get My Hands On You.”
35. Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
Each of
the previous two albums by Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, who
perform as Lana Del Rey, appears on my annual list, and I probably would have
rated this excellent set of songs higher were it not for the irritating
overproduction by Dan Auerbach. I know
he intended to add a “haunting” quality to these darkly themed songs, but I
find that it detracts from Del Rey’s outstanding voice. Nevertheless, this is a very good album of
well-written songs including “Shades of Cool,” “Brooklyn Baby,” and “West Coast.”
34. Ingrid Michaelson, Lights Out
As you may know from previous years, I
really like Ingrid Michaelson and her interesting brand of indie-pop. This is her 6th album, and it
continues her combination of complex tunes and inventive, introspective
lyrics. Songs include “Girls Chase Boys,”
“Afterlife,” and “When I Go.”
33. FKA Twigs, LP1
And now, for something completely different,
welcome Tahliah Barnett, also known as FKA Twigs. On the debut, full-length album for this
English singer-songwriter, she challenges the listener to define her
genre. Better yet, just sit back and
listen to this unusual and excellent set of songs including “Two Weeks” (with
very explicit lyrics), “Pendulum,” and “Video Girl.”
32. The Colourist, The Colourist
The debut full-length album by this
California quartet with a singular name, The Colourist drives much of its
direction from singer-drummer, Maya Tuttle, whose work helps to distinguish
this band’s excellent pop sound. Songs
include “Little Games,” “We Won't Go Home,” and “Say You Need Me.”
31. Hurray for the Riff Raff, Small Town Heroes
Singer-songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra was originally
from the Bronx, but her music is more expressive of her current base in New
Orleans. With the outstanding fiddle of
Yosi Perlstein and several other excellent back-up artists, Segarra is the
force behind this band, which released five albums prior to this collection
that includes “The Body Electric,” “End of the Line,” “No One Else,” and “I
Know It's Wrong (But That's Alright).”
30. Aloe
Blacc, Lift Your Spirits
California-based Aloe Blacc began his
recording career as a rap artist with Emanon, but has morphed into an
outstanding soul singer with a deep baritone voice and an unusual take on
soul-pop music. If you’ve heard his radio-friendly
song, “The Man,” you should take note that he shares writing credits with Elton
John and Bernie Taupin for enabling him to use the line, “You can tell everybody.” The album also includes “Wake Me Up,” “Ticking
Bomb,” and “Lift Your Spirit.”
29. Perfume
Genius, Too Bright
Mike Hadreas performs under the name Perfume
Genius, and until recently, he performed mostly at his piano. His previous two albums were very good, but
this one is a revelation, tackling homophobia and emotional distress while
including a range of instruments and production techniques that drive home the
excellent quality of songs like “Queen,” “Fool,” and “No Good.”
28. Jenny
Lewis, The Voyager
Chances are you’ve been watching and/or
listening to Jenny Lewis for a long time, first as a child/teen actor in films
such as “Troop Beverly Hills” and “Pleasantville,” as well as a slew of TV
shows, or later, in her recording career as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley. She’s also appeared as a guest artist on
several other performers’ records and released three solo albums. This effort continues her excellence of
combining her songwriting craft and clear, bluesy voice on songs like “Head
Underwater,” “She's Not Me,” “Just One of the Guys,” and “Late Bloomer.”
27. Sarah
McLachlan, Shine On
Canadian Sarah McLachlan has been known
throughout her career, which includes eight albums, as a singer-songwriting
with a lovely voice, but on this album, she has added an edge I’ve rarely heard
from her before. Maybe that’s because of
the recent changes in her life—her father died, she got a divorce, and she
changed managers and labels. Whatever
the reason, this may be my favorite of her albums, and it includes “In Your
Shoes,” “Monsters,” “What's It Gonna Take,” and the introspective “Song For My
Father.”
26. The Pretty
Reckless, Going to Hell
This is a rock band, in the truest sense of
the word, and it’s fronted by actress Taylor Momsen (Gossip Girl). It also happens to be very good. On this, their second album, they play
interesting songs with a style that combine polished musicianship and a raw
edge. Those songs include “Follow Me
Down,” “Heaven Knows,” and “F**ked Up World.”
25. The
Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Days of
Abandon
This Brooklyn-based indie-pop quintet has
been one of my favorites since their first album in 2009, and now, with their
third album, they are duplicating the sound of 80s British pop, and doing it
very effectively on songs like “Simple and Sure,” “Kelly,” and “Eurydice.”
24. Milky
Chance, Sadnecessary
Consider this: a German duo that combines
folk, pop, reggae, and electronic music releases its first single, and it
climbs to number 1 across Europe before breaking in with a US audience,
beginning with the Jimmy Kimmel show.
That’s the unlikely story of Milky Chance, comprised of Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch. The truth is that these guys are very
talented, as displayed in songs like “Sadnecessary,” “Down By the River,” and
the European mega-hit “Stolen Dance.”
23. Gina Chavez, Up.Rooted
Austin-based Gina Chavez is another artist
that defies genre definitions, combining pop, Latin, and rock rhythms into a
unique sound, complemented by her excellent voice and ability to play a wide
range of instruments. This is her second
album, and it displays her special talents on songs like “Gotta Get,” “Like An
Animal,” and “Fire Water.”
22. Lydia
Loveless, Somewhere Else
An alt country
artist from Columbus, Ohio, Lydia Loveless writes very good songs and performs
them with a talented backup band that complements her earthy, expressive
voice. This is her third album, and it’s
the best statement yet of why she has to be in the conversation when discussing
modern, country-oriented, female artists.
21. Joan
As Police Woman, The Classic
This is the fifth album by Joan Wasser, who
performs under the name Joan As Police Woman and has a very interesting set of
experiences. Born to an unwed, teenage
mother, she was adopted and raised in Norwalk, CT, eventually establishing
herself with the Dambuilders as a premier rock violinist. She was married to Jeff Buckley when he
accidentally drowned in 1997, and after several years, landed on her feet and
joined Rufus Wainwright’s band. Since
going solo in 2006, this is her most complete album, and it combines modern and
retro approaches to songs including “Holy City,” “The Classic,” and “Your
Song.”
20. Against
Me!, Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Laura Jane Grace, the band’s founder, lead
singer, and songwriter, began life as a male, but soon had to deal with gender
dysphoria, which she did not discuss openly until beginning her physical
transition in 2012. This album describes
aspects of that dysphoria and transition, and it does so in a way that is open,
honest, and in keeping with the rock talents that have marked each of the
group’s six albums. Songs include “Transgender
Dysphoria Blues,” “F**KMYLIFE666,” and “Black Me Out.”
19. The
Black Keys, Turn Blue
The Akron based duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick
Carney seem to improve a little with each of their eight albums. Whereas I blasted Auerbach’s production on
Lana Del Rey’s album, it seems to work perfectly here, and this album contains
excellent vocals and musical craftsmanship on songs like “Weight of Love,”
“Fever,” and “Gotta Get Away.”
18. Cold
War Kids, Hold My Home
This California quintet is one of my
favorite bands, featuring excellent songwriting, musicianship, and rock
harmonies. Add to that their
increasingly proficient production on this, their fifth album, and you have the
kind of modern rock that draws you in and keeps you there. Songs include “All This Could Be Yours,”
“First,” “Hot Coals,” and “Hear My Baby Call.”
17. Damon
Albarn, Everyday Robots
Having already established himself as the
driving force behind Blur and Gorillaz, this English singer-songwriter released
his first solo album, and it displays an emotional intimacy not always on
display in his band work, combined with a technical proficiency that few
artists can match. Songs include “Mr
Tembo,” “Everyday Robots,” and “Lonely Press Play.”
16. The Veronicas, The Veronicas
Australian twin
sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso perform as The Veronicas. On each of their three albums, they have
continued to hone their craft and establish an identity as a pop-rock duo
willing to think outside the box. Songs
include “Cruel,” “Line of Fire,” and the beautiful ballad, “You Ruin Me.”
15. Beck,
Morning Phase
What more can I say
about Beck, who appeared many of my early “best of” lists but has not released
an album in 6 years? There are few
people in the pantheon of modern music who know more about structure, melody,
and rhythm, while being able to stretch the boundaries of each. This album, his 12th, is generally
warmer than some of his previous work, but occasionally snaps you out of your
comfort zone to remind you that you’re hearing something different than what
others dare to try. Songs include “Heart
Is a Drum,” “Blue Moon,” and “Waking Light.”
14. Mary
J. Blige, The London Sessions
Now that Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey
are past their primes and Whitney Houston has passed, it leaves Mary J. Blige
as the premier R&B singer-diva, and on this album, she demonstrates
why. After 11 previous albums, she
decided to travel to London to change things up…British R&B has been going
in different directions than much of what’s produced (or overproduced) in the
US today. When you can sing like she can,
minimalism is the way to go, as is demonstrated in songs like “Therapy,” “Not
Loving You,” “When You're Gone,” and “Worth My Time.”
13. Mariachi
El Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx (III)
“The Bronx” is not
from the Bronx, but rather is a hard rock band from Los Angeles. However, they have also recorded three albums
of English-language, Mariachi-rock music, and this is the best to date. It’s definitely more rock-oriented than
traditional Mariachi music, but the songs generally adhere to the musical
structure of that art form. That’s what
makes this album such an interesting hybrid, with songs like “New Beat,”
“Wildfires,” and “Everything Twice.”
12. American Authors, Oh, What a Life
The first album from this Brooklyn-based
band was released early in the year, and I keep coming back to it. It’s obvious by their songwriting and
performing skills that these are students of music, and in truth, they met when
attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
Many of the songs are solid demonstrations of how alternative rock
should sound, including “Believer,” “Best Day of My Life,” “Luck,” and “Home.”
11. Kelis, Food
As well as being an
excellent singer-songwriter with six albums under her belt, Kelis Rogers is
also a formally trained chef, which explains this album having several songs
that live up to the album title—they are about food. Hey why not use a passion as your
inspiration, especially when it works as well as this album does? But that’s just one thing that makes this
album outstanding; another is the personal nature of each song by this New
York-based artist, Those songs include
“Breakfast,” “Hooch,” “Bless the Telephone,” and “Rumble.”
10. Charli
XCX, Sucker
Last year was a breakout for Chari XCX (nee Charlotte Emma Aitchison); her second
album, “True Romance,” was successful, and even more successful was her
collaboration with Icona Pop on “I Love It.”
But this album establishes her as one of the top electro-pop artists
today. In a genre that can often be
vapid, it adds substance in terms of songwriting, singing, and production. Songs include “Break the Rules,” “Boom Clap,”
“Famous,” and “Need Ur Luv.”
9. Damien Rice, My Favourite Faded Fantasy
Few singer-songwriters on the scene today can
capture the emotional artfulness of Damien Rice. In 2003, he wrote and recorded the remarkable
song, “The Blower’s Daughter.” Unfortunately, he’s only recorded three
albums, and this is the most complete from the Ireland-based Rice. Each song has depth and character, but none
more so than “The Box,” which is destined to be covered by many artists. Other songs on this beautiful album are “My
Favourite Faded Fantasy,” “It Takes a Lot To Know a Man,” and “I Don't Want To
Change You.”
8. Dirty Loops, Loopified
I love the sound of this Swedish trio and
how they combine jazz riffs, electronic production, and Stevie Wonder-style
vocals. It comes honestly to these three
young men, who were students together at the Royal College of Music in
Stockholm. This is their first album,
and I thoroughly look forward to the follow-up.
You will too after hearing songs like “Hit Me,” “The Way She Walks,” and
a very interesting take on Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep.”
7. Mary
Lambert, Heart On My Sleeve
No one had heard of
Mary Lambert before she performed with Macklemore on last year’s “Same Love,”
but now that I’ve heard her, I want to keep hearing more. After listening to this outstanding album by
the Seattle-based singer-songwriter, you will too. Songs include “Secrets,” “When You Sleep,”
and the Rick Springfield classic, “Jessie’s Girl.”
6. Lake Street Dive, Bad Self Portraits
When Joe Burke first
introduced me to this Boston-based band a couple of years ago, I thought he was
mispronouncing the name, but he was right about both the name and the
band. This is their second full-length,
studio album, and it expands on the excellence of the first effort by these New
England Conservatory-trained musicians and singers. Their music combines jazz, pop, and rock
into a whole that’s better than the sum of its parts. Songs include “Bad Self Portraits,” “You Go
Down Smooth,” and “Use Me Up.”
5. Eno ● Hyde, Someday World
In 1976, Roland
Barker introduced me to the techno-genius of Brian Eno, and throughout his
40-year career and 16 solo albums, Eno has changed the face of music, while
influencing David Bowie, David Byrne, Pink Floyd, and thousands of other
artists. Here, he teams with
Underworld’s Karl Hyde to create a thing of beauty—a collection of songs that
brings Eno’s music more to the forefront than his “ambient” undertakings, while
blending it with excellent vocals on songs like “The Satellites,” “Daddy’s
Car,” and “To Us All.”
4. U2, Songs of Innocence
Chances are you have this album. After all, it was provided as a free download
to anyone who wanted it, and to many who didn’t. But lost in that altruistic approach is how
good an album it is. In truth, it is
U2’s most emotional and immediate album in years, and it doesn’t deserve the
plastering that some critics gave it. This is the band’s 13th album, and
it contains “Iris (Hold Me Close),” which is as good as many of the classic U2
ballads. It also contains other
excellent songs like “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone),” “Raised By Wolves,” and “This
Is Where You Can Reach Me Now.”
3. Us
The Duo, No Matter Where You Are
I kept thinking that
I must be crazy putting the debut album from a relatively unknown duo this high
on my list, and then I listen to the infectious songs by Michael and Carissa
Alvarado and realize why I like them so much.
The sound is clean and straightforward, the singing is ebullient, the
lyrics are upbeat, and the melodies are…well, melodic. Maybe it isn’t so emotionally complex as
other albums on the list, but occasionally, I like an album that just
entertains me, and this is it, with songs like “No Matter Where You Are,” “Smile
& Keep Your Head Up,” and “Make You Mine.”
2. Jack
White, Lazaretto
Gavin will never let me forget that I didn’t
like the White Stripes, especially now that both of Jack White’s solo albums
have made my list. But the White Stripes
never demonstrated the depth of musical brilliance that White has demonstrated
on this album. In fact, few albums
combine this level of songwriting, production, and performance. There’s no other way to say it…this is a
great album that I like more every time I hear songs like “Three Women,” “Lazaretto,”
“Alone In My Home,” and “I Think I Found The Culprit.”
1. St.
Vincent, St. Vincent
When I first heard
this album, I thought, “What happened to Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent)?” I had loved her previous three albums, which
include songs like “Marry Me,” “Actor Out of Work,” and “Cruel,” and her hybrid
of folk and rock, with varying degrees of electronic influence. But this album was a completely different
thing, and I wasn’t sure about it. Then
I listened to it, again and again, and eventually understood the evolution of
this artist to someone who combines her musical prowess, outstanding voice, and
superb songwriting skills, in conjunction with the modern production techniques
of John Congleton, to make what is clearly the year’s best album. Songs include “Rattlesnake,” “Birth In
Reverse,” “Prince Johnny,” “Digital Witness,” and “Psychopath.”
The following are all
excellent albums that deserve Honorable
Mention (listed alphabetically by artist):
·
Aer, Says
She Loves Me
·
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
·
Angel Olsen, Burn
Your Fire For No Witness
·
Angela Johnson, Naturally Me
·
Angels & Airwaves, The Dream Walker
·
Ani DiFranco, Allergic to Water
·
Arc Iris, Arc
Iris
·
Ariana Grande, My Everything
·
The Belle Brigade, Just Because
·
Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Booker
·
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa, Live in Amsterdam
·
Calvin Harris, Motion
·
Chiodos, Devil
·
Chrissie Hynde, Stockholm
·
Chuck Ragan, Till
Midnight
·
Copeland, Ixora
·
Deaf Havana, Old
Souls
·
Delain, The
Human Contradiction
·
Drowners, Drowners
·
Eric Hutchinson, Pure Fiction
·
The Family Crest, Beneath the Brine
·
Frazey Ford, Indian
Ocean
·
Future Islands, Singles
·
The Griswolds, Be Impressive
·
Hard Working Americans, Hard Working Americans
·
Interpol, El
Pintor
·
Jason Mraz, YES!
·
Joe Bonamassa, Different Shades of Blue
·
John Newman, Tribute
·
Kat Edmonson, The Big Picture
·
Lenny Kravitz, Strut
·
Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems
·
Lily Allen, Sheezus
·
Liv Warfield, The Unexpected
·
Long Arms, Constant
Comment
·
Mac Demarco, Salad
Days
·
Manchester Orchestra, Cope
·
Marz Ferrer, Blur
·
Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy, Stratosphere
·
The Men, Tomorrow's
Hits
·
Miniature Tigers, Cruel Runnings
·
MØ, No
Mythologies to Follow
·
Naughty Boy, Hotel
Cabana
·
Neneh Cherry, Blank Project
·
Nicky Egan, The
45 Homestead Project
·
O.A.R., The
Rockville LP
·
Paolo Nutini, Caustic Love
·
Parquet Courts, Content Nausea
·
Prince, ART
OFFICIAL AGE
·
Secondhand Serenade, Undefeated
·
Sia, 1000
Forms of Fear
·
Skrillex, Recess
·
The Sons, Heading
into Land
·
Spoon, They
Want My Soul
·
Sun Kil Moon, Benji
·
Tove Lo, Queen
of the Clouds
·
Tune-Yards, Nikki
Nack
·
TV on the Radio, Seeds
·
Umphrey's McGee, Similar Skin
·
WALK THE MOON, TALKING IS HARD
·
We Are Scientists, TV en Français
·
Yellow Ostrich, Cosmos
·
Young & Sick, Young & Sick
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