My Top 50 Albums of the Year - Part Five
#10 - "Gloss Drop", Battles
Genuinely one of the most fun records I've heard all year - dizzyingly energetic and full of weird grunts and guest appearances that all mash together to make one gooey, unusual mess (mess can be a good thing, right?) And as usual the drumming is superb.
#9 - "Conatus", Zola Jesus
For someone to release an album every year is quite admirable, but for them to improve in quality is quite unexpected: her previous two releases, as well as the majority of her extra singles and EPs, have often treaded too close on the line between art and boredom, but Conatus reigns in the hazy edges and polishes them into excellent, beautiful songs.
#8 - "Biophilia", Björk
In a year where I fell more and more in love with her, this seemed to polarise critics. I'm firmly in the fan camp, though, and Biophilia's thematic backstories and cohesive sense of minimalism made this a really gentle but fascinating experiment.
#7 - "The English Riviera", Metronomy
Maybe there's a little bit of hometown bias in my placing of this album so high, but in all honesty can you blame me when it paints Torquay as some kind of tropical idyll? I've lived there 21 years, I can tell you it isn't, but at the same time the sunkissed bliss of this album made me think twice about that.
#6 - "Watch the Throne", The Throne
It's unlikely you'll see so much bragging and arrogant boasts on album again quite like this - choice quotes being "Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy laid beats" and "I guess I'm getting high on my own supply" - but lately it's like Kanye can't do anything wrong by me. Tune after tune after tune but some heartfelt sentiment ('New Day' finds the pair hoping for the best for their future children) made this more than an ego boost.
#5 - "Helplessness Blues", Fleet Foxes
It might not have strayed too far from the blueprint to their debut self-titled album, but this somehow excelled it. Mellow, poignant and opulent, it's like stepping into another world.
#4 - "50 Words for Snow", Kate Bush
Speaking of stepping into fantastic worlds, there's still noone as richly descriptive and simply beautiful as the undisputed goddess of music, Kate Bush. At first glimpse the long track lengths might put you off, but with a little patience the rewards are almost spiritual. Even the descent of a 'Snowflake' is poised with angelic vocals and sombre gentility - and this is perhaps my favourite Kate record since Hounds of Love.
#3 - "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming", M83
An endearing, exciting and innocently conceptual album, this touches virtually every aspect of nostalgia and emotion through the means of some brilliant, brilliant pop songs.
#2 - "Bon Iver", Bon Iver
Another act that it took me time to get into, Bon Iver's follow-up to the highly revered For Emma, Forever Ago far exceeded their debut in my opinion. The vocals are divine, the far-away romantic instrumentals shine beautifully and the emotion is heartbreaking.
#1 - "Let England Shake", PJ Harvey
This has been predictably anticipated as the #1 of many many lists and that's not to be taken for granted: the sheer power and overwhelming bleakness this record paints of modern England is undeniable. You'd have to be made of stone not to get shaken a little by this, and as usual Harvey's careful yet exuberant arrangements and unusual means of getting her message across continue to bewitch me, and pretty much the rest of the music world.
Genuinely one of the most fun records I've heard all year - dizzyingly energetic and full of weird grunts and guest appearances that all mash together to make one gooey, unusual mess (mess can be a good thing, right?) And as usual the drumming is superb.
#9 - "Conatus", Zola Jesus
For someone to release an album every year is quite admirable, but for them to improve in quality is quite unexpected: her previous two releases, as well as the majority of her extra singles and EPs, have often treaded too close on the line between art and boredom, but Conatus reigns in the hazy edges and polishes them into excellent, beautiful songs.
#8 - "Biophilia", Björk
In a year where I fell more and more in love with her, this seemed to polarise critics. I'm firmly in the fan camp, though, and Biophilia's thematic backstories and cohesive sense of minimalism made this a really gentle but fascinating experiment.
#7 - "The English Riviera", Metronomy
Maybe there's a little bit of hometown bias in my placing of this album so high, but in all honesty can you blame me when it paints Torquay as some kind of tropical idyll? I've lived there 21 years, I can tell you it isn't, but at the same time the sunkissed bliss of this album made me think twice about that.
#6 - "Watch the Throne", The Throne
It's unlikely you'll see so much bragging and arrogant boasts on album again quite like this - choice quotes being "Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy laid beats" and "I guess I'm getting high on my own supply" - but lately it's like Kanye can't do anything wrong by me. Tune after tune after tune but some heartfelt sentiment ('New Day' finds the pair hoping for the best for their future children) made this more than an ego boost.
#5 - "Helplessness Blues", Fleet Foxes
It might not have strayed too far from the blueprint to their debut self-titled album, but this somehow excelled it. Mellow, poignant and opulent, it's like stepping into another world.
#4 - "50 Words for Snow", Kate Bush
Speaking of stepping into fantastic worlds, there's still noone as richly descriptive and simply beautiful as the undisputed goddess of music, Kate Bush. At first glimpse the long track lengths might put you off, but with a little patience the rewards are almost spiritual. Even the descent of a 'Snowflake' is poised with angelic vocals and sombre gentility - and this is perhaps my favourite Kate record since Hounds of Love.
#3 - "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming", M83
An endearing, exciting and innocently conceptual album, this touches virtually every aspect of nostalgia and emotion through the means of some brilliant, brilliant pop songs.
#2 - "Bon Iver", Bon Iver
Another act that it took me time to get into, Bon Iver's follow-up to the highly revered For Emma, Forever Ago far exceeded their debut in my opinion. The vocals are divine, the far-away romantic instrumentals shine beautifully and the emotion is heartbreaking.
#1 - "Let England Shake", PJ Harvey
This has been predictably anticipated as the #1 of many many lists and that's not to be taken for granted: the sheer power and overwhelming bleakness this record paints of modern England is undeniable. You'd have to be made of stone not to get shaken a little by this, and as usual Harvey's careful yet exuberant arrangements and unusual means of getting her message across continue to bewitch me, and pretty much the rest of the music world.
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