Albums of the Year

Forever the hardest decision to make, my favourite albums of the year. Here they are in an incredibly precise order that I've changed an innumerable number of times. I'm still not happy with it, but 2014 is almost done so here we go.

20. Real Friends Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing
Last year's breakthrough pop-punk act couldn't quite continue the momentum. Maybe relentlessly pushing the same song down people's throats eventually was their undoing, but pophad -punk is pop-punk and can never truly be defeated. Pop-punk forever.

19. Say Anything Hebrews
An album with no guitars. A strange and disturbing place to be but it's pulled off remarkably well. Hebrews is awash with special guests, from Los Campesinos! vocal siblings to Bemis' own wife. 'John McClane' the obvious standout, but 'Hebrews' feat. Brian Sella, and 'Six Six Six' with a psychedelic verse from Andy Hull both provide proof that the rather unusual approach for an album works.  

18. Maybeshewill Fair Youth
When you watch Maybeshewill play almost every summer in a field they turn into a vehicle for nostalgia, so maybe that's why Fair Youth manages to make the list. Either that or because post-rock has always made a terrific essay writing, and I've had one or two of those to write on my Computer Science course. Either way Fair Youth is here on merit, not particularly boundary pushing but good, solid post-rock. The way it should be.

17. Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties We Don't Have Each Other

The first of a couple of side projects, Aaron West is a character from the brain of The Wonder Years' frontman, Dan Campbell. All based around the protagonist's journey through life We Don't Have Each Other hits and misses but would probably be under the 'generally favourable' review category on metacritic.

16. Royal Blood Royal Blood
The year's band for people who enjoy preaching about a revival of British Rock Music without it ever having died. It's fairly obvious why Royal Blood have support slots with Foo Fighters lined up, they sound huge. Riffs is literally the name of the game, and to get the full sounding relentless attack from a two piece is impressive enough by itself. Quite obviously destined for big things, hopefully they don't suffer from a similar problem to Real Friends where they don't mix things up enough.

15. Fireworks Oh, Common Life

I wholeheartedly admit that I have listened to Oh, Common Life criminally few times since its release in March, but it doesn't take long to realise that the sextet haven't strayed far from the tried and tested. 'Run, Brother, Run' being a personal favourite, but the inaugural 'Glowing Crosses' runs it close. Does it exactly what it says on the tin.

14. Owl John Owl John
I'm always intrigued to hear the latest from the mind of Scott Hutchinson, which comes in the guise of Owl John - a solo project pushed by his label. Where Frightened Rabbit are clearly defined Hutchinson has clearly taken this as an opportunity to explore his musical horizons. 'Hate Music' is brooding in a way not imaginable from the man who wrote 'Poke', 'Red Hand' is jaunty and foreboding simultaneously, whereas 'Songs About Roses' is more familiar territory. The production is outstanding, and shout out to Atlantic for forcing him to indulge himself. Boy did it pay off.

13. Ariana Grande My Everything

I've considered shuffling around my list in order to bump this up a little but, heartbreakingly, I don't feel like it warrants it. Yes, this has some great tracks on it - 'Problem', 'Break Free', 'Love Me Harder' - but I just can't bring myself to put something with 'Hands On Me' into the top 10. Admittedly though, it's an incredible track for various reasons.

12. La Dispute Rooms of the House

Not up to the standard of previous works, that is undoubtable, but there's some gems hidden in the 41 minutes. 'First Reactions After Falling Through Ice' being the standout, but 'HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956' proves a worthy introduction, and 'Woman (reading)' is a beautiful case study. As always it's the lyrics of frontman Jordan Dreyer that really elevate the band into another category; 'THE CHILD WE LOST 1963' tugs at heartstrings in particular. This is the quintessential album of a post-hardcore band 'maturing' and honing their sound, and effectively mellowing out. Whether that's a positive is personal choice, but Rooms of the House certainly promises much more for the future.

11. Modern Baseball You're Gonna Miss It
Modern Baseball may be the definition of whiny American emo but that doesn't stop You're Gonna Miss It from being really quite good. 'Your Graduation', 'Apartment', and 'Charlie Black' make up the cornerstones, with 'The Old Gospel Choir' chipping in with a sensational two and a half minutes. It's not going to be an album for everybody, but that doesn't mean it's a heck of a good album. Then there's the fact that even if you don't like it you've lost less than half an hour of your life, there's no reason not to really.

10. Moose Blood I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time

Moose Blood, the newest face in British Emo put out a real statement of intent with I'll Keep You In Mind. Straight away 'Cherry' lives up to its genre, although from there the lyrics aren't always up to scratch, but the tracks themselves normally do a very good job at masking any slips in quality. 'Boston' and 'Bukowski' are familiar to those with prior knowledge of the Canterbury quintet, meanwhile 'Kelly Kapowski' is one that suffers with its words - "She wears hats above her ears, oh God I want her here". Y'what? Basement have shown its entirely possible to succeed this side of the pond and one can only hope that come this time next year they're still riding high.

09. Childish Gambino S T N   M T N // Kauai

So not technically an album, but hey. A combination of mixtape (S T N   M T N) and an EP (Kauai), but part of one concept. The former a dream about home - using the vehicle of a Gangsta Grillz mixtape - and he then wakes up in Kauai. The 'Telegraph Avenue' video (also referencing Kauai) dropped at the same time and hey, that's just how the Bino rolls. It's not just recorded output where Childish excels; I had the pleasure of seeing him twice this year, once in the intimate surroundings of Manchester's multifaceted, Gorilla and another at Brixton's O2 Academy. Both were incredible and would quite easily make any 'gigs of the year' list I'd sketch up. I await your next move, Donald.

08. Taking Back Sunday Happiness Is

The last couple of Taking Back Sunday releases have been solid, but nowhere near living up to the 'early stuff' so it's good to hear Happiness Is has some of the finest tracks of the year on it. The first half of the album is absolute gold, alongside album closer 'Nothing At All' - quite reminiscent of the title track on this year's Xcerts' LP at least in style. With the self-titled hearing Lazzara on a track entitled 'Best Places to be a Mom' was odd, and although some of the lyrical content is quite obviously not aimed at those twenty and below it's made up for with incredible hooks.

07. Damien Rice My Favourite Faded Fantasy

It took eight years, but finally there's a follow up to 9. Lisa Hannigan's off with her own fairly successful solo career, and in her place are building, nine-minute long symphonies that lead into Rice's more classical style. The two tracks slotted into the middle, 'I Don't Want To Change You' and 'Colour Me In' are truly greats. From the soft to the soaring MFFF encompasses everything that made Rice rise to the top to begin with, don't leave us waiting so long the next time.

06. Taylor Swift 1989

I used to be cool. I used to mock the young, beautiful Pennsylvanian who wrote sickly sweet songs about young lovers, but then Red arrived and everything changed. 1989 continues that trend, with pretty much everything about pop music stuffed into 50 minutes. And hey, the bonus tracks may be among the best songs on the album - 'New Romantics' is incredible. If you didn't like Swift as a human being it's pretty hard not to after this.

05. Spring Offensive Young Animal Hearts

Spring Offensive may be dead, but Young Animal Hearts will live forever. An album I've been waiting for since 2010. The sorrow hidden in the lyrics don't always translate to the tracks - yet its these very lyrics that make Spring Offensive quite so enticing. One of my favourites comes from 'Worry Fill My Heart':

“If I can’t pay my rent then I’m completely dependant,
I never thought that I would be so in line with convention,
How dare I even think that I could be any exception”

04. Pianos Become The Teeth Keep You

The only album to have truly depressed me in the past 365 days. The forty-three minutes are matched by nothing else. Since 2011's The Lack Long After the band seem to have lost that angry edge; the screams have been replaced by a softer, just-as-heartbreaking soul searching by vocalist Kyle Durfey, carrying on in the direction set out by 'Hiding' - one of the tracks of last year. In the context of the band, 'Lesions' line "I find myself moving my legs, to make sure I still can" is incredibly moving, and the repeated "Your wick won't burn away" in 'Repine' is just as poignant. The fury may have subsided, but what's left is just as harrowing.

 

03. Marmozets The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets

Marmozets have had an incredible year, and put on one of the best sets of 2014 when they opened up for Taking Back Sunday on their UK tour. TWAWM blew almost everything out of the water, and Roadrunner did a tremendous job in both allowing the album to be made, and promoting it to the point that they've put the band at the forefront of British rock. From the explosive 'Vibetech' to the soundtrack-esque 'Hit The Wave' the quintet cover all bases, and do so exquisitely.

02. Manchester Orchestra Cope

When I interviewed Manchester Orchestra after the release of Simple Math they said they had two sets of songs - yin and yang. If Simple Math was a softer beast then that makes Cope the fierce other half. The singles may stand out, 'Top Notch', 'Every Stone', and the title track. It's one of the fullest sounding records of the year, and although the classical Manchester Orchestra peaks and troughs may have disappeared it's produced a beautiful rock record.

01. The Xcerts There Is Only You

Four and a half long years since the release of Scatterbrain the trio finally get around to releasing a follow up that's been in the works since 2012. Learning the lyrics to 'Shaking in the Water' on the Brand New tour, followed up by a preview of new songs at the Scatterbrain album show under the moniker of Saul Goodman. The contrast to the previous LP is incredible, and the upbeat pop anthems has the potential to launch them into the mainstream. 'Pop Song', 'Kids on Drugs', and 'Kevin Costner' are all masterpieces in songwriting, but the title track is something else. An incredible ballad that builds and builds, impossible to listen to without joining in. While others on this list, Piano's Keep You for example, may be heartbreaking it's strange to finish an Xcerts album with a sense of optimism.