1. Grizzly Bear –
Shields
In my eyes,
this band can do no wrong. Grizzly Bear's excellent brand of eerie indie rock has been
going from strength to strength with every album they release. I could honestly
listen to this album, or anything by them, on repeat all day and not get bored.
I love how Grizzly Bear can keep producing music that keeps their sound and yet
isn’t samey. Speak in Rounds, Sleeping Ute, Gun-Shy and Yet Again are
personal favourites of mine, but the whole album is just brilliant.
2. Willy Mason –
Carry On
This album is
great and shows how much Will Mason has grown musically, with new influences such as
dub and reggae embedded into the country-folk-blues-acoustic thing he has going
on. As his third album, this works to further establish the sound he has
developed so far. In my opinion he is unique and so talented, and you can tell
he still has so much to offer. Also, I Got Gold is one of the smiliest songs
I’ve heard in a while.
3. Beach House –
Bloom
This is just
lovely. I really like Beach House, I find them so relaxing; I don’t mean this
in a bad way AT ALL, but they are a great band to have playing in the
background. So chilled, and Victoria Legrand’s voice is so silky.
I first heard of
Michael Kiwanuka after fellow contributor James reviewed this album. I checked
it out and was completely blown away; this guy is bloody talented. I
subsequently bought it for my mum’s birthday and she loved it too, and one of
the main reasons I like Home Again is
because it reminds me of home, funnily enough. Highlights: the whole album.
5. Alt-J – An
Awesome Wave
I first heard
Alt-J play Breezeblocks on Jools
Holland several months ago and was hooked. Their album proved to be just as
good, with their lyrics referencing really cool (or at least I think so) stuff such
as the film Leon and Maurice Sendak’s
Where the Wild Things Are.
6. Deftones – Koi
No Yokan
Deftones are
nu-metal at its finest: this album is brilliant because it
captures their core sound without being all crappy 90s nu-metal, and instead
being laden with alt-rock and experimental. I love the way they’ve evolved
through the years, developing their influences and yet still sounding as badass
and intense as ever.
7. Andrew Bird – Break
It Yourself
I absolutely
love this: he’s a multi-instrumentalist, his music is so intricate and weird, and he’s absolutely brilliant. This album is utterly
charming (as are his other albums) and I love how layered the songs are.
Perfect.
8. Lana del Rey –
Born to Die
I went through
a phase earlier this year of playing this album over and over again, it’s so
good. Say whatever you want about Lana del Rey, but don’t deny that this chick
can make a damn good pop song: so soulful and she has such a nice voice.
9. Smashing
Pumpkins – Oceania
I can’t believe
everyone forgot this one. You’re all missing out. It’s really quite good. Not
as good as other Smashing Pumpkins stuff, but a decent effort which shows the
new direction they seem to have taken.
10. Drive – OST
What a film,
and what a soundtrack. It’s arguably the best soundtrack of the year; it fits the film so
well and I love the 80s/electro feel it has to it. Really makes me wish I had a
car… If I did this would be my go-to driving CD.
SH
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