The first half of 2013 is coming to an end, so I think it's time for a little recap. I've never kept exact statistics of how many records I heard each year, but I'm pretty confident when I say, that this year would surpass all of them. I don't really know where this eagerness to check out new music suddenly came from, but the fact is, I've already listened to 50+ new albums in the past six months, and that's almost as much as in the entire last year.
There have been much anticipated releases from Biffy Clyro, Tegan and Sara, She & Him, The National and, of course, Jimmy Eat World, which I've covered a lot on the blog, and I've also praised the new albums from Christopher Owens and especially Daft Punk, but there are literally dozens of other great records which I haven't had the time to write about yet. So here's at least a brief summary.
Britpop came back with Suede's first album in eleven years. Although it was pretty much my first encounter with the band, I loved it instantly. The same story happened with Frank Turner's sweeping personal epic Tape Deck Heart, Kurt Vile's fifth solo album, the Swedish psych rockers Junip and the new indie rock sensation Foxygen.
Foals released released their third studio album, and it was the first time I truly got into them. Holy Fire received lots of praise from critics and fans alike, and I couldn't help but to agree. In a similar vein, last week saw another career peek of the Icelandic post-rock now trio Sigur Rós. Their newest effort Kveikur is perhaps the most straightforward and mainstream they'll ever get, but the fact doesn't hurt it one bit. If you ever doubted whether you could become a fan of their enigmatic ambient soundscapes, now is the perfect time to finally find out.
Unfortunately, apart from a few songs, Fall Out Boy's highly anticipated comeback fell a little flat with me. David Bowie's, on the other hand, surprised positively almost everyone, including myself, and so did Comedown Machine by The Strokes. I am not quite sure yet what to think about the new QotSA album, but one thing is certain, ...Like Clockwork is definitely the most accessible album of their entire career.
On a heavier note, Bring Me the Horizon released another critically acclaimed and largely enjoyable album. Who would've guessed after Suicide Season? Funeral for a Friend continued the journey to their hardcore roots, but unfortunately, Conduit, while not bad by any means, didn't end up being as memorable as their previous efforts. Frank Carter, formerly of Gallows, went exactly the opposite way, releasing a surprisingly poppy album under the moniker Pure Love. Another notable albums were released by the indie acts Cold War Kids, Dawes, Mikal Cronin and Camera Obscura, and let's not forget the last ever album of My Chemical Romance, released over the span of five months from November to March.
Overall, this has been an amazing year in music, and there's still lots of releases to look forward to. Placebo, Travis, MGMT, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire and many more will be releasing new records later this year. Which albums have rocked your world in 2013 and which ones that are yet to come out are you most excited about?
Glad to hear that you've enjoyed Frank Turner's album so much (just bought tickets to his show... I can't believe he's coming to Omaha)! Much agreement about Daft Punk and the Strokes. However, I still can't make a decision on the FOB album.
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