Friday 20 February 2015

Best Albums of 2014 // Rock edition

So Beck just won 'Best Rock Album' at the Grammys. Obviously Beck's a talented guy but it can't help feeling like too little too late; a belated apology for past neglect. But it got me thinking: what great rock bands exist at the moment? I asked a few friends and I got “Queens of the Stone Age” and “Foo Fighters” with a ‘clasping at straws’ expression accompanying the latter. I feel like rock might be being a bit narrowly interpreted here but they kind of have a point. To the ordinary person, rock has faded from the radar by quite some measure. 

I’m gonna knock out a few more of my favourite albums of the year but I guess this post is also my attempt at defending rock from its slander, because if the Foo Fighters are the best we’ve got then rock really is dead...


Iceage: Plowing into The Field of Love





You could probably tell I was a bit excited about this one! I’ve almost reviewed “Plowing into the Field of  Love” in the abstract - just scroll back a bit for my loving words - but this album deserves more than a cursory mention so here’s some more thoughts. The first thing you might notice is that the lyrics are strikingly thoughtful for a Danish punk act. They’re also self-aggrandising to the point of parody. In the album’s opening, Elias declares himself a “stunner of a being so profound”. He casually suggests that he must be the “saviour”, the “second coming”. Only a track later we find Elias brazenly slurring out the line: “After all, I think it’s evident that I am God’s favourite one and now is the time I should have whatever I desire”. There’s something formidable about the character Elias builds; something unnerving in its unflinching self-assurance. The megalomaniacal power that the band yields is channeled through the anger in the arrangements. Horns blare, strings groan and pianos give voice to glimpses of vulnerability. Plowing into the Field of Love is emotionally devastating; it is a school bully with an abusive past.

The sound that Iceage have forged on this album is unlike the simple punk of their previous efforts. Healthy doses of Nick Cave and Sonic Youth are smeared all over this record. Give “How Many” a listen below (and note the very Sonic Youth influenced guitar intro!) or buy the record here.




Protomartyr: Under Color of Official Right




Protomartyr’s “Under Color of Official Right” is uncannily similar to Plowing into the Field of Love. Joe Casey has a set of pipes assembled by the same creator of Elias’s jaded vocal chords, but it’s a revised version: more predictable, more palatable. The sound the band creates is easier to pigeonhole too, a sort of amalgamation of Joy Division, The Strokes, and The Fall. This is Post-Punk in a more traditionalist form but it isn’t entirely derivative or uninteresting. The proof is in the songs, and they’re great, simply put.

Listen to Maidenhead below or buy the record here and take some time to enjoy what may be the most stunning album art of the year.





Morgan Delt: Morgan Delt




Morgan Delt’s self-titled LP is a short and sweet taste of psychedelia. Its 33 minutes ring with a faux-lo-fi buzz and the melodies that bubble over are anchored in strange, middle-eastern modes that resolve into perfect westernised pop. There’s moments that seem as though they could be TV ad worthy (see obstacle eyes) and other moments that come straight from the left field with unforgiving drug-addled sound. What is certain is that this album is a trip; it comes with it’s instances of darkness and terror, equally remediated with sunshine, bubblegum pop. It’s psychedelic rock that seems to break new grounds, if only subtly, because try as I might, I can’t think of anything else quite like it. 

Listen to what Syd Barrett might sound like if overcome with a sudden world music obsession with the track “Turn My Grey Brain Green” below or buy it here.




Deerhoof: La Isla Bonita





Deerhoof are approaching legendary status in my mind. I can think of no other band that has continuously pumped out such excellent quality records for so very long. Most bands of Deerhoof’s tender age (in band years) become washed up legacy acts that occasionally release a token album for the chance to tour their greatest hits. Not Deerhoof. “La Isla Bonita” is just as loud, jarring, and inspired as anything they’ve ever put out. The album feels stripped down to a minimalistic core, like every sound on display is absolutely integral to the song. There are no unnecessary layers or filler riffs; it is all achingly essential and the band knows it. The confidence in the opening riff of “Last Fad” is almost an instrument in itself. With chords so dissonant and confrontational, the sweet vocal “aaahs” that breezily enter would sound off kilter if it weren’t for their overriding sense of: “we know exactly what we’re doing”. Truly, you have to trust in the madness, because Deerhoof are the most capable hands you could ever wish for to guide you through it all. 

As with most Deerhoof records, it may take a few listens before it really clicks but here’s "Last Fad". Pick up a copy here!





Mac DeMarco: Salad Days














Finally, I’ll mention in passing “Salad Days” by Mac DeMarco. I’m sure you’ve already heard it so I won’t say much but if you haven’t checked it out then expect an excellent summer guitar record with an analogue, tape-recorded sound and first-rate songwriting that even your mum will enjoy.

Here’s “Passing out the Pieces” and a sweet link for vinyl goodness. Thanks for reading and I hope you found something you enjoy!


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