Arctic Monkeys - A sound in need of refreshing
and that's just what AM sets out to do. Filled with RnB drumming and sleek
riffs, the only thing missing is a couple of killer choruses. 6/10
Check Out -
Arabella
Avicii - Catchy, melodic, instrument based dance
music devoid of auto-tune and the homogenous beats of this era. 7/10
Check Out -
Dear Boy
Babyshambles - Surprisingly good, sweet melodies and some sketchy lyrics aside it seems Pete Doherty is back on form. 7/10
Check Out -
Dr. No
Bastille - Pretentious looking and sounding at first
glance, but their live sound shows real music and vocal ability. 6/10
Check Out
- Oblivion
Birdy - Her first album of original work, and
full of similar piano ballads but there are welcome signs of an edgier side
too. 7/10
Check Out
- Words As Weapons
Cat Empire - Glimpses of their funky Latino/Ska hybrid,
but not enough for it to be considered a successful record. 4/10
Check Out
- Brighter Than Gold
Caro Emerald - Picked up where her first album
left off, a catchy mix of jazz and pop. 7/10
Check Out -
The Maestro
Charlotte OC - A new more powerful and
atmospheric sound from the former folk singer. 8/10
Check Out - Cut The Rope
Chvrches -The album doesn't quite live up to the
(deserved) hype which surrounded The Mother We Share but I suppose that was to
be expected. 4/10
Check Out -
Gun
Daft Punk - You can't accuse the duo of lacking
originality and their patchwork of styles with 80's vocoders and synths shows
the album's ambition and it works for the most part. 6/10
Check Out -
Beyond
Daughter - Some great songs and some not so
great songs, just a shame some tracks don't quite live up to their 2011 EPs. 6/10
Check Out -
Shallows
Franz Ferdinand - With the indie boom of the
2000's now long gone it's interesting to see how the most popular bands of that
era are trying to keep their fire alive. Franz Ferdinand rekindle some of the
old magic on their first release in 4 years but overall it's not brilliant.
5/10
Check Out -
Right Action
Fratellis - Almost the same could be said for
the Fratellis with their first album since 2008, We Need Medicine shows they
can still write some cheerful soft rock however. 6/10
Check Out - She's Not Gone Yet But She's Leaving
Gabrielle Aplin - Pretty much exactly what you
would expect from a youtube songstresses debut album, some lovely songs but
also quite a bit of filler. 5/10
Check Out -
Panic Cord
Haim - An album which seems disjointed with a
variety of different styles and concepts, but works surprisingly well. 7/10
Check Out -
The Wire
Jay Z - Fresh from the recent birth of his child
and now without the hyphen but there's not much to see here barring the Miley
Cyrus name-check in Somewhere In America. 3/10
Check Out - Somewhere In America
Jack Johnson - Still the same old Jack Johnson,
a familiar acoustic sound perfect for background music but none of his albums
have quite lived up to In Between Dreams. 5/10
Check Out -
Tape Deck
Johnny Flynn - His third album sounds very
contrived lyrically, but no-one quite does English folk like the actor turned
musician. 5/10
Check Out - The Lady is Risen
Kanye West - A song titled 'I Am a God' tells
you all you need to know. An ego that is in severe need of deflating. The
lyrics and musical charisma of his early days are long gone. 1/10
Check Out - Bound 2
KT Tunstall - Stripped back with all emphasis on
vocals there are some beautifully crafted songs but she still excels when
stomping and rocking such as on Hallowed Ground. 5/10
Check Out -
Yellow Flower
Laura Marling - Once I was an Eagle was
universally acclaimed as one Marling's best but I have to disagree completely.
While her lyrical poetry is captivating there isn't enough melodic sparkle to warrant the
rave reviews. 4/10
Check Out -
Undine
Lorde - Her album isn't quite as catchy as the
EP that started it all off but lyrics like 'I'm kind of over getting told to
throw my hands up in the air' and the anti-capitalist 'Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash,
we don't care we ain't caught up in your love affair' are wonderfully
refreshing to hear from a 16 year old. 5/10
Check Out -
White Teeth Teens
Ludovico Einaudi - Discredited by some purists
for his simple approach to classical music it's hard to see how anyone could
criticise his ability to create spine-tingling piano melodies. 8/10
Check Out -
Life
Marika Hackman - Medieval, stripped down folk
with telluric lyrics the former Burberry singer released two EPs and a host of
other songs all of which point to a bright future. Eagerly anticipating her
debt album. 8/10
Check Out -
Wolf
M.I.A - Sonic debris is a good description of the
38 year old's (!) sound, and whilst most of the album is nothing short of
awful, the Arabic inspired Bad Girls and Exodus are both solid. 4/10
Check Out -
Exodus
Check Out -
Entertainment
Rizzle Kicks - Whilst their lyrics and lifestyle make them an intrinsic part of the 'Lost Generation' they
sing about it's impossibly to deny their instrument driven beats are far
superior to Drake or Kanye West's RnB dirges. 6/10
Check Out -
Skip To The Good Bit
The Strokes - Barely 18 months sine their last
record and this one is by far their worst to date, struggling to recommend even one
highlight. 1/10
Check Out -
None
Tom Odell - I wonder if the NME journalist whoranked this attempt as 0/10 could sit down at a piano and write a better
album? Whilst his lyrics leave a lot to be desired and his sound isn't the most
original he certainly has talent. 6/10
Check Out -
Can't Pretend
Travis - Another band trying to age gracefully with
their popularity peak long behind them, and this record is a disappointing
return for 5 years without a release. 5/10
Check Out -
Mother
Vampire Weekend - A band whose name conjures the
image of something from the Twilight series but VW's musicianship and originality is
vastly underrated. Modern Vampires of the City isn't their best but
there are some well crafted songs. 5/10
Check Out -
Obvious Bicycle
We Were Evergeen - The folk/pop genre seems
overly saturated at the moment but the originality of We Were Evergreen is what
sets them apart with beautiful sanguine harmonies backed by ukuleles and glockenspiel.
Check Out -
Leeway
- -
Songs of the year
10. Gary Barlow - Let Me Go
- A songwriter who doesn't get enough credit.
9. John Newman - Love Me Again - Proof that the four chord pop song has life yet.
8. Pharrell Williams - Happy
- Laidback soulful beats are what Pharrell does best. Happy is a perfect
description.
7. Marika Hackman - Cinnamon
- The addition of percussion and other layers enhances her acoustic based live
performances.
6. Charlotte OC - Hangover -
The bass, drum, synth and guitar layers provide an excellent backing for her
ethereal vocals to take centre stage.
5. Birdy - Light Me Up -
Florence & The Machine sounding and much more rocky than her usual style,
Light Me Up has a chorus that has stadium anthem written all over it.
4. Vampire Weekend - Step -
Pachelbel Canon with added drums and harpsichord, with some surreal lyrics about New York City
3. Avicii - Liar Liar - I
cant believe this song wasn't used as a single. It has all the makings of a
great pop song and would surely be a worldwide success.
2. Haim - My Song 5 - Expect
this to be the soundtrack to many a TV montage. Turn it loud.
1. Lorde - Buzzcut Season -
My song of the year, atmospheric musically with candid lyrics.
