We racked our collective brains to pluck out a top album list for 2014 and couldn’t pick less than what you are about to read. 2014 has been an exceptional year for new music and many fan funded efforts have crept in ahead of general commercial release. Treat this as the basis for your wishlists and thank us later …
Contributions from: Nix Cooper (NC), Tom Mimnagh (TM), Steve Brixey (SB), Dan Stent (DS), Andy Close (AC), Mark Granger (MG) and Karl Eisenhauer (KA).
10. Manic Street Preachers – “Futurology”
Twelve albums into their career and Manic Street Preachers continue to do whatever the hell they like. Consequently with each album they run the risk of alienating at least some of their audience and ‘Futurology’ has probably done just that. Influenced by the band’s sojourns around Europe, the album is powered with a musical and lyrical theme that reflects their travels. Throwing up nods to the Manics beloved post punk, euro pop and perhaps most prominently Krautrock. At points they rage (‘Let’s Go To War’, ‘Sex, Power, Love And Money’) but underneath the bristling powerchords and stark drums lies a very reflective band. Whether it be the self critical ‘The Next Jet To Leave Moscow’ (“So you played in Cuba did you like it brother? I bet you felt proud you silly little fucker.”) or ‘The View From Stow Hill’ with it’s damning yet resigned lyrical theme. ‘Futurology’ boasts some of their catchiest and most challenging work in years and is the sound of a band getting a second wind. A classic pure and simple. (MG)
9. Tony Wright – “Thoughts ‘N’ All”
Terrorvision and LaikaDog frontman, Tony Wright released his first ‘solo’ effort this year via a PledgeMusic campaign. Wright’s talents over the years have been extensively complimented with a full on live band so it was difficult to guess this would be hit or miss. Thankfully it was a sure hit. It’s packed with the catchy hooks of Terrorvision tunes with a more serious undertone a la LaikaDog (TerrorDog or LaikaVision if you will). Tony Wright isn’t entirely alone on this record – he’s got the vocal and strumming talents of Milly Evans (Terrorvision et al). Standout tunes are “Love Hold On”, “Great Horton” and “Self Portrait (Rock A Boogie Merchant)”. A fine album. More please, Mr Wright! (NC)
8. The Quireboys – “Black Eyed Sons”
Rapidly following up last year’s “Beautiful Curse”, the Quireboys’ seventh album saw them very much in business as usual territory but when business is this good, why the hell would you want to change that? Ten tracks of whiskey-soaked bar room blues that will get your toe tapping and a smile on your face from the Stonesy “Lullaby of London Town” to the lovely closing ballad “Monte Cassino”. And they even threw a free acoustic CD and live DVD in with it – talk about value package of the year! (AC)
7. The Urban Voodoo Machine – “Love, Drink & Death”
If you had told me at the start of 2014 that one of my albums of the year would be by a seven to ten piece band with soul, burlesque, and rock tendencies, I’d probably have looked at you with confusion and derision. However, that is very much the case, and The Urban Voodoo Machine have crafted one of the most uniquely brilliant albums I’ve had the privilege of listening to. Every second of Love, Drink & Death feels like a journey into the heart of New Orleans, with a bluesy creole quality that is like nothing I’ve ever heard from a UK based band. There is an effortlessness in the way UVM are able to shift seamlessly between melancholic drinking songs like Drinking My Life away, or Pipe & Slippers Man, to more upbeat numbers like Your Hour of Darkness, and the samba infused Jimmy Cuba (a personal highlight for me). UVM have a huge sound, distinctive, original and utterly bonkers, but undoubtedly phenomenal, and Love, Drink & Death deserves to be recognised as something very special and certainly one of the standout albums of 2014. (TM)
6. Foo Fighters – “Sonic Highways”
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In truth, for all the press around the Foos eighth studio album being recorded in eight different cities around the United States, the influence of these musical landmarks isn’t really evident on Sonic Highways. Not that it matters in the slightest .What is evident is that Grohl & Co have delivered another album packed with the sort of gigantic rock anthems that helped transform them into one of the biggest bands in the world. Something From Nothing is a fantastic opening track, slowly building from a hushed intro to a full-tilt rock monster, with some Zepplin-esque Hammond and QOTSA style guitar thrown in for good measure. The Feast And The Famine sees the Foos at their frantic best, while Congregation boasts an awesome southern guitar lick. After an all too brief seven tracks, I Am A River brings the album to an epic and emotional climax. Festivals and stadiums beckon, and if Sonic Highways is anything to go by, Foo Fighters have earned it. (SB)
5. The Dowling Poole – “Bleak Strategies”
In stark contrast to the rather gloomy title, “Bleak Strategies” is a psychedelic power-pop delight. Rich in melodies and full of catchy choruses, this really is a fine summer’s day in album form (albeit one with a few dark clouds adding an extra element of suspense to proceedings). It’s clear to see both Willie Dowling (Jackdaw4, Honeycrack) and Jon Poole (The Wildhearts, Cardiacs, Lifesigns) have some serious talent. Upon meeting during the recording of Ginger’s “555%” album, they made the decision to work together; writing and recording at Willie’s studio over in France. Good job they did, because this is seriously good. With influences drawn from the likes of 10CC, The Kinks and Sgt. Pepper’s era Beatles; “Bleak Strategies” is a member of that select group of albums without a bad song. There’s chilled-out, harmony-filled opener ‘The Sun Is Mine’, Jackdaw4-esque ‘Empires, Buildings and Acquisitions’, the slow psychedelia of ‘Twilight Subplot’ and even a heartfelt tribute to Cardiacs leader and musical genius Tim Smith – ‘Hey Stranger’. (DS)
4. Electric River – “The Faith And Patience”
Electric River have been a band on our radar for a good couple of years now. Their sound has evolved over the past few years and “The Faith & Patience” is a wonderful collection of ‘singles’ worthy tracks charting their journey on the road, love, loss and fighting to make it. It was recorded live and put together in just under one week with the production assistance of Peter Miles (We Are the Ocean, The King Blues, Dry the River). Tracks such as “Chorus of Fire”, “Keep the Engine Burning” and live favourites such as “In Your Name” and “Happy” make you feel alive. It’s the most honest song writing I’ve heard in years. Get in touch with your soul again and make sure you have this album. File under “Essential”. (NC)
3. Ginger Wildheart – “Albion”
With his seventh album in two years (yes, you heard me right), You’d be forgiven for thinking “Albion” might be a little patchy in terms of quality. But then you need to consider who we’re talking about. Ginger Wildheart has always been prolific, with the uncanny ability to not only write a great song, but to consistently do so. With both an extended Pledge Music version (16 songs) and a commercial release (10 songs), “Albion” is a cracking album regardless of which one you own. Opening track ‘Drive’ sums up the musical ethos on display here nicely. It starts off like a standard mid-pace rock number, before BOOM – it accelerates away into a super-charged chorus. This is an album which is a little unhinged. Songs can go in unexpected directions, and you’ll be left scratching your head. From distorted, thrash verses (‘Cambria’) and power-pop (‘Grow A Pair’) to chilled out (After All You Said About Cowboys) and more progressive, experimental numbers (‘Albion’); the sheer variety and depth of music on display here is exceptional. (DS)
2. CJ Wildheart – “Mable”
Wildhearts guitarist CJ’s first foray into the world of Pledge has been, without question, a resounding success. Mable features all the elements that we have come to know and love from Mr Jadghar’s previous work and glorious melodies, crunching guitars and infectious pop hooks are there in abundance on tracks like “Better Late Than Never”, “Kentucky Fried” and “Devil”. But there is something special about Mable that sets this album apart from his other solo works . On this record, CJ has managed to craft something with more focus, conviction and passion than anything he has produced previously, making Mable arguably the finest thing he has put his name to outside of The Wildhearts and undoubtedly one of the albums of the year. All this, and the guy makes a damn fine hot sauce too. (SB)
1. Evil Scarecrow – “Galactic Hunt”
Evil Scarecrow have stolen the coveted number one spot this year by a mile with their black metal operatics. The best thing about Evil Scarecrow is that it doesn’t matter what genre you’re into. Their wicked, sharp and daft sense of humour shines through what is also a technically brilliant album. The band have dealt with the themes of robot overlords, giant spiders, vampire trousers and hell dogs in the past … so the next logical direction is to take it in to space (of course).
They’ve even managed to get Treguard of Dunshelm (Hugo Myatt of 80’s-90’s kids TV show, “Knightmare” fame) to provide voiceovers on parts of the album – notably “Enter the Knightmare” and the War of the Worlds style epic, “Space Dementia”. A very smart move to widen their already growing army of followers.
So many standout tracks – you just need to buy the bloody thing. They have sent the little crabuloids out to take over the world. It is only a matter of time before we all have pincer hands and are opting for a side strafe gait. (NC)
