OK, so once again I failed to do a top albums write-up. I dunno what it is, but whatever I write seems pretentious and uncomfortably gushing, so I'm shelving it for the time being. The "good" news is I managed to write some track review things. Here they are.
NOTE: I make no apologies for the hyperbole in this list. What can I say? There's been a whole lot of great music this year.
20. Local Natives
"Sun Hands"
I guess this has all been done before, and recently at that. Who cares? It's got drums that click into place just so, great harmonising and an overall nice warm feeling. Like a hug, yes.
19. Washed Out
"New Theory"
I guess this is "glo-fi" or whatever it is they're calling it. I don't really know. What I can confirm is that this song is seriously chilled. The hazy, lazy drum beat and shimmering vocals reminds me of dancing on the beach with friends, or at least it would if I'd ever done that.
18. Bombay Bicycle Club
"Always Like This"
I'm a sucker for nerdy, yearning vocals and quietly charming pop. So this song had me in a powerful grip less than thirty seconds in.
17. Four Tet
"Love Cry (Joy Orbison Remix)"
That multi-coloured button artwork on the vinyl release, juxtaposed with the unbroken rainbow of the original version, perfectly represents this remix. Joy Orbison has shredded every aspect of the smooth original track, and emerged with a beautifully pitched, vibrant remix.
16. Fever Ray
"Keep The Streets Empty For Me"
All of Fever Ray's self-titled debut is claustrophobic and wonderfully creepy. Truth be told, picking one song to represent the bunch was an exercise akin to picking names out of a hat. Every track on the album is excellent. If you're unfamiliar, this is as good a place to start as any.
15. Passion Pit
"Little Secrets"
As if Passion Pit's music wasn't sweet enough, they went and added a bunch of children joyously chanting to the chorus of their best single. If I were a policeman trying to convince someone not to jump from the roof, I'd just play them this at full blast. It would work a treat, trust me.
14. Bibio
"Jealous of Roses"
Lithe, funky and sepia-toned, "Jealous of Roses" was the highlight of Bibio's autumnal Ambivalence Avenue. A short but brilliant track.
13. HEALTH
"Die Slow"
LCD Soundystem proved you could combine punk and dance music, but what happens when you mix noise rock with the more demented side of electronic music? You get "Die Slow", one of the most storming, insane tracks of the year.
12. Animal Collective
"What Would I Want? Sky"
Merriweather Post Pavilion was the critics' darling this year, and yeah, it's a great record, blah blah. Seemingly left in the dust was AC's superb follow-up EP, Fall Be Kind. While not a huge step outside their comfort zone (if indeed they have one), "What Would I Want? Sky" is a reminder that one of the decade's most-loved experimental bands isn't done innovating. Here's hoping they'll churn out gorgeous music well into the 2010s.
11. Delorean
"Seasun"
Man oh man, this is a tune and a half. To be a little more eloquent, it basically has everything you might want in a dance track. Handclaps! House piano hooks! Soaring vocals! Delicious summery vibe! Yep, it rules.
10. The Big Pink
"Dominos"
I thought this song was all set to become the next British ANTHEM, but it doesn't seem to have made it much further than a few clubs and that Xbox advert. Regardless, it rocks and may well cause you to dance and yell like an idiot. Like all the best dancefloor songs, then.
09. Wild Beasts
"All The King's Men"
Most of Two Dancers is more obviously strange than this single, with songs about hooliganism and rape and boots up arseholes. On first listen, "All The King's Men" seems more like basic, likeable, strident guitar rock. Well, that's true, but the fact that behind the veil is a Mangum-esque rumination on sex, birth and dreams is the icing on the cake.
08. Röyksopp
"You Don't Have A Clue"
Some of our UK starlets could do with a lesson from these Danes in how to make strong, full-blooded pop music. Not only is it expertly constructed and charming as hell, the whole thing is draped in a wistful, late-night atmosphere that is impossible to resist.
07. Dirty Projectors
"Useful Chamber"
Personally, I wouldn't consider Bitte Orca a contender for album of the year. Musically it's fascinating and often brilliant, but it veers into self-indulgent and irritating territory a little too often for my liking. On occasion though, Dave Longstreth and co. strike gold, like with this experimental, woozy gem of a song.
06. Girls
"Lust for Life"
It's nice to hear a song about desire that isn't pretentious or overwrought. "Lust for Life" jumps that hurdle by focusing on the little things. Sure, Christopher Owens wants a significant other, but he'd also like a pizza, a beach house to share with friends and a bottle of wine. Ah, don't we all?
05. Neko Case
"People Got A Lotta Nerve"
Forget about Florence and her caterwaul, Neko is a strong contender for the best voice in modern music. Make no mistake, it's powerful, but also perfectly controlled. When backed up by accomplished musicians and intelligent lyrics, the result is overwhelmingly wonderful.
04. Memory Tapes
"Bicycle"
For pure aural pleasure, it doesn't get a whole lot better than this. The way the music perfectly evokes the scene described in the lyrics, the effortless shifting from verse to ecstatic bridge and back to verse again, the way Hawk's voice melds perfectly with the percussion and wavering synth line. Finally, there's that guitar at the end. The buildup is sweet, the release is euphoric. I grin like an idiot every time.
03. Atlas Sound
"Walkabout (ft. Noah Lennox)"
Maybe I'm a little biased? This song is, after all, a collaboration between two of my favourite artists in modern music. If it was a bad song though, I'd be honest with you. Luckily, it totally rules, easily standing with the best from both singers' catalogues. I pretty much kept it on repeat all of August, and I'd struggle to find a better soundtrack to summer.
02. Grizzly Bear
"Two Weeks"
I'm not sure there's such a thing as a perfect song. In any case, I'd certainly hesitate to label any piece of music as such, but goddamn was I tempted with this one. So, so tempted.
01. Phoenix
"1901"
Indie and pop are two of the vaguest genres going, both capable of producing beauty and utter crap. With the similarly vague hybrid genre, Indiepop, the latter is arguably in woeful abundance. If you've lost your faith, just listen to the insanely catchy, anthemic "1901", and all will be well in your world.
NOTE: I make no apologies for the hyperbole in this list. What can I say? There's been a whole lot of great music this year.
20. Local Natives
"Sun Hands"
I guess this has all been done before, and recently at that. Who cares? It's got drums that click into place just so, great harmonising and an overall nice warm feeling. Like a hug, yes.
19. Washed Out
"New Theory"
I guess this is "glo-fi" or whatever it is they're calling it. I don't really know. What I can confirm is that this song is seriously chilled. The hazy, lazy drum beat and shimmering vocals reminds me of dancing on the beach with friends, or at least it would if I'd ever done that.
18. Bombay Bicycle Club
"Always Like This"
I'm a sucker for nerdy, yearning vocals and quietly charming pop. So this song had me in a powerful grip less than thirty seconds in.
17. Four Tet
"Love Cry (Joy Orbison Remix)"
That multi-coloured button artwork on the vinyl release, juxtaposed with the unbroken rainbow of the original version, perfectly represents this remix. Joy Orbison has shredded every aspect of the smooth original track, and emerged with a beautifully pitched, vibrant remix.
16. Fever Ray
"Keep The Streets Empty For Me"
All of Fever Ray's self-titled debut is claustrophobic and wonderfully creepy. Truth be told, picking one song to represent the bunch was an exercise akin to picking names out of a hat. Every track on the album is excellent. If you're unfamiliar, this is as good a place to start as any.
15. Passion Pit
"Little Secrets"
As if Passion Pit's music wasn't sweet enough, they went and added a bunch of children joyously chanting to the chorus of their best single. If I were a policeman trying to convince someone not to jump from the roof, I'd just play them this at full blast. It would work a treat, trust me.
14. Bibio
"Jealous of Roses"
Lithe, funky and sepia-toned, "Jealous of Roses" was the highlight of Bibio's autumnal Ambivalence Avenue. A short but brilliant track.
13. HEALTH
"Die Slow"
LCD Soundystem proved you could combine punk and dance music, but what happens when you mix noise rock with the more demented side of electronic music? You get "Die Slow", one of the most storming, insane tracks of the year.
12. Animal Collective
"What Would I Want? Sky"
Merriweather Post Pavilion was the critics' darling this year, and yeah, it's a great record, blah blah. Seemingly left in the dust was AC's superb follow-up EP, Fall Be Kind. While not a huge step outside their comfort zone (if indeed they have one), "What Would I Want? Sky" is a reminder that one of the decade's most-loved experimental bands isn't done innovating. Here's hoping they'll churn out gorgeous music well into the 2010s.
11. Delorean
"Seasun"
Man oh man, this is a tune and a half. To be a little more eloquent, it basically has everything you might want in a dance track. Handclaps! House piano hooks! Soaring vocals! Delicious summery vibe! Yep, it rules.
10. The Big Pink
"Dominos"
I thought this song was all set to become the next British ANTHEM, but it doesn't seem to have made it much further than a few clubs and that Xbox advert. Regardless, it rocks and may well cause you to dance and yell like an idiot. Like all the best dancefloor songs, then.
09. Wild Beasts
"All The King's Men"
Most of Two Dancers is more obviously strange than this single, with songs about hooliganism and rape and boots up arseholes. On first listen, "All The King's Men" seems more like basic, likeable, strident guitar rock. Well, that's true, but the fact that behind the veil is a Mangum-esque rumination on sex, birth and dreams is the icing on the cake.
08. Röyksopp
"You Don't Have A Clue"
Some of our UK starlets could do with a lesson from these Danes in how to make strong, full-blooded pop music. Not only is it expertly constructed and charming as hell, the whole thing is draped in a wistful, late-night atmosphere that is impossible to resist.
07. Dirty Projectors
"Useful Chamber"
Personally, I wouldn't consider Bitte Orca a contender for album of the year. Musically it's fascinating and often brilliant, but it veers into self-indulgent and irritating territory a little too often for my liking. On occasion though, Dave Longstreth and co. strike gold, like with this experimental, woozy gem of a song.
06. Girls
"Lust for Life"
It's nice to hear a song about desire that isn't pretentious or overwrought. "Lust for Life" jumps that hurdle by focusing on the little things. Sure, Christopher Owens wants a significant other, but he'd also like a pizza, a beach house to share with friends and a bottle of wine. Ah, don't we all?
05. Neko Case
"People Got A Lotta Nerve"
Forget about Florence and her caterwaul, Neko is a strong contender for the best voice in modern music. Make no mistake, it's powerful, but also perfectly controlled. When backed up by accomplished musicians and intelligent lyrics, the result is overwhelmingly wonderful.
04. Memory Tapes
"Bicycle"
For pure aural pleasure, it doesn't get a whole lot better than this. The way the music perfectly evokes the scene described in the lyrics, the effortless shifting from verse to ecstatic bridge and back to verse again, the way Hawk's voice melds perfectly with the percussion and wavering synth line. Finally, there's that guitar at the end. The buildup is sweet, the release is euphoric. I grin like an idiot every time.
03. Atlas Sound
"Walkabout (ft. Noah Lennox)"
Maybe I'm a little biased? This song is, after all, a collaboration between two of my favourite artists in modern music. If it was a bad song though, I'd be honest with you. Luckily, it totally rules, easily standing with the best from both singers' catalogues. I pretty much kept it on repeat all of August, and I'd struggle to find a better soundtrack to summer.
02. Grizzly Bear
"Two Weeks"
I'm not sure there's such a thing as a perfect song. In any case, I'd certainly hesitate to label any piece of music as such, but goddamn was I tempted with this one. So, so tempted.
01. Phoenix
"1901"
Indie and pop are two of the vaguest genres going, both capable of producing beauty and utter crap. With the similarly vague hybrid genre, Indiepop, the latter is arguably in woeful abundance. If you've lost your faith, just listen to the insanely catchy, anthemic "1901", and all will be well in your world.
