Albums
of the year
2013
Every year I spend doing this list I say to myself “Why bother, no one reads all this”, and rightly so I guess? Why would anyone care what I think – and being so longwinded on top of it all? So every time I start this list I intend fully to simplify. But in the end, the complete opposite happens. And on top of it all I stress about getting it all done – over something most people don’t even read at all (are you even reading this?!) – even though I started working on this in late August, and now it’s the middle of November as I finally wrap it up. I guess it’s the excitement of sharing or something that drives me to do this? Or maybe I’m just bored. Who knows. I think it’s the former. Hopefully. And because I’m tired and actually have some other things to attend to – I am going to quote myself from last year for most of the rest of this introduction. Oh and one more thing I want to add before I get to quoting myself – my favorite songs of the year? Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’, Chvrches’ ‘Gun’ and My Bloody Valentine’s ‘New You’. What I wouldn’t give to hear MBV cover ‘Roar’, and even for Katy Perry to cover ‘New You’. That is potential brilliance right there, my friends. Ok …. quoting myself now … “So, here you go, my favorite albums of the year. I guess technically they are what I consider to be “the best”, but by saying that it means these then have to be put in some sort of order, and quantified some way. But I really can’t do that. Depending on the mood of the day, each one of these albums is “the best” at one time or another, so really out of all the albums I’ve listened to over the past year, these are my go to albums – my favorites – my “desert island discs” of sorts. I’ve shared one track from each album as well, songs that I think not only represent what is great about the entire album, but what may spark an interest in you to checking out the whole thing, because to me they are all worth your time and quite rewarding indeed. Enjoy with aloha, and as always, turn it WAY the hell up, and for crying out loud use headphones. Laptop speakers = death.”
13
Suede
Bloodsports
Wow, Suede, where have you been for so long? And I don’t just mean not having recorded an album for the last 11 years, but more like the last 17 years. Let’s be honest here, your last two albums, Head Music and A New Morning were utter shit. But this album, good lord where did this come from? I was never really a big Suede fan when they first came out in 1993, and took the British music scene by storm. I got the appeal, but there was something too glam and too overly dramatic that it just didn’t connect with me. But then Coming Up came out and boy did that album sparkle with the sound of sweaty androgyny and hurricanes of glitter blowing your ears out. And this new album is it’s worthy successor. As much as I love Coming Up, this album is a completely superior experience in my view as a whole. Coming Up may have stronger songs individually, but as a complete album, Bloodsports has it all. It doesn’t even sound like – as the old cliche goes – a collection of B-sides from a better by-gone era, this sounds like a lost album. Meaning a truly lost album. Recorded, meant to be released, and somehow they had just one copy, and it was lost. Until now. Other than the quality of the songwriting, nothing has changed. Whatever you’ve missed about Suede all these years, it’s here, exactly as you remembered them. Those spacey keyboards, the grandiosity of lead singer Brett Anderson, those trashy, glam filled guitar riffs, the theatrical melodies, the fashion runway vibes from the artwork right down to the lyrics, it’s all here. Everything about them is incredibly sleazy yet somehow it’s a very sexy sound that they bring to the table of rock & roll. Glam without the camp I suppose. As Under the Radar Magazine says, “Calling Bloodsports a comeback album almost seems to belittle just how strong a record it really is; it’s nearly as good as any they’ve put out before.” I couldn’t agree more. One doesn’t need to venture out into new sonic territory and experimentation when you have perfected a sound already, and continue to do so with songs that will stick with you for days. No smokescreens here with this album, it is the real deal. If it’s your thing of course. It’s nice to get one completely unexpected surprise each year, and that is this album. Well done, chaps. Check out ‘It Starts and Ends With You‘ above for your evidence.