Album #01: Girls - Album

So here’s my album of the year - San Fransisco based Girls with their debut album Album. I don’t really know much about these guys, apparently the singer was in a cult called the Children of God… I do know that this album is amazing though.

““Album” is a song cycle about the various characters and desires that color Christopher and JR’s lives. Each song tells a story, some heartbreaking and some hopeful, some mischievous and others plaintive, but always, always honest. A surprisingly assured debut, “Album” pays tribute to the majesty of great pop music and the redemptive powers of rock and roll.” - True Panther Sounds website

Each track has a really classic California sound to it. And this one, ‘Laura’, has a High School break up feel to it; with the lyrics telling a story of a person loving a girl one minute, then hating her the next, then going back to loving her again.  All this told over some really catchy drums and guitars.

Also be sure to check out the bonus track version of the album, it’s got an awesome cover of ‘End of the World’ - a track made famous by Skeeter Davis back in the 1960’s.

Album #02: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The French rockers have done it again, coming out with this years ultimate summer album.  Even though it’s a bit on the short side, each of the nine songs on this album are equally amazing.  The opening track ‘Lisztomania’ kicks it all off, and the album parties all the way through to the closer ‘Armistice’.

Here’s my pick of the lot though, ‘Girlfriend’.

Album #03: Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

This album is really well balanced, and much like It’s Blitz! the vocals in this record are spectacular.  Plus the way these guys mix their sounds as well just takes this album to another level; and each song is different from the previous, from the quiet ‘Ready, Able’ to the layered chorus of ‘While You Wait for the Others’.  This track, ‘Two Weeks’ has to be my favorite from the bunch though, it’s a great summertime driving song.

On a side note, be sure to also check out the B-side of ‘While You Wait for the Others’ with Michael McDonald on vocals. Fantastic.

Album #04: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz!

Amazing album from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; the guitars, drums and FX fit superbly well with Karen O’s vocals.  It’s hard to find anything wrong with this album.  Some stand outs are ‘Zero’, ‘Dull Life’, ‘Soft Shock’ & this track ‘Head Will Roll’.

Also, be sure to check out the acoustic tracks they released on the bonus track edition of the album.

Album #05: The Antlers - Hospice

There’s not much to say about this album, it really speaks for itself. The album tells a story of a man losing a loved one to bone cancer and watching her die whilst he is beside her. This has got to be the most well-rounded album of the year, due to the fact that it is a story; there is a start and a finish.  This one’s an emotional roller-coaster, and here’s one of the stand-out songs for me ‘Sylvia’.  Enjoy

Album #06: Muse - The Resistance

Muse’s fifth album and it’s amazing.  When I first listened to it I only really enjoying the first few songs, but as I kept coming back to it the later songs really grew on me.  This track ‘Undisclosed Desires’ has everything you could possibly want in a song; catchy beats, awesome lyrics, great use of bass and strings… this song really shows the evolution that Muse has been through since the release of Showbiz all those years ago.

Quality.

Album #07: JBM - Not Even In July

Here’s an amazing debut album with great lyrics, brought to you by Canadian Jesse Brian Marchant.  This album has been called this year’s For Emma, Forever Ago and well it’s not that hard to see the comparisons between the two records. JBM spend a lot of time writing this album on his own in upstate New York - Bon Iver spent a lot of time writing For Emma… in a log cabin in Wisconsin.

JBM’s sound is so mature for a debut album, and this track Years / Cleo’s Song opens the album perfectly with the guitars and strings combining to make a much more in-depth sound.  Upon first listening to this album I could hear influences of Ryan Adams and José Gonzalez.  But still this album is quality.

(this track is courtesy of Daytrotter Sessions - and is not the album version)

Album #08: Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

I guess I was a bit slow getting on the Bat For Lashes bandwagon, I only really started listening to her stuff midway through this year. And well this album has really been one of the favorites for the year.  Her sound has those really catchy beats and her voice does have that Annie Lennox vibe to it. This track, ‘Daniel’, is fantastic - be sure to check out the youtube vid of her performing this on Later With Jools Holland.  Good stuff.

Album #09: Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

Another great album from Alex Turner & co. Humbug has a really solid sound, with some of the production duties handled by Mr. Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, his influence visible on tracks such as ‘Crying Lightning’ and ‘Potion Approaching’.   The only let down to the album is the final track ‘Sketchead’ - not my favorite.

However this track, ‘Cornerstone’ is one of my favorites. Enjoy