My one and only post related to 2014 is this one. I took a new position last April at Puppet Labs; and haven’t slowed down since.
Like two years ago, this was not a strong year for albums - songs, yes - but not complete albums. And specifically, I was really disappointed with U2 and Coldplay. U2’s Songs of Innocence was not great, which pains me to say. Coldplay had a couple of nice songs on Ghost Stories, but it was no where near a complete, solid album.
Previous Years
Honorable Mentions
- Jack White - Lazaretto
- The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
- Interpol - El Pintor
- Tokyo Police Club - Forcefield
- Real Estate - Atlas
- Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything - Still no US love for Elbow.
The Top Five
5. Beck - Morning Phase
I’ve never been a huge fan of Beck. His early stuff is almost repulsive. But this is a good album.
4. The Black Keys - Turn Blue
There’s nothing overly special about this album. It’s the Black Keys, and they’ve been doing this for years. But they continue to deliver and this album is no exception. Turn this one up loud.
3. Delta Spirit - Into the Wide
Apparently Delta Spirit has been around for a while. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. But in 2015 I’ll be returning to their back catalog. This is a really nice album. Take Shelter, Into the Wide, and Push It are all excellent songs.
2. Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Winter
If you like Bon Iver, you’ll like Vancouver Sleep Clinic. It’s the same Justin Vernon, just a new project. There’s only 6 songs on the album, but I just repeat the whole thing…over, and over, and over.
1. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
This was my wife’s find of the year, and her favorite album. She got it on vinyl for Christmas. Maybe these guys get their own genre - because they’re hard to describe. Honestly, at one point I thought John Cougar Mellencamp, then Bon Jovi, then the Boss, then Tom Petty…it’s odd. I don’t particularly care for those guys, and would hate to put The War on Drugs in the same genre…so I won’t. Under the Pressure, Red Eyes, Eyes to the Wind, and Burning are excellent.