The way music interacts with our lives is in a constant state of flux: we can now carry around with us musical libraries in a tiny slither of plastic, there are vast treasure troves of music that you can now access at the stroke of a finger. There are those that dismiss modern music with a quick glimpse of an unrepresentative chart or as just a background buzz. In an interview with the Guardian, Jarvis Cocker bemoaned the fact that for some music was now ‘wallpaper’ rather than the life changing and obsessive force it was upon his teenage years, and maybe for the casual consumer who picks up the latest Coldplay release whilst on a weekly shop that may well be the case.
But for us it is still the soundtrack to our lives. That album or artist that possess the ability to work its way into your head, and genuinely possess the ability to change the way you see yourself and the world around you. Furthermore, perhaps the (premature) claim that the album is a dying artform along with the decline of genuinely exciting and challenging music is the myth that they may ‘want’ you to believe, so that they can continue to sell you art as an easy to consume ‘product’, and as a backdrop rather than the genuinely life illuminating sound that it can be when it’s at is best.
All of which pretentiousness brings us to the beating heart of our one hundred albums of 2011. Unlike the top ten which will (deservedly) draw the plaudits next, perhaps this portion of list is the most representative of those long players that were bubbling under this year, having the most affect on us individually, and proving the diversity and inventiveness of not just the artists involved but the writers of GIITTV! Enjoy – you never know what you might find below! – Bill Cummings [GIITTV Editor].
40. tUnE yArDs – ‘w h o k i l l’ [4AD]
Ah, the unmistakable sound of drums and a car horn. A ragged guitar accompanied by the sound of falling wood. A raw voiced and angry woman harmonising with a police siren. Who knew Little Mix’s album would be so adventurous? Jokes, Merrill Garbus wouldn’t get past the first round of X Factor, if only because rather than some dirgey ballad her audition piece would be like one of the tracks off W H O K I L L,a righteous but often funny rant about the complete shitness of modern life, backed by a percussive cascade. Under Garbus’s command all instruments, including guitars, saxophones and, yes, sampled sirens, are merely shards of percussion to be used like some modern approximation of tribal rhythms. Don’t be scared of the noise, it’s all hypnotic goodness once you’ve been sucked in. – Holly Cruise
tUnE yArDs, the project of Connecticut native Merrill Garbus, first noisily appeared with the release of 2009’s BiRd-BrAiNs. Like the mixed lower and upper case of their name, tUnE yArDs deliver a cut and paste attitude to music, mixing saxophones and ukeleles with Sonic Youth-esque guitar riffs, layered, lilting, screaming vocals and energetically messy drum loops. Concerns that w h o k i l l wouldn’t posses the ‘liveness’ of their debut are unfounded.
I mean, sure, it wasn’t recorded only with a handheld voice recorder onto recycled cassettes like their debut, but the joy of experimenting with the medium is still very apparent, particularly on lead single Bizness and accompanying, colourful, upbeat, off-kilter promo video. A brilliant record for anyone who used to bang old tin buckets with scabby bits of trees. – Henry Fry
39. Explosions In The Sky – ‘Take Care, Take Care, Take Care’ [Temporary Residence]
Texans Explosions In The Sky have gradually built up a huge cult following with their cinematic, atmospheric post-rock. Theirs is an instantly recognisable sound, the chiming guitars, simplistic melodies and gradual build-ups culminating in crashing, earth-shattering noise. For many fans of instrumental rock, they are the less discordant, slightly watered down, more easy listening Mogwai it’s cool to like.
Their more recent albums have been more about atmosphere than melody, and the majority of this album sticks to that template during its lengthier tunes. ‘Postcard From 1952′ opens up beautifully in its second half, a crystal clear guitar line driven along by an easy, loose drum groove. It is in these moments that Explosions In The Sky reveal their best qualities, and it leaves you feeling this record could be a possible turning point – do they continue to craft big atmospherics or go straight for the heartstrings with the memorable tunes they are so readily capable of? Their next record will give more answers to that question than this one does. – Tom Reed
38. Danger Mouse & Daiele Luppi – ‘Rome’ [EMI]
From the opening drum rolls of Rome’s intro then the first strum of the Spanish guitars, you can tell it’s an album with narrative and ambition. The work from Jack White and Norah Jones on this LP too showed Dj Dangermouse to have a lot more to him than ‘Crazy’. Reportedly, the record took 5 years to make and it was born out of the tones that used to soundtrack Spaghetti westerns. The attention to detail like the vintage recording gear and the use of the same choir who feature on the soundtrack of ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’ makes it an album like no other in 2011.
Songs like ‘The Rose With The Broken Neck’ carry such a haunting dusty production which then gets paired with some of music’s best known voices. Other highlights include the perfectly sleazy ‘Roman Blue’ which could make anyone feel a billion dollars. ‘Problem Queen’ with the effortless Jones vocal provides the best storytelling of the record with a spiraling glockenspiel sound running through each verse.
Nothing seems out of place which is a real triumph for such an eclectic record. The concept seems to have been perfectly understood by all involved to create an LP full or class, richness and a perfectly understated narrative that weaves through each of the songs. It’s like imagining Tarantino had a record made for him. The sophistication of Rome makes it really stand out in 2011 as a collaborative record showcasing one of the most renowned and important producers of a generation.– Duncan Harrison
37. The Joy Formidable – ‘The Big Roar’ [Atlantic]
The initially confusing thing about The Joy Formidable’s debut ‘The Big Roar’ was that it wasn’t quite a debut at all. At least four of the songs had been around the block, not least on a previous CD, originally intended as a Japan only mini-album. Austere dates all the way back to 2008. And yet it all works brilliantly, describing the trio’s arc of ascension from those early days to its present high point opening stadium shows for the Foos and doing American TV. They might still be best experienced live, but ‘Roar’ does a fine job of setting in aspic that glorious howling mess and you can feel Ritzy Bryan’s intensity crackling through. – Mike Hughes
36. Friendly Fires – ‘Pala’ [XL Recordings]
35. Eleanor Friedberger – ‘Last Summer’ [City Slang]
Awkward indie syllable-jiggling and quick-witted chanteuse Eleanor Friedberger steps away from the Fiery Furnace family business to release her inaugural solo effort. It’s pop but not as we know it; as Eleanor’s autobiographical swansong to New York is delivered with ponderous majesty. The sound of a straight-A Harved dropout playing around with a 70s musical sensibility.
It comes as no surprise that the sagacious and voracious referential Eleanor Friedberger has so easily taken to the pop sensibility with such aplomb and elan. Now set adrift to go solo, our syllable stretching, literature cramming, adroit sassy poster girl slips comfortably into her annoited role as a chronicler of a post 9/11 New York. Its as if her whole career has been leading upto this moment. Its also, only right, that she reaches a wider audience, as ‘Last Summer’ blends the quirky experimental elements of the Furnaces to a more conventional, if not friendly, format; full of endearing charm and intellectually acute promise. – Domonic Valvona
34. Wilco – ‘The Whole Love’ [dBpm Records]
The quality keeps up through the whole record – “Born Alone” may be the best power-pop song Tweedy has written since “I’m Always In Love” (especially for it’s awesome endless downward spiral of chords at the end) and “Rising Red Lung” is a delicious, acoustic-tinged treat. Cline shows his worth to the band here too, adding layers of delicate melody and atmosphere to Tweedy’s folkish tune. The most interesting effort is saved for last however.
Closer “One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)” doesn’t reveal it’s charms on the first listen through its generous 12 minute length. But stick a good pair of headphones on and hidden depths reveal themselves – a very simple tune cycles round and round repeatedly, as Tweedy sings in a low register of a dark, strained relationship between a father and son. When Tweedy sings “I feel relief, I feel well” he may well be in character, but there’s a ring of truth to it. It’s an incredibly powerful piece, which showcases both immense confidence and ambition in Tweedy’s songwriting. Those who doubted Wilco and feared for their ability to experiment in recent times will find much to rejoice in here. It seems Tweedy is quite happy being healthy again, thanks very much. – Tom Reed
33. Manchester Orchestra – ‘Simple Math’ [Favourite Gentlemen]
Manchester Orchestra’s third album struck a chord somewhere in between the energy of ‘Mean Everything to Nothing’ and the more considered, honest and raw approach of debut record ‘Like a Virgin Losing a Child’. The result is something quite spectacular; tracks like ‘Virgin’ immediately resonated with fans due to its grandiose appeal that reflected earlier favourites like ‘Where Have You Been?’. Elsewhere, ‘Mighty’ and ‘Pensacola’ demonstrate a more rapid pace, but still retain the invigorated passion etched into the core of all their song-writing to, collectively, produce a more autonomously absorbing listen. – James Smith
32. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Suck It And See’ [Domino]
Humbug brought me around to the band I had previously loved to hate, with its wonderfully raw bass sound that was reminiscent of old Queens of the Stone Age. On first listen, Suck It And See seemed to be a step in the wrong direction, but after copious listens thereafter, it’s clear that this was the intelligent direction for the band; mixing the rawness of Humbug with the lyrical prowess of the previous albums and wrapping them around some gloriously poppy hooks. Great stuff. – Craig Broad
31. Laura Marling – ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’ [Ribbon Music]
Marling is fast becoming an incredibly rounded and talented songwriter capable of matching the greats of her field.It’s a feat she achieves more repeatedly on this new record than her previous work, but she instils each song here not just with her own indelible mark, but populates them with richly drawn characters. There are repeated references to a beast on numerous songs, not least The Beast itself. The track has a darkly sensual air as it grows from Marling’s seductive whisper into something ominous and menacing over 6 stunning minutes. She is equally capable of deliciously sweet melody too, evidenced by the effortless Don’t Ask Me Why, which even throws some lustrous Eastern melodicism to it’s Joni Mitchell-esque vocal.
It’s a delightfully assured piece of work, that frames the key fact about Laura Marling’s transformation over her three records to date – ambition and confidence. With those two powerful allies, who knows what wonders are ahead of her?– Tom Reed
30. Braids – ‘Native Speaker’ [Kanine Records]
‘We wrote ‘native Speaker’ over a span of 2 years, some written when we were still living in Calgary [and] the rest when we moved to Montreal. Recording the songs that we wrote live was the challenging part.The experiences we’ve had, we’re always constantly putting ourselves in new environments and so much of what was written has been about our response and growth to these moments.’ – Extracted from Tiffany Daniel’s interview
29. The Horrors – ‘Skying’ [XL Recordings]
There’s much more to ‘Skying’ than playing spot-the-influences. They’re there, that much is clear: but this sound is distinctly ‘new’ Horrors. There’s a few missteps- ‘Endless Blue’ seems incongruously guitar-heavy, whilst most of the album lacks the anthemic immediacy of ‘I Can See Through You’, ‘Dive In‘ and ‘Still Life’. There’s a lot going on here too, so repeated plays are a must. But the trebly synths, faded guttaral vocals and layering of sounds at play work, for the most part, fantastically well, and album number three proves to be another step forward.All of which brings us to the title. ‘Skying’ isn’t much of an adjective; but it could pretty accurately sum up the bands’ career trajectory until now, I reckon. I’d go with something like: ’I remember when the Horrors were a little bit shit. Then they were flying. Now they’re positively skying.’ – Harry Milburn
28. Metronomy – ‘The English Riviera’ [Because Music]
In which Joe Mount and co fail to write a concept album about the English seaside. Instead they’ve come up with a Metronomy album, all falsetto harmonies, cheap but effective keyboards, and the obligatory duet with a girl who doesn’t really seem that into our hapless hero Mount. There’s more heft from the rhythm section this time around which is welcome without distracting from the charm. And it’s definitely a charming album, and that’s not meant in a damning-with-faint-praise way. Once again we are rooting for the geek here. That’s geek, not loser. After all, how can you lose when you’ve got ‘She Wants’ and ‘The Bay’, two of the best tracks of the year? Weirdly it’s an album that gets better and better as it goes on, so stay til the end. Not that you’ll want to leave early, after all, the seaside is lovely at this time of year. Exit pursued by seagulls.
– Holly Cruise
27. Sic Alps – ‘Napa Asylum’ [Drag City]
Most of the songs on Napa Asylum leave the listener with a triumphant juxtaposition – wanting more (“just another minute please, Sicies?”), yet knowing it is inconceivable to imagine the songs any differently. They are as perfect as they could possibly be; to alter them in any way, be it through longer duration or enhanced production, would take away the charm and unadulterated, primal joy Sic Alps have administered here in this stripped- down/shaken-up collection. The brief, catatonic bursts of melody and copious catchy hooks we are treated to on the snippet-like songs of Napa Asylum impacted memorably on this listener, not despite but partly due to its brevity and rawness.
So, an album full of tuneful tracks, untarnished and complimented by messy noise, little-to-no production and anarchic experiments – surely this is the American lo-fi dream? – Daniel Round
26. Three Trapped Tigers – ‘Route One or Die’ [Blood, Biscuits]
Wave upon wave of relentless urgency; this was almost exactly the kind of sound I’d expect to hear wizzing around the Large Hadron Collider. And much like Cern’s trans-dimensional doughnut, half the plaudits recieved are down to the fact that us mere mortals are afraid of it, and don’t really get what it all means. The half that do, well, they’re unanimously agosh at the potential it holds for humanity (used here as a metaphor for a self-absoring mainstream music industry, obviously).
Further praise is due to the trio for recreating the lead single from the soundtrack to a Michael Flatley RPG in 2150 (‘Cramm’), and for successfully squeezing Matt Berry’s ego into a video single (‘Reset’). Pioneering stuff.
– James McDonald
25. Crystal Stilts – ‘In Love With Oblivion’ [Slumberland]
With their first album, ‘Alight of Night’, Crystal Stilts wowed the critics, so much so NME rated it in their top ten albums of the last decade – while that may have been a little excessive anyone who heard the album couldn’t have failed to be impressed. Indeed for me it became a vital album to listen to during a tough period, bus trips to see a loved one in hospital became sound tracked by the album. The dark gothic drone coupled with urgent, almost primitive, garage rock was perfect for the place I was in, so from a personal point of view the second Crystal Stilts album was always going to be an important one. In an age of difficult second albums it is also important the band prove their critical acclaim was justified and that their not just another flash in the pan.
On hearing this album live, any doubts about them being able to live up to the hype and promise of their first album quickly vanished. The hypnotic drum beat, scratchy, urgent guitars, drone tinged keyboard and vocals almost impossible to hear; everything battles for control and somehow it all manages to come together to make an irresistible sound, evoking The Velvet Underground and Spaceman 3. While the Detroit garage scene of the early to mid 2000’s ran out of steam, without a new direction to explore, bands like Crystal Stilts, among others, have taken the Detroit sound but mixed it with psychedelic experimentation, to create music that has roots in the past but has its feet firmly in the here and now. While mainstream music continues to suffer a malaise, in the underground something special is stirring, and Crystal Stilts are one of the flag bearers, make sure you join them.– Anthony Page
24. Kanye West/Jay Z – ‘Watch The Throne’ [Def Jam]
Quite simply the most anticipated hip hop album of the century. The two biggest rappers alive didn’t really disappoint. First single, ‘H.A.M’ was questionable with frantic production and awkward staccato flow but as soon as the full LP dropped and listeners were treated to opener ‘No Church In The Wild‘ with hip hop’s new pinup Frank Ocean providing the coolest vocal since James Brown died, we knew they’d gone just about as big as they could have done. ‘Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy he made beats‘ spat Jay-Z on the opener. He sets a standard for the most self-important and wonderfully self-obsessed album in music. What else did we expect?
In terms of beats, the bouncy monotones of ‘Welcome To The Jungle‘ or the triumphant Redding sample on second single ‘Otis‘ show a standard that Yeezy and Hov could surely be proud of. They got this record so right because they didn’t pull out absolutely all the stops they could have done; Rihanna could quite easily have done Ocean’s vocal on the instant classic ‘Made It In America‘, but the fact they went for underground crooner Frank Ocean shows that there was more of a commitment to the sound than people might have expected.
Obviously Jay got his wife to sing on the poppiest track, ‘Lift Off‘, but other than that it seems to be all about the record itself, which is surprising for something where the idea was such a spectacle.
This colossal LP provides many instant classics with timeless Kanye beats on ‘Murder To Excellence‘, and perfect Jay-Z lines on ‘Who Gon Stop Me’. The golden lacquered artwork represented a record that could have been a sonic brag of all the collaborators these two have at there beck and call. What we got was a polished but raw sound that contained some of the strongest lines in both rapper’s careers. Nothing in hip hop touched it in 2011. Tyler’s ‘Goblin’ was fun and ballsy, Drake’s ‘Take Care’ was a modern masterpiece but on ‘Watch The Throne’ Kanye West and Jay-Z prove that nobody is gon’ stop them anytime soon. – Duncan Harrison
23. Anna Calvi – ‘Anna Calvi’ [Domino]
It’s nice to see a female soloist who’s a little bit sinister. In a year where Florence returned folkier and more hippy than ever, and Adele took over the world with her emphatic heartbreak anthems, Anna Calvi was out on her own with her Mercury nominated self-titled debut. Lead single ‘Desire’ showcased her powerful, forceful vocals which was the driving force behind an album that had a lot more about it than a lot of it’s contemporaries. ‘I’ll Be Your Man’ opens with areas of vacant guitar sounds riffing on top of simple, bold beats. Anna Calvi is a force to be reckoned with. Those red lips covering gritted teeth. Some of her lower singing made for some nearly unnerving listening. The album runs on wonderful songs written and sung by one of 2011’s most inventive and exciting soloists. – Duncan Harrison
This may have missed out on GIITTV’s top 10 general albums of the year, but I will fight any GIITTV writer who disagrees that this is the sexiest album of the year! And I don’t mean sexy in a Rihanna-wearing-next-to-nothing-singing-about-spanking sort of way, I mean properly sexy, as in sensual and enticing. From the very first track Ms Calvi’s guitar playing is both perfectly composed and a lid on bubbling lust; each note is in the right place, but there’s always that hint that it could explode into passionate excess at any minute. Same with her vocals. One minute she is purring about being held down by the object of her affections, the next she’s roaring about desire and the devil and all manner of temptations. And that’s before she starts upsetting the apple cart of expectations and promising “I’ll be your man”. It could all be an innocently intended exercise in taking classical guitar techniques, amplifying them and making an album which sounds both exquisitely retro and thoroughly modern at the same time. Or it could be lascivious filth from a stern guitar dominatrix. Or both. Whichever it is, make sure to have a cold shower afterwards, yeah? – Holly Cruise
22. Bjork – ‘Biophilia’ [One Little Indian]
If you want an album about the creation of the universe, complete with a song entirely about a virus and a cell falling in love, then look no further. Icelandic pop elf Bjork’s eighth studio album is bursting with life and invention in a very unique way. Many of the songs do not follow standard pop/rock song formats or the typical 4/4 time signature, but instead are based on complex atomic patterns, realised with homemade instruments, often having the feel more of freeform soundscapes exploring ideas rather than ‘a song.’ Vast in scope while maintaining an intimacy that makes it oddly personal, even in its abstractions, metaphors and universal observations. As experimental, surprising and delighting as any Bjork record, it also comes with a series of ipad apps narrated by David Attenborough. – Henry Fry
21. Elbow – ‘Build A Rocket Boys’ [Fiction]
20. Panda Bear – ‘Tomboy’ [Paw Tracks]
Noah Lennox’s congruous Delphic hymns once again prove hallucinatory inexorable and venerable. Inspired in part by his move to Portugal, the follow-up to ‘Person Pitch’ delivers a more exotic hotbed of undelinated suffused musical worship. – Dominic Valvona
I once read that Animal Collective were the Beatles of our generation. Putting aside the forlorn yearing for identity that ripples through ‘da kidz’ these days, ‘Tomboy’ may well be Lennox’s ‘Imagine’ – James McDonald
19. Yuck – ‘Yuck’ [Fat Possum]
Yuck surf the early 90s wave between the bittersweet jangle pop melodies of Teenage Fanclub through the fuzz box dynamics of My Bloody Valentine, with a healthy swerve in the direction American’s Dinosaur Junior, their influences might be clear, but their recent debut album contained a cracking set of tunes. The burst into ‘The Wall’ that’s carousel of fizzing guitars playful bass/drums and aching chorus’ instantly put you mind of a young Pixies.
‘Get Away’ is a stone cold highlight; its twitching instrumentals lifting you up and then thudding you down to earth, its ‘I love you /I hate you’ melodies bursting into the evening sky, laced with twirling leads. Its catchy chorus lines throb with youthful yearning (“Summer sun I want you I need you/But I just can’t get this feeling off my mind”). ‘Shook Down’, a more engaging down tempo foot tapping jangle, Daniel’s heartbreaking high pitched refrain of “you could be my destiny/ you can mean that much to me”> revealing a catchy slacker riff rippled with the ghosts of gaze. It’s an irresistible concoction.– Bill Cummings
18. Tom Vek – ‘Leisure Seizure’ [Island]
Second studio album from Tom Vek was a long time coming. After a 6 year absence from music, Zane Lowe announced he was back (as he so often does) with debut single ‘A Chore’ way back in April. What we were in store for was a 12 track, simple, but great LP. The throbbing cut up synths gelled with one track beats and vacant vocals made for a record that you can party to, but calm down too after again. This is a very simple conglomeration of sounds but it works because it’s what Vek does. He is a one-man machine that doesn’t over produce or over import and created a 2011 follow up with strong hooks and great vocals. Highlights include ‘A Chore’, ‘A.P.O.L.O.G.Y.’, and latest single ‘Aroused’, but overall this is a record that doesn’t work very hard but achieves and awful lot. – Duncan Harrison
Okay, so six years had seen him conform to an ‘uber-cool’ haircut and specs combo, while taking up residence in Dalston (I always imagined him in a lighthouse…), but Thomas Vernon-Kell has also invested his time and utmost consternation into what was always going to be the trickiest of follow-ups. When I spoke with him this summer, I was delighted to learn that again, all instrumentation (including the clay clamour of that drum kit) and production were conducted without exterior influence. For a record already tied to Island before it had been penned, this was a gutsy move. Accrediting the decision to a punk rock ethos would be plain wrong, as instead it had sprouted organically from the principle that too many cooks would invariably spoil the broth, atop a maturity that only hiatus could offer. Now, where’s the new Avalanches album? – James McDonald
17. Battles – ‘Gloss Drop’ [Warp]
On the whole, I would once again argue that, though almost making the full transition to an instrumental act, Battles have answered their critics and doubters by adding human elements to their sound, even if for nothing else but texture. Moreover, it is their iconic and highly skilled focus on vibrant rhythms which do so much to bring their music to life. Whether the critics choose to listen or not is another matter, but there is still an awful lot left on the table for those willing to get over their Braxton bereavement and give ‘Gloss Drop’ a committed listen. – James Smith
The anxiety here is borne out of how staggeringly high the band placed their benchmark four years ago, and the unrelenting wave of artists who fail to produce on their second outing. Battles simply can’t, there’s too much at stake for everyone. It’s irresponsible to dismiss this as a ‘brave new world’ for the band; musing life without Ty is purposeless given that it’s left a core of accomplished musicians capable of confident ventures without the need for stabilisers. – James McDonald
16. M83 – ‘Hurry Up We’re Dreaming’ [Mute]
That any album which starts with a track as momentous as the Zola Jesus duet Intro can claim to reach an emotional crescendo over an hour later is completely ridiculous, but I guess that’s just the world we live in now. There’s so much going on here that listing the highs and lows would be meaningless; suffice it to say that the reason that Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming works as well as it does is that despite the massiveness of it all, it feels intensely personal. When Anthony Gonzalez channels the full gamut of human emotion – through waves of synths, cavernous drums, hair metal guitars, and, crucially, his previously under-exploited voice – it feels like we’re collaborating, not observing. – Duncan Vicat-Brown
15. Admiral Fallow – ‘Boots Met My Face’ [Lo-Five]
There aren’t many new ‘indie/rock’ records that open with a delicate clarinet melody anymore, but this excellent debut from Glaswegians Admiral Fallow does. And when followed by this glorious line – “You sleep like a kid with one hand stuck fast to the side of your face/Backside in the air, mouth half open, but still filled with grace” from frontman Louis Abbot, you’ll probably fall for them within the first minute of opener ‘Dead Against Smoking’.This is a remarkable debut record, full of confidence and potency. Some feel that Admiral Fallow were unfortunate not to get a Mercury Prize nod, and its hard to disagree with any conviction.
– Tom Reed
14. SBTRKT – ‘SBTRKT’ [Young Turks]
SBTRKT has been talked about for a while, but he’s been careful not to release too much of his material. Yet none of the tracks he has actually released to date even feature on the album, ensuring it has the freshness a debut album should have; a mistake made by many of the hyped bands to release first albums in recent months. The restraint and attention to texture found here blur the lines between electro, garage and soul, and delivers one of the best albums of the year so far. – James TAE
13. EMA – ‘Past Life Martyred Saints’ [Souterrain Transmissions]
A rumbling odyssey, somewhere between Patti Smith, beat poets of the Alan Ginsberg ilk, Belly in their glorious heyday and musical progressions that might have come from the Doors breaking through from the other side. That sounds like a heap of praise, so I’ll put it into context. I’ve got a dozen new CDs to listen to. I keep giving them a spin, throwing them back out and putting this back in the player. If you want to get there quick, jump to track 2 – ‘California’. It’s not even an obviously accessible song: spoken words “Fuck California…” over descending fuzzed chords, a paean to the corrupting coruscation of American life. It gets to a point of such sadness that our heroine doesn’t mind the thought of dying at the age of 22, while her mind wanders off to hum the chorus of ‘Camptown Races’.
Or groove to the plucked string and moaning intro to ‘Butterfly Knife’ which progresses prettily into Edvard Munch territory and tells of twenty kisses with the eponymous blade, while “only God can make it right” and we gain the vague impression of the clapped out lines of a spiritual played out in the background.
Half-track ‘Coda’ sings Sunday School rounds about emptiness that makes you “want to throw up on the spot”, and all the time such pretty voices hidden in the machine. I could go on, there isn’t a duff piece of filler in here. It is serious stuff, at the same entertaining and immensely satisfying. If you have any inkling of a cracked life beyond the obvious, do not make the mistake I made of walking on by. Stop now and listen. – Mike Hughes
12. Help Stamp Out Loneliness – ‘Help Stamp Out Lonliness’ [Where Its At IS Where You Are]
Manchester sextet Help Stamp Out Loneliness released the best indie pop album we’ve heard all year in the spring, with their self titled debut ou. Drawn in by striking front lady D.Lucille whose resonating tone that quivers some where in the regions of Nico and Patti Smith, but retaining a individuality, a warmer knowingness that elivates these meticulously crafted jangling pop songs toward bittersweet majesty, harking back to the best work of Saint Etienne and the cinematic swoon of Camera Obscura.
Their soaring recent single ‘Record Shop’ that told the tale of a rock star groupie in the clutches of a glorious tune was an apt celebratory release on Record Store day itself, a day where we all champion our local independent record shop. It’s a theme they return too again on the clicking ode to audio cassette wrapping on ‘Cellophane’. Sometimes it may look backwards to a time of dusty vinyl sleeves, and kisses behind the bike sheds, but this album is littered with paeans to female characters whether they’re metaphorical, living, dead or just lost and never to be seen again. From the dear John Letter of spangly opener ‘Cottonpolis+Promises’that twinkles and twinges bizarrely mediating upon the domestic lives of Nico and John Cooper Clark. To the sublime lullabies and skipping rhythms of ‘Angelyne’ bristle with an exquisetly unrequited ‘I can’t get you out of my head’ lyric vingnette, concerning a girlfriend? Or a Hollywood star? Maybe both! Featuring the witty kiss off line. (‘Stuck a bannana up your exaust pipe and that I regret.’) Get yee to the record shop and purchase this longer player, it’s wonderful!
– Bill Cummings
11. The Antlers – ‘Burst Apart’ [Frenchkiss]
Burst Apart is very different from the band’s last release but yet at the same time, very similar. It sounds like one of the strangest things for a writer to perhaps say about a band but in this case it’s nothing but the truth. With Burst Apart we see the band writing songs that will perhaps appeal in a more widespread fashion. Yes, perhaps on this record there isn’t the cool kid indie appeal of songs like ‘Two’ but they still have some unashamedly indie style songs, they just seem more appealing to a wider range of people. That isn’t to say that The Antlers have lost the understated beauty to their music though; it’s still there, perhaps in more abundance that ever with the band happily layering keyboard samples, brass sections and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, but it’s done in such a way that it is only ever to compliment the song which showcases the musicianship within the band.
‘Burst Apart’ perhaps isn’t as lyrically inspiring or affecting as its predecessor but musically it comes across as far more accomplished with the band wearing their eighties influences on their sleeve and yet still creating a sound that they can call theirs and only theirs. ‘Hospice’ racked up a space on many critics top ten albums of the year lists, there’s no doubt that this record will achieve the same, if not more. If you buy anything this year, make it this album. – Craig Broad
We’ll be concluding our countdown this weekend, although if you missed the first part you can find it here.
