Considering that there doesn't seem to be too many upcoming album releases that excite me, I'm going to do my yearly top 10 albums now. Last year, I added descriptions. This year, I'm adding Spotify links. Aren't I just lovely?
This year, there will also be no order and no outright Number 1 choice (because it's so clearly Radiohead, it doesn't need to be said).
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped PoolAfter the mixed reception that
The King of Limbs received in 2011, Radiohead have delivered an absolute masterpiece with
A Moon Shaped Pool. After years of itching to work with an orchestra on a Radiohead album, Jonny Greenwood was given the chance to add some beautiful string elements to the mix. From the Camberwick Green-inspired video of Burn the Witch (which features percussive strings and politically-charged vocals) to the ambient soundscape of Daydreaming, AMSP has everything you could possibly want from a Radiohead album. Thom Yorke’s vocals are as great as ever, and the album is absolutely resplendent.
Favourite tracks: Burn The Witch, Decks Dark, Identikit Red Hot Chili Peppers – The GetawayAfter John Frusciante left RHCP for the second time in 2009, his replacement Josh Klinghoffer was finding his feet in their last album
I’m With You, offering a more textural style of guitar.
IWY was a very solid album, but with the help of new producer Danger Mouse, RHCP have been able to pick the best elements and bring them forward to
The Getaway. The titular track serves as a nice lead-in to the rest of the album, and while it’s unmistakeably Red Hot Chili Peppers (Anthony Kiedis, after his 33 years of frontmanning, still has that...unique vocal quality) you feel that Klinghoffer and Flea have had the most influence on this album. In my mind, this is their best offering since
Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
Favourite tracks: Dark Necessities, Goodbye Angels, Go RobotBiffy Clyro – EllipsisI seem to recall that our own East Londoner was put off by Biffy Clyro by an NME cover featuring a sweaty Simon Neil on-stage. This album should appeal to him from the off, then, since it features Neil with James and Ben Johnson curled up naked on a white background. Having ditched their heavy, math-rock roots from the early days, their more recent offerings
Only Revolutions and
Opposites have been considered a little more radio-friendly.
Ellipsis brings back more than a sniff of their back catalogue, kicking off with the aggressive Wolves of Winter, whilst retaining the elements that brought them to a more mainstream audience; Re-arrange and Medicine bring perhaps a little respite from their highly-charged, thunderous creations on this album.
Favourite tracks: Wolves of Winter, Animal Style, FlammableBlossoms – BlossomsThe Stockport-based five-piece burst onto the British music scene this year, leading with their bubbly, electropop-inspired Charlemagne. There’s an unmistakeable 1980s twang to Blossoms’ debut album, but they still remain firmly rooted into a familiar, contemporary indie-pop genre. There are plenty of good ideas on this album, and it’ll be interesting to see if any of their future offerings cover as much ground. I was lucky enough to see them in the summer, and they create a great atmosphere.
Favourite tracks: Texia, Blow, Smashed PianosWarpaint – Heads UpWarpaint have never been a band afraid to experiment, but their latest direction came as something of an accident. Drummer Stella Mozgawa broke her foot as the band started recording, and she instead turned to programming drum machines during her recovery to breach the gap. The added electronics have embellished Warpaint’s creative direction, and add a new element to the breathy vocals of Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman.
Heads Up is an incredibly fresh offering, and adds a greater sense of "danceability" to their music that was perhaps first explored in their previous album. Next March will be the third time I see them live, and I definitely feel it’ll be a different experience to the first two times.
Favourite tracks: New Song, So Good, Don’t Let GoKishi Bashi – SonderlustKaoru Ishibashi is perhaps best known for his time in Of Montreal, but the classically-trained violinist has released a couple of his own electronically-influenced albums.
Sonderlust offers a blend of bouncy synthpop with raw, sparkling violins to provide a fresh, vibrant quality to each track. The songs themselves are brimming with depth, and explore the wide scope of Mr Ishibashi's post-divorce emotions.
Favourite tracks: Can’t Let Go Juno, Hey Big Star, Ode to my Next LifeSunflower Bean – Human CeremonyThere are plenty of psychedelic qualities to Sunflower Bean’s debut album, but they feel refined and carry plenty of energy through the tracks on offer. There’s a variety of both mellow and energetic songs embellished with some jangly guitar effects and Julia Cumming’s soft vocals to provide a slight 1970s sheen, whilst still retaining a modern, slightly-psychedelic vibe to their music.
Favourite tracks: Come On, Easier Said, Wall WatcherAutolux – PUSSY’S DEADAutolux have built their sound from Carla Azar’s visceral drumming style for years, and have paired it for this album with a gloomy, brooding soundtrack to create something incredibly raw.
PUSSY’S DEAD creates a dark, swirling atmosphere with bassy guitars and occasionally disjointed timing to develop that shadowy ambience further. Not an album title that Donald Trump would enjoy.
Favourite tracks: Selectallcopy, Brainwasher, Hamster SuiteBoxed In – MeltThe project of songwriter Oli Bayston, Boxed In have released their second album after some radio success with their self-titled first.
Melt utilises plenty of rich, intense sounds to develop interesting, melancholic soundscapes, but tempers it with bouncy drum and piano compositions to create a bittersweet aesthetic to the album.
Favourite tracks: Shadowboxing, London Lights, OxbowDavid Bowie – BlackstarDuring the creation of this album, David Bowie knew his remaining time on Earth was limited. Releasing Blackstar as something of a parting gift, he and long-time producer and friend Tony Visconti set to work on something different to anything he’d really done before. Modern R&B and electronica were clear influences, with a twist of jazz operating within their creative vision. On release, the album felt like Bowie signing off from a long, illustrious and groundbreaking career. Days later, that sadly became true.
Favourite tracks: Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves MeOther recommendations:
The Cat Empire – Rising With The SunCatfish and the Bottlemen – The RideM83 – JunkJohn Frusciante – Foregrow EPTurin Brakes – Lost Property
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