And here are my Top 5 Albums of 2014. Here is hoping for an even better 2015.
5.
Spoon - They Want My Soul
If anyone had told me I would have a Spoon record in my top albums, let alone my Top 5, I would have called them crazy. Not that I have anything against the men in Spoon, I just never thought of them more than just above-average indie rock. Of course, before then, I hadn't heard They Want My Soul. When I heard the blisteringly catchy first single "Do You," I was instantly hooked. A summer jam to be end all summer jams, "Do You" had the right amount of sass, hookiness, and summer weariness to be on constant repeat. What I truly wasn't prepared for was the stylistic breadth of the tracks on They Want My Soul. Spoon moves effortlessly through silky future R&B ("Inside Out"), barn-burning alt-rock ("They Want My Soul"), sparkly new wave ("New York Kiss"), and barroom jams ("Rainy Taxi") without skipping a beat. Each track melts into the next, creating a beautiful collection of tracks that not only wants your soul, but feeds it.
4.
Tinashe - Aquarius
With the perfect mix of Beyonce's confidence, Rihanna's sass, and Aalyiah's sleek sexuality, Tinashe appeared on the scene with her wondrous record Aquarius which is hands down the best R&B record you will hear all year. Whether she is slinking around her hot single "2 On," going to head to toe with rapper A$AP Rocky on "Pretend," strutting around "All Hands On Deck," or showing her quiet side on the breathtaking ballad "Bated Breath," Tinashe shows that she has a vision and will stick to it on her terms. Of all the R&B records I listened to this year, Aquarius is the only one that consistently found itself on repeat. It is sure to beguile you as much as it did me.
3.
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
It's hard to believe that in his storied career, Blur frontman Damon Albarn has yet to put out an official solo release. Everyday Robots finds Albarn in a very melancholy mood, ruminating on his past as well as our society's current fixation with technology and the loneliness that it can perpetuate. Working with Richard Russell, the boss of XL Recordings who worked with Damon on Bobby Womack's album, The Bravest Man In The Universe, Albarn keeps a limited palate on these twelve tracks, mostly using glitchy drum machines, piano, strings, and subtle electronics. Every so often, there are glimpses of light and joy, but in his later years, Albarn is more in a reflective mood, casting greys and blacks through a foggy haze. Everyday Robots is that perfect rainy day record that you can sink into the couch and let its quiet power take over.
2.
Interpol - El Pintor
Although Interpol has pretty much been given short shrift since their sophomore record Antics, I have always had a soft spot for them, finding some great music in Our Love to Admire and Interpol, which was my top record of 2010. So when people mentioned that El Pintor was a comeback and major return to form, I was sitting back thinking, for me, they never really went anywhere. El Pintor is the first Interpol record without original bassist Carlos D, and it will be noted that his melodic bass lines are somewhat missed, however, you also notice that for the first time in awhile, Interpol sounds looser and freer than they have in a long time. El Pintor is an exceptionally strong record with a bevy of singles, each of which shines in its own right. We have your typical barn burners like "All the Rage Back Home," "Anywhere," and "Ancient Ways," alongside the brooding and swooning numbers like "Everything Is Wrong," "My Blue Supreme," and "My Desire." It all culminates in two sweeping tracks, the pounding "Tidal Wave," and epic "Twice as Hard." El Pintor is not a comeback, it is a statement of purpose.
1.
The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
After their phenomenal debut record, the shoegaze masterpiece Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, The Twilight Sad couldn't quite figure out what to do with their sound. They stalled a bit with second record Forget The Night Ahead which, while a solid release, felt like they were a bit on cruise control. And left field change up No One Can Ever Know, eschewed guitars almost entirely for a robotic synth sheen that felt like a little kid trying on their older brother's clothes. With their latest record, Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, The Twilight Sad live up to the promise of their debut. Mixing their shoegaze roar with just enough electronics, these ten tracks pulse and throb with energy and purpose, coming across as the perfect overview to their career to date. From the driving and potent single "Last January," to the roaring centerpiece "In Nowheres," the band takes full control of the journey, and when you get to the final, haunting track "Sometimes I Wished I Could Fall Asleep," you know you have been at the hands of masters. Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave is the year's best record.
