David's Favorite Albums of 2014

1.)    Sylvan Esso, Sylvan Esso

My first exposure to Sylvan Esso was when they opened for Volcano Choir in 2013. I was fascinated after witnessing Amelia Meath’s bobbing, dancing and singing while Nick Sanborn made infectious beats with every enthusiastic twist and turn of a knob. Their debut album was packed with luscious synth beats and graceful vocal melodies that resonated throughout the entire year. No matter what came out, I kept coming back to this record. Beautifully catchy tunes like “Coffee” and “Play it Right” are the reason I gave Sylvan Esso a dedicated listen, but it’s the deep cuts that make this whole record come together as a beautiful colorful masterpiece.

2.)    James Vincent McMorrow, Post Tropical

I knew this would be one of my favorites as soon as the closing track, “Outside, Digging”, faded out. This was the first record I heard this year and easily one of the best. The emotion explodes into shrill falsettos accompanied by inspirational crescendos, beautifully crafted and well-produced.

3.)    St. Vincent, St. Vincent

Annie Clark released one of the most innovative records in the last decade. I recommended this record to everyone. If you like pop, rock or synth, then you will love this record. It has something for everyone and the explosive guitar on this record puts rock music back on the forefront, but with an entirely new soundscape. Every song on this thing is pure brilliance, and I couldn't get enough of it.

4.)    Alt-j, This is all yours

After An Awesome Wave put Alt-j at the top of the indie art-rock scene, you couldn’t help but wonder how they could possibly top their debut, especially after they parted ways with their bassist, Gwill, but somehow they pulled it off. The first single, “Hunger of the Pine”, gave fans the same emotional feeling that their debut album gave, but executed with a slower more electronic styling. This is all yours is an absolute masterpiece both lyrically and musically.

5.)    Run River North, Run River North

We all have those bands that we feel don’t get nearly enough critical attention and Run River North is the one for me. Formerly known as Monsters Calling Home, Run River North released their self-titled debut and it’s fantastic. The folk-rockers’ debut is full of lush harmonies and a serene sense of comfort that is astonishing. Looking forward to hearing more from this band.

6.)    Chet Faker, Built on Glass

I found myself obsessing over the song “Talk is Cheap” when I first heard Chet Faker’s Built on Glass. I listened to it so much that I hardly took the time to focus to the rest of the record and give it a dedicated listen, but when I did I was in love. The mix of synth beats, sleek electric piano licks, and poignant lyrics make Built on Glass a gem. It turned out “Talk is Cheap” wasn’t even my favorite off the record when I was engulfed in tracks like “To Me” and “1998”.

7.)    Manchester Orchestra, Cope & Hope

Atlanta rock outfit Manchester Orchestra’s fourth studio album, Cope, may be their heaviest record to date. From the blasting opening track, “Top Notch”, to the explosive closer, and title track, this record is pure rock. It’s heavy. It’s loud. It’s awesome. Hard to not mention their reimagined album released this year as well, titled Hope, which had these hard-hitting tracks stripped down into emotional acoustic ballads. As if Cope wasn’t already fantastic Manchester Orchestra couldn’t keep their hands off this material and give the fans an entire other album like they’ve never heard before. Honorable Mention to the track “Indentions”, because I think it’s perfect.

8.)    Alvvays, Alvvays

I stumbled into this record not realizing what I was in for. I streamed it prior to the release and I had no idea I would be listening to such bright bouncing beach rock smothered with lyrics that can bring you to tears and have you shouting the words at the top of your lungs. Some of the undoubtedly catchiest tunes of the year came off of the Canadian rockers’ debut (“Archie, Marry Me” and “Party Police”). Alvvays isn't the only band making music like this, but in my opinion they are currently the best at making an entire album so bright that left Molly Rankin’s voice ringing through my speakers all year, feeling like I never left the beach.

9.)    Mick Jenkins, The Water[s]

“Comparing water to life’s truths” (via Facebook), Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins’ mixtape The Water[s] dwells on this comparison with water throughout the entire mixtape. I didn't hear many rap/hip-hop records that stayed in heavy rotation for me, but I couldn't stop listening to The Water[s].  The jazz influence makes for some elegant sounds underneath the beats, on tracks like “Healer” having a really soft guitar leading the track. Jenkins will be a rapper to keep your eyes on in the near future.

10.)  Angel Olsen, Burn Your Fire For No Witness

Angel Olsen is yet another brilliant artist to be signed with Jagjaguwar. Burn Your Fire For No Witness is a record with raw emotional power. The title of the album engrained this idea of a fire in my head; with “Unfucktheworld” being the sparks and once lit “Forgiven/Forgotten” is the massive fire that remains for a few tracks. Slowly towards the second half of the record the songs slow down, Angel’s voice gets softer until it’s over and there’s nothing left but the smothering remnants of “Windows”. This record is great. The harsh emotions of heartbreak, loss and depression just tear me apart to a point where they are haunting. The song “White Fire” is smothered in melancholy and remained one of my favorite songs of 2014.

11.)  Hospitality, Trouble

The Brooklyn based rockers released Trouble pretty early in the year and for the longest time it remained in my car. “I Miss Your Bones” was of course a catchy tune, but not the only memorable track. “Sullivan” ended up being of my absolute favorite songs for the entire year. Hospitality was able to start off this album with a bold blasting song like “Nightingale” while slowing down the last few tracks severely while I remained interested and heavily satisfied.

12.)  Beck, Morning Phase

Hard to say anything that hasn't been said about this one. Beck’s “sequel” to Sea Change was an all-out spectacle for folk-rock. The whole record is such a smooth clean listen, and every track has the potential to be a single. “Heart is a Drum” is my personal favorite.

13.)  Sharon Van Etten, Are We There

Yet another one of Jagjaguwar’s finest, Sharon Van Etten’s Are We There is a heartbreaking record that can easily move me to tears. Painstakingly vivid lyricism on this record can rip your heart open. Piano ballads like “I Know” restore faith in the power of simple delicate songs with nothing more than an artist and a piano.

14.)  Coldplay, Ghost Stories

I thought I had lost my interest in Coldplay after Mylo Xyloto. After an album like that, one would think that the band has changed forever, but I was dead wrong. I didn't think they had it in them to strip things down and deliver an astounding and soft record. Ghost Stories is an important record for Coldplay, and fans of early Coldplay. I can only hope that the early fans still gave this record a listen, because it was well-worth the experience.

15.)  Royal Blood, Royal Blood

I somehow discovered this album late in the year, and it managed to bump out my previous #15 spot, because I think this self-titled debut is spectacle in rock music. Even more impressive is the fact that Royal Blood is a two-piece band. I didn’t believe it when I was told. Bands like The Black Keys and The White Stripes have had success with this, but Royal Blood explodes with so much heaviness exploding from the bass-guitar and pounding drums, adding some real grit that the front lines of rock music have been missing.