Top ten albums of 2014. This list is objective, not subjective. These are objectively the best albums of 2014. There can be no other lists after this one. This is about to be way too long. Here we go. 1. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata - This is one of the best hip hop albums Ive heard in a really long time. Madlib is possibly my favorite hip hop producer of all time, but I wasnt so sure about Freddie Gibbs until this album dropped. Damn did he prove himself. The way Freddie Gibbs rides Madlibs soulful, sample-laden beats on this album is flawless, especially on a track like Shitsville. Piñata transitions flawlessly between beautiful soul samples and intense, hard hitting beats which showcase Gibbs skill perfectly. Gibbs has a great way of discussing the struggles in his life and the culture of gang life that he comes from without glorifying it or demonizing it. He just tells it like it is and lets the listener decide. Also, no one does a brag track like this guy does, as demonstrated by every bar on the fantastic single from this album Thuggin. Theres not much more I can say about this album, except that its the best album of the year and the best hip hop album since Good Kid, M.a.a.d City in 2012. Everyone should listen to this album. 2. Flying Lotus - Youre Dead - Ive always had a love/hate relationship with Flying Lotus. Hes an incredibly unique and imaginative producer, but a lot of his music just stresses me out and gives me a headache. I love his 2010 album Cosmogramma for instance, but I can never sit down and listen to it all the way through. Ill groove out to the track Do the Astral Plane for hours on end, but five songs into the album as a whole and Im having a panic attack. This is not the case on Youre Dead. It is a beautifully layered album, and is nearly flawless in its delivery. It flows like a good story, and keeps the listener interested and entertained throughout. It certainly has its intense and anxiety-ridden moments, but never to the point where it drowns out the lovely melodies and brilliant song structures. Plus Thundercat delivers some incredible bass lines on this album. Highlights of this album include Kendrick Lamars verse on Never Catch Me, the bass line on Coronus, the Terminator, and the beat on Turtles. This is Flying Lotuss best yet, and Im very very excited for his next project, whatever and whenever it may be. 3. St. Vincent - St. Vincent - The first time I heard St. Vincent, it was the song Marrow off of her 2009 album Actor. I hated it. I thought it was weird just for the sake of being weird. I didnt listen to her again until she released the album Strange Mercy in 2011 and I heard the song Cruel. I heard that song once and I was hooked. I went back to the album Actor and began to question my own sanity when I had first listened to her. Strange Mercy quickly became my favorite album of that year, and one of my favorite albums period. I listened to all 3 of her albums non stop, until everyone around me was sick of hearing her. This new album is not as good as Strange Mercy or Actor, but all that statement proves is how fantastic those two albums are, because St. Vincent is an amazing album. In a lot of ways the album is all over the place, but it still maintains a strong feeling of cohesion and coherence throughout. The way Annie Clark blends genres to create her own unique sound is masterful and unparalleled. The influences found throughout this album are too many to count, yet it always sounds like pure Annie Clark. The first five songs on this album are absolutely incredible, especially the single Digital Witness, which I would consider to be the best single of the year. Annie Clark continues to grow and progress as an artist, and I am very excited to see what she will do next. 4. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for no Witness - Im not totally sure what to say about this album. I dont know that much about Angel Olsen, as I had never heard of her before I listened to this album. In terms of lyricism, this is hands down the best album of the year. Angel Olsen has an incredibly unique voice, both when she writes and when she sings. She has a distinct warble in her voice which will make you nostalgic for a time long before you were ever born, and her lyrics and the emotion in her voice will absolutely tear you up inside in the best ways. In the song Lights Out, the best song on the album, Olsen sings No ones gonna hear it the same as its said No ones gonna listen to it straight from your head. That may be true, but when you listen this album youll swear youre listening to the words straight out of Olsens head. The emotions on this album are unparalleled for this year, and everyone should check it out. 5. Thom Yorke - Tomorrows Modern Boxes - Ill admit I had low expectations for this album. I didnt like his first solo album from 2006 The Eraser, and the 2013 album Amok that he did with his side project Atoms for Peace was really a let down. Despite all this, I begrudgingly shelled out the 6 dollars for this album. Wow was I proven wrong. This album might be a bit repetitive at times, and it doesnt exactly explore any new territory in terms of electronic music, but damn this album is just such a fun listen. Its a purely enjoyable album. The beats are interesting, mind bending, and entrancing, and the way Thom Yorke uses his voice as an instrument is enchanting. I couldnt stop listening to this album when it came out, and I still listen to it on a regular basis. If youre looking for an electronic music album which is easy to listen to but still engaging and interesting, definitely check this one out. 6. Sun Kil Moon - Benji - This album is absolutely heartbreaking. That really is the best way to describe it. The second Mark Kozelek begins singing on the heart-wrenching first song Carissa, you know that youre in for an emotional and painful experience. This album is essentially Kozelek talk-singing about sad and painful true stories from his life for just over an hour. The music is low key, melancholy, and simple, and it perfectly accentuates the devastating stories told by Kozelek. He may have had a rough and controversial year in a lot of ways, but it doesnt change the fact that Kozelek released one of the most moving and impactful albums of the year. Everyone should give this beautiful piece of art a listen. 7. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 - This album was difficult for me to get a grasp on. Ive been a fan of Killer Mike since I first heard him on the classic Outkast album Stankonia, and I was an instant fan of El-P when I heard Run the Jewels incredible first album from last year, Run the Jewels. That was easily the most fun album of 2013, and its an album I still listen to on at least a weekly basis. Killer Mike and El-P are both powerful and brilliant MCs, and El-Ps production is extremely hard hitting, intriguing, and engaging. Naturally, I was extremely excited for this new album, and it was a very good album. However, I feel that it falls short of their first album. The reason their first album worked so well is because it was just so much fun. It had its serious moments, but it remained fun. I felt that on the new album, they put more effort into being serious, and as a result I felt that they lost some of the characteristics which made the first album so enjoyable. The production is still incredible, and both MCs absolutely kill it, but I couldnt stop comparing it to the first album. Still though, this album is definitely worth a listen. 8. Aphex Twin - Syro - Aphex Twin is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in electronic music, and it is incredibly easy to hear his influence all over the modern electronic music landscape. This makes it all the more amazing that his first new album as Aphex Twin in 13 years is not only a great album, but is also relevant. How often do influential artists such as Aphex Twin release come back records which pale in comparison to their past accomplishments and feel out of place in terms of modern music? All too often, so I was a bit worried when I heard Aphex Twin was coming out with something new. Luckily my worry was misplaced. Richard James was not only able to make an album which fit and made sense in the modern era, but was at the same time progressive, unique, and forward thinking. Compared to past Aphex Twin records, the Richard D. James Album being at the forefront of my mind, Syro is a very relaxed and calm record. But this only serves to illustrate how James has grown and progressed as an artist over the years. Its gratifying and satisfying to see such an accomplished artist not become stagnant or satisfied, and I look forward to whatever else he puts out going into the future. 9. Manatee Commune - Brush - A little over a year ago I was in Bellingham Washington visiting some friends, and we went to a small coffee shop on the campus of Western Washington University to see some guy that one of my friends knew perform. The guy played under the name Manatee Commune, which I though was a bit odd. I was pretty uninterested, as Ive been to a lot of small shows in local coffee shops which have ranged from boring to tortuous, and the name Manatee Commune seemed a bit odd. I ordered some tea and watched the guy set up his gear on the stage. I was intrigued by some of his equipment, but still didnt expect much. Man was I blown away when he started playing. Manatee Commune is the epitome of chill, laid back ambient electronic music. He didnt invent the genre, but he may have just perfected it. He channels the spirit of the Northwest perfectly in his music, and nothing is better to listen to on a chill rainy day than his new album Brush. The beats meld perfectly with the lovely laid back melodies, and the way that he uses vocal samples in his music is extremely unique and intriguing. I could listen to this album on repeat for days, and I have. This dude is going to make it big, and if he doesnt, theres something seriously wrong with the world. 10. Taylor Swift - 1989 - Ive been an unashamed fan of Taylor Swift since her 2008 album Fearless, and although I love every one of her albums, I have no qualms with saying 1989 is far and away her best album yet. While this album does contain many mainstream pop cliches and tropes, it never falls victim to them. The thing that always shines through, past all the catchy polished top 40 beats, is Taylors addictive and unbelievably endearing personality which saturates her lyrics. It is impossible not to fall in love with Taylor at least a little bit while listening to this album, shes just so damn likable. Every song on this album is exceptionally infectious, and its the perfect singing-in-the-shower album. Its just good fun, and people shouldnt be so embarrassed to admit they life Taylor Swift. Because lets be honest, who the hell doesnt like Taylor Swift? Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Swans - To Be Kind YG- My Krazy Life Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear Sam Smith - In the Lonely Hour Cara Kovarik Morgan Cole
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 05:11:49 +0000
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