As we're in the mood for lists, name your (let's say) top 3 albums released this year and your biggest dissapointment.
Mine would be:
1. Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool. I struggle to think of the last time I heard such an all round fantastic debut album. It's like they've listened to all of my indie influences and blended them perfectly.
2. Alabama Shakes - Sound and Colour. Liked the first album but this was a real surprise, stretching themselves rather than taking the easy option.
3. Courtney Barnett - sometime I sit and think and some times I just sit. A pretty unique sound.
Biggest dissapointmemt:
Chvrches - every open eye. What happened! Absolutely LOVED the first album but this is largely dross. It's all of a sudden gone from 80's informed perfect synth pop, to poor quality cheese. In places Charlotte sounds like a little girl auditioning for Annie and failing badly.
Unless I've missed something, not a great year for Guitaristic choices?
Comments
1) "Last of Our Kind" - The Darkness.
- They delivered an album of great riffs, something that was missing from albums 2 + 3. There's not as many solos, but the songs are varied and well crafted and it sounds like a whole album rather than a compilation of disjointed songs that didn't flow (previous album Hot Cakes). The guitar playing takes influence from The Cult, DC, Queen, Thin Lizzy, and Def Lep... But still sounds like The Darkness. Highlights include Roaring Waters, Mudslide, Open Fire, and Last of our Kind.
2) "The Book of Souls" - Iron Maiden
The triple guitar attack of Maiden is back and a double album with some real killer moments and long epic tracks... The guitar makes up for what Bruce's voice has sadly lost due to 'the big C'.
3) "The Killer Instinct" - Black Star Riders
The musicality, the trademark Thin Lizzy twin lead guitars, the slight shift from cheesy lyrics to a more serious front, BSR continued their "war" theme with a solid album. Much better than the first. Very impressed and still enjoy it. The more serious side was what they needed.
Disappointment...
"High Country" - The Sword. For some reason, unfortunately me and this album didn't hit it off and it bored me.
Fourth album from them which came out about October and it is really good. Solid bass lines and fuzzy guitars. That's enough to keep me happy.
1. Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People (Awesome old school punk/rock and roll)
2. Chvrches - Every Open Eye (Despite what dindude said, I absolutely love it)
3. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? (Impossible not to dance to)
4. Spector - Moth Boys (Dark 80s style Indie Pop)
5. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space (Beautiful concept album)
6. Hooton Tennis Club - Highest Point in Clifftown (Messy 90s indie craziness)
7. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear (Huge sounding album of epic proportions)
8. Lucy Rose - Work It Out (A huge change from her earlier folk)
9. Foals - What Went Down (Their heaviest album by a mile)
10. El Vy - Return to the Moon (Great side project from Matt Behringer of the National)
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The best for me is 'Still' by Richard Thompson. Some of his finest ever songs, great playing and production by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. A classic album of the future.
The low point for me was 'Rattle That Lock'. Much as I love Gilmour's playing, the album just lacks songs of any substance or emotional weight. To be fair, after The Endless River I wasn't expecting it to be great....
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Totally echo @dindude on CHVRCHES. With the exception of a couple of tracks, it's cack. The best thing on it is one of the bonus tracks. Bad times.
I've also enjoyed...
"Return to forever" - Scorpions
"Venom" - Bullet for My Valentine
"The colour before the sun" - Coheed and Cambria
"Keep the village alive" - Stereophonics
"Higher truth" - Chris Cornell
"Born to play the Guitar" - buddy guy
"The chaos and the calm" - James Bay
"XIV" - Toto
"War of kings" - Europe
"Raise a little hell" - the Answer
"Water for Thirsty dogs" - Tracer
"Volume" - Skindred
"Battering Ram" - Saxon
"Aerosmith rocks Donington 2014" (2 disc + 1 DVD live album) - Aerosmith
"Rock n Roll" - Buckcherry
"1 Hopeful rd" - vintage trouble
"Into the sun" - Robben Ford
"Little victories" - the strypes
"Shockwave supernova" - Joe Satriani
"Def Leppard" - def Leppard
"revolución" - the dead daisies
"Devil city Angels" - devil city Angels
The list is endless.
*end of post*
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1. Iron Maiden
2. Queensryche
3. Act of Defiance
Not really been disappointed by any album's I've purchased.
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Laura Marling - Short movie
Mini mansions - The great pretenders
The Spitfires - Response
and my favourite of the lot and most played of the year,
Thundercat - The Beyond/Where the giants roam