Albums
of the year
2014
Last year my goal was to shorten the reviews in my annual top albums post, but I failed miserably. This year, however, time was more limited – in a good way luckily (maybe because I interviewed two of my favorite bands: Lush, and Slowdive!) – and I’ve finally reached my goal. That’s even with 20 albums reviewed, up four from last year. I think I’ll keep this introductory shorter as well. As you can see, to the left is a playlist of a song from each of the albums that I think represents what makes each album great. Oh, and it’s Spotify, so you may need to have an account or something, not entirely sure how that works. Figure it out, or check out the song titles to find them somewhere else. Lastly, note these are in no particular order. They’re all great in their own individual ways, and thus albums at the bottom are JUST as important as those at the top. Enjoy, and feel free to comment if you want – and thanks for reading! Or not.
17
Temples
Sun Structures
Sometimes bands arrive that are influenced by times past, and if they are amateurs they look like a joke trying to imitate sounds and styles of another era. If they do it right, they get a pass, but still kind of look like wankers. Once in a while though one comes along that can convince you they’re not imitators but have somehow time-traveled from the era of their influence. This band is one. Check out their live performances and videos, to see there’s something about them that feels they’re not from here. Then there’s their debut album. It’s 60’s stoner psych-pop but somehow filtered with a modern pop groove and sensibility with brilliant, colorful tracks like ‘Mesmerise’ and ‘Colours to Life’. Don’t miss this album – its lush, pop perfection.