#13 Endgame
Rise Against
Prior to the release, there had been rumours about Rise Against splitting up. Fortunately, they didn't turn out to be true and so fans could enjoy the band's latest output. And here's to hoping that Endgame won't be their last either. Because Tim McIlrath & Co. still haven't forgotten the craft of writing urgent and powerful songs. Again, I may be "a little" biased here, because they're one of my all time favourite bands, but Endgame proves they're still one of the best punk rock bands out there...
Best tracks: Architects, Satelite, This Is Letting Go
#12 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Here's the surprise, Noel's first solo album sounds unsurprisingly familiar, and also unsurprisingly good. Although there are no traces of reinventing himself, his songwriting skills, or rather craftmanship, largely make up for it. There is no doubt that High Flying Birds features the best set of "Oasis" songs since their Morning Glory days, only next time, we'd like the chief of britpop to venture into some more challenging territories.
Best tracks: The Death Of You And Me, (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine, AKA... Broken Arrow
#11 El Camino
The Black Keys
When The White Stripes called it a day earlier this year, it was a sad moment for most music fans. But mourn for them not, because we can rely at least on The Black Keys to carry on the torch of garage/blues rock, which they do with a sure hand.
El Camino is a straightforward rock record and is therefore more enjoyable than Brothers, their breakthrough album from the last year. This time, the band fastened up significantly, which, combined with a compelling retro feeling, reminded me of the best from The Hives or the aforementioned White Stripes.
Best tracks: Lonely Boy, Gold On the Ceiling, Mind Eraser
#10 Young Pilgrim
Charlie Simpson
Fightstar frontman going folk. The amount of hype among Fightstar fans and even on this blog had been huge. In his already long and diverse musical career, Charlie Simpson has proven to be a man of many talents. However, on Young Pilgrim, he sort of settles for the usual and well-tried. It's mostly thanks to his unmistakable vocals, that the album feels like something special, and although we enjoy his solo work immensely, we'd still prefer him in Fightstar.
Best tracks: Thorns, Cemetery, Riverbanks
#9 Cults
Cults
My favourite indie pop album of the year. With its vivid and lighthearted melodies it's a perfect soundtrack for the summer. Having released one of the best debuts in 2011, Cults are without a doubt a band worth keeping an eye on.
Best tracks: Abducted, Never Saw the Point, Rave-on
#8 What Did You Expect from The Vaccines
The Vaccines
This album could've been very well named "What Did You Expect From the British Hype Machine". The Vaccines didn't eventually end up saving rock 'n' roll as the magazines like NME had wanted us to believe, nor did they set the charts ablaze like Arctic Monkeys or Franz Ferdinand. But they still made one of the year's most fun albums, with tracks designed to get under your skin and not to let go, as you spin the fast-flowing-never-slowing record over and over again. Due to its fast and upbeat songs, it's also a great party album.
Best tracks: Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra), Wetsuit, Nørgaard
#7 The King Is Dead
The Decemberists
There was a folk rock fan in me after all. It's probably due to The Decemberists' delicate songwriting and musicianship that I found myself drawn into the music of the likes of Bob Dylan or John Denver. Especially when listening to the latter I realised that the band didn't actually do anything even remotely new, but had it been released anytime within the last forty years, it still would've been fantastic.
Best track: Don't Carry It All, Calamity Song, Down By the River
#6 No Devolución
Thursday
With this dark and atmospheric record, Thursday reinvented their sound and showed how to succeed in pushing the borders of an otherwise stale genre. But what felt like a phenomenal return to form may be possibly their final album. In November, the band reported they were going on an indefinite hiatus. What a shame, because No Devolución is a one-of-a-kind album...
Best tracks: Sparks Against the Sun, Magnets Caught In a Metal Heart, Turnpike Divides
#5 Velociraptor!
Kasabian
I'm no expert on Kasabian dicography. As a matter of fact, I never really could get into them. But Velociraptor!, aside from its awesome name, is a much more accessible album than their previous efforts. And when it grabs you, it doesn't let go. Every song could be a single. With its psychedelic nature and occasional references („I see Lucy in the sky, telling me I’m high“), it reminds me of Sgt. Pepper, which can only mean a good thing. With Velociraptor!, Kasabian eventually succeeded on all fronts, and just one last step separates them from perfection. I'm curious to see where they'll go next.
Best tracks: La Fee Verte, Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm), Man Of Simple Pleasures
#4 Wasting Light
Foo Fighters
This is exactly what you call a return to form, Wasting Light is post-grunge at its finest and an instant classic. Going back to the analog days and recording the whole album in a garage was clearly the right path to take. Foo Fighters pleased their old fans and hooked many new ones, myself included. It's one hell of a ride.
Best tracks: Dear Rosemary, Miss the Misery, Walk
No comments:
Post a Comment