Best Albums of 2014

Oh boy,
Was 2014 a good year for music?  Well, if you were looking for some big name album drops, then likely you were disappointed by most of what came out this year.  A lot of well-established bands put out albums that at best were mediocre during the course of this year.    However, a lot of good bands put out really excellent debuts, and newer bands have established themselves as becoming formidable forces.    There was not necessarily the most obvious choices for this year-end list, but it should be noted that sifting through all the great albums that had been released was quite the task.

2013 was quite a good year for music, even for the bit of it that happened to make its way into the radar.   Since writing up my previous post, I have come across a few more excellent albums that I missed out on the first time through, and I suspect the same will happen for this year as well.   The question is whether or not 2014 was a better year, and the answer is not necessarily obvious.   However, I can say that there are definitely a lot of stand out albums from new and unexpected sources that give rise to a few reasons to be excited about the state of music again.

Unfortunately, choosing the best of this year meant leaving out a lot of good albums in the top 10, and interested parties should refer to the honorable mentions area at the bottom.


10. Eagulls - Eagulls

First on the list is the surprising debut from the British post-punk indie-ish shoegaze-ish band that blipped on the radar earl this year.  With an unbashed sound reminiscent of Joy Division (and not to mention that vocalist George Mitchell even acts like Ian Curtis), the band may not be the most original, but they provide a fresh take on the post-punk formula, and have enough energy to make it worth your while.   Combined with a heightened talent for hooks, this album is certainly catchy, even if you can't understand anything that's being sung (which is done purposefully).   The album ends up being about a song too long, and there a few missteps, but this is otherwise and impressive debut providing a very interesting sound that could potentially continue to distill into something quite special

Rating - 7.0/10

9.  Circa Survive - Decensus

Continuing down the dark progressive road, Circa Survive's fifth album it not necessarily their best, but it continues to solidify the band's talent and unique sound.   Vocalist Anthony Green displays one of his best performances yet throughout this album, and the songs have become harder, stronger and more complex.  This album is definitely one that grows on you throughout multiple listens, and may not be as immediate as some of their earlier material.   This album represents Circa Survive masterfully combining post-hardcore, indie rock, progressive rock, and enough of a melodic punk/emo core to latch onto.

Rating - 7.0/10

8. Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In the End

Here is something that I never would have expected to have happened - not only is there is a post 90s Weezer album that could have made its way up onto a top list, but it actually ends up being perhaps the band's third strongest album overall.   Taking the time yet again to "rethink" and reinvent themselves, River and crew managed to, for the first time in years, tap that something personal and real that made their first two albums such classics.   Musically, much of the material on this album, aside from a few missteps in the first two songs, that would have fit perfectly along side tracks from the Blue Album.

Rating - 7.0/10

7. Damien Rice - Favorite Faded Fantasy

With his last album having come out in 2006, I hadn't really expected to hear anything again from Damien Rice at this point, especially considering the general lack of output or news that had come out over this time period.   However, after all this time, Damien Rice has managed to perfect an 8-album track of what is his strongest output yet.   On his third album, he has managed to make perhaps his darkest, most complex album, using his perfected style of melodic, dark and strongly progressive folk/indie rock.    Perhaps topping as one of the most depressing albums of the year, highly recommended.


Rating - 7.5/10



6. Crosses - Crosses

It may not necessarily be accurate to state that the self-titled crosses album is actually their debut.   Two-thirds of the album is comprised of material that was released as EPs previously in 2013 and 2012, and the album is essentially just the addition of 5 new songs that would have possibly comprised a third EP.    Likewise, Crosses is the brainchild of Chino Moreno, vocalist behind the powerhouse of the Deftones, and features members of previous 90s hidden gem Far.   Therefore its members are not new to the scene.

Crosses offers a wicked combination of Chino's dreamy rock vocal stylings combined with electronic and alternative elements.   The Deftones ability to combine dreamy structures and melodic pop elements can be heard through some of the compositions as well.  Although just a musical side project, there is a lot to digest in this album, and it ends up being quite catchy and infectious.


Rating - 8.0/10

5. Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World

Coming back 10 years after their debut album, Toronto's revolutionary bass & drum indie dance-punk band is back with a second album of thumping bass guitar-driven tunes.   This second time around they've honed their craft, and while it may not have the raw energy and edge that the first album had, their follow up 10 years later is a much more melodic and tight sound.   Fortunately, the band has not grown up too much, and manage to make the album still quite fun and raw.  A lot of people might disagree with me when I say that this album is actually better than their debut, but at the very least I'll say that it's a strong contender.

Rating - 8.0/10

4. The Horrors - Luminous

Coming off the groundbreaking streak of their last two albums, Luminous marks the band beginning to build upon that ground.  On their fourth album, The Horrors have established themselves with their unique brand of 80s influenced dreamy psychedelic indie rock, and continue stepping forwards.  Much of the music on this album is similar to Skying, and the band continues to build onto the structure and sounds they established on that album, further distilling their own style.   While nothing on this album is quite as immediate, the album as a whole is a fantastic experience, and many of the songs are long-lasting growers.  Too bad they keep cancelling all of their US tour dates.



Rating - 8.3/10

3. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

If you've ever wished that The Boss was retrofitted with some alternative and shoegaze, then Lost in the Dream is the album that you have been looking for.  The sheer number of influences and aspects to the sound that is created on this album is all the more impressive upon realizing that this is only their third release.   Many of the songs are slower burners, and continue to build upon themselves into a beautiful mess of americana style, psych-out shoegazing indie explosions, all wound together with a strong sense of melody and style.  An album that is essentially all killer and no filler with the sheer density of the music, combined with a killer sense of melody and timing, makes this a top contender for sure.

Rating - 8.8/10

2. Nothing - Guilty of Everything


In what is definitely the best debut album of 2014, Nothing combines the raw energy of punk with a slightly metallic shoegaze shine.   Almost all of the album's 9 tracks (Bent Nail is mostly uninteresting) pound away on the listeners ear drums with a heavy fuzzed out intensity reminiscent of early 90s shoegaze, with a modern twist.    There is enough melody in the music to grab onto, and enough mystery and cloudiness to appease the psychedelic senses of the listener for enhanced appreciation.  A band to continue to look out for.

Rating - 9.0/10

1.  Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (Best Album)

Yes, there are two top albums for 2014.   I thought I would make the distinction between what I think is the "best" album, as opposed to the one that I spent the most time listening to, or "the favorite."  The best award goes to Foundations of Burden, the second album from the Arkansas Doom/Post-Metal band Pallbearer.   Don't let the term "metal"scare you away from this album in this case, because despite the title, the band mostly bears its influence of Black Sabbath and stoner rock.  With their notable debut in 2012, Sorrow and Extinction, the band has significantly tightened up their grip and focus on their second outing, as well as creating a sound that further pushes the band's genre-breaking boundaries.   Despite the doom and gloom mood established on this album's five generally 10+ minute songs, the songs never feel too downtrodden or too long to enjoy.

Perhaps most notably is the sound of the album itself, which is a significant outing compared to their debut.   The first album sounded like it was recorded in a room filled with mostly marijuana smoke - on that album you could feel the influence on the band itself.   However, the much clearer and sonically grands sound of Foundations allows the listener themselves to feel as though they are the ones in the room, as opposed to just the band.   This distinction is important in delineating the many reasons why this album is just so good.    Some of the other reasons include just how "tight" the band's sound is on this album; both the sonic perfection and the guitar tones themselves are actually more reminscent of late 70s arena rocker perfectionists Boston, as opposed to the doom and stoner heritage much of the album would suggest.

Frankly, everything about this album is impressive and definitely worth a listen.

Rating - 9.5/10


1.  Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else (Favorite Album)

In contrast to the long-winded Foundations of Burden, Cloud Nothing's barely half an hour 8 track, third album proper, is definitely my most played 2014 album at this time. Compared to 2012s' Attack of Memory, Here and Nowhere Else is stripped down, both in band production, as they gone from two guitarists to one.   However, the scope and heights that these scrappy Ohio rockers attempt to aim for in their garage is astoundingly large.  Equal parts the aggressive energy of Nirvana and the fuzzed out psych of the Silversun Pickups, the power of this trio is quite impressive.   Perhaps of particular note is the band's drummer, who plays an agressive style similar to that of Grohl on the Foo Fighter's The Colour and the Shape, which was before he stepped back from the kit to the front of the stage.

Here and Nowhere Else is a perfect representation of why rock in its simplest form is still effective.   The album burns on both ends through its brief 8 track length, and the number of hooks and melodies is packed quite densely.  Vocalist Dylan Baldi's Cobain-esque park has gotten even better, and the constantly pushing-forward drum work helps keep each track energetic and fresh sounding.   Perhaps the one weak link is the bass guitar, not necessarily in playing, but some of the defined quality of the melodies are lost in the mild lo-fi, in your face production.

Everything on this album stacks up as well to their previous work on Attack on Memory, and frankly its the most fun spin you'll have in a while.

Rating - 9.3/10

Here's a just few more albums worth noting that just didn't quite make the list, but are all definitely worth a listen.

Honorable Mentions:
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - IX
OK Go - Hungry Ghosts
Agalloch - Serpent and the Sphere
Alcest - Shelter
EMA - Future's Void

And a few worth mentioning for being not quite so interesting

Dishonorable Mentions:
Stars - No One is Lost
Warpaint - Warpaint
Anathema - Distant Satellites
Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Opeth - Pale Communion
Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways


Notable exceptions:   I still haven't had the chance to really listen to Brill Bruisers, by the
New Pornographers, so I am unable to add it to any sort of inclusion in the ranking here.