Albums of the Year // 2013

Now that 2014 is well under way, I thought a great way to start a year in posts would be to give a run down of my favourite releases of 2013. The past twelve months have been excellent for the world of music, with countless new bands impressing us time and time again, as well as a few old favourites treating us to stellar new material. And so, in no particular order, here are my top ten releases of 2013:

Foals - Holy Fire

It is a well known fact that I am a huge fan of Foals. Antidotes and Total Life Forever are two albums that still to this day I can listen to over and over again. It is safe to say that the Oxford boys have well and truly surpassed their debut and sophomore LP's with their newest pursuit and even though it was released right at the beginning of 2013, I still can't get enough.

White Lies - Big T.V.

2013 saw yet another favourite band of mine release their third album to date and what a brilliant album this is. All three releases from the Ealing trio have taken different directions sound wise, yet they are all bound together by Harry McVeigh's signature baritone bellow and Charles Cave's dark, story-telling lyricism. I think I love all three White Lies albums equally despite their differences but this LP has definitely put the cherry on top of an already amazing back catalogue. 

Arctic Monkeys - AM

Avid readers of my blog (lol) will be familiar with my love/hate relationship with this album. Of course this is some of their best song writing to date, of course Alex Turner sounds (and looks) better than ever, and of course this group of spotty teenage lads have suddenly become the biggest band of our generation, but still something just wouldn't gel with me. Being a fan of High Green's finest upon the release of their debut album at the tender age of nine (yes, nine) I became accustomed to the gritty, immature lyrics and scuzzy, post-punk sounds that the monkeys were initially famed for. Although the Arctic Monkeys' sound took a blatant turn back in 2009 when they released third album Humbug, it was only until Turner's snake hips and all these R&B drum beats Helders has been throwing at us that I came to realise they were no longer going to be telling tales of drinking in parks and getting turned away by bouncers. Recently, I have been able to appreciate the brilliance of this album, despite its absolute opposition to their previous LP's and I commend them for taking a risk, a risk that has paid off, massively. 

Peace - In Love

My first ever post was a review of this album, a review in which I gave it a very generous 10/10. Maybe I was a little bit overenthusiastic but this has got to be one of the best debut albums in a long, long time. I've been a huge fan of Peace since I heard Bloodshake, formerly titled BBLOOD and my positive perception of the band continued when I heard their debut extended play Delicious. To say I was pleasently surprised by this album would be an understatement. Peace were definitely the musical underdogs prior to the release of this LP and who knew they would release a debut as good as this? Album two can't come quick enough.

Haim - Days Are Gone

Another musical surprise of 2013, the Haim sisters did not disappoint in the form of their debut album. This infectiously summer-sounding LP has injected just enough Californian sunshine into my North-Westerly surroundings for the past three months since its release in late September. Their nu-folk meets nineties R&B sound is a breath of fresh air and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.

Splashh - Comfort

Every track on this album just takes you to another world. Similarly to Tame Impala, their psych-rock sound has made for one of the most exciting albums of the year, with each track sounding completely different but brought together by those signature dreamy guitars and a sound that oozes summer vibes. I cannot wait to hear more from the Splashh boys in the future. Just listen to All I Wanna Do and you'll feel the same. 

King Krule - Six Feet Beneath The Moon

Archy Marshall's debut was released on his 18th birthday and what a way to celebrate with a dub, jazz, hip-hop and soulful blur of sluggish beats accompanied by his instantly recognisable growl. This album has been a firm favourite of mine for the best part of the previous year with its smoky angst-ridden rambles of the trials of London life and the materialistic consumerists of the 21st century. Archy Marshall is one talented chap.

Palma Violets - 180

This album has been a steady favourite of mine since its release in February of last year. With Best of Friends being named NME's 'Best Track of 2012,' the London boys had a lot to live up to and they certainly did just that. Tracks like Rattlesnake Highway and Johnny Bagga' Donuts just scream youth and having fun.

The Neighbourhood - I Love You.

The Neighbourhood are a very unique sounding band with ex-rapper Jesse Rutherford providing the vocals for this alternative quintet. The line up sounds odd, but you only have to listen to Sweater Weather to understand why it works so well. This along with many other tracks on the album have set the perfect foundation for the band along with their strictly black and white aesthetic which continues to spark attention. I hear that The Neighbourhood are already pretty big in America and I have no doubt in saying the same thing will happen here in the UK very shortly.

CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe

It is crazy to think that at first I wasn't entirely sure about this band. Their electronically rich debut single The Mother We Share wasn't an instant grower for me but after hearing a good helping of the Glaswegian synthpop trio's first LP, I was pleasantly surprised. Now, three months after the album's release, I am still well and truly hooked and tracks like Night Sky and Recover could be listened to forever.

and now for a bit of a cheat...

The 1975 - The 1975

Ok, I know I said I was going to pick 10 but I could not leave this album out. I always overlook this album seeing as I already knew the majority of the tracks word for word before the release date was even revealed but there is no denying it is by far one of the best debuts of the year. I absolutely love The 1975 (not like you didn't already know) and this album has been the soundtrack to pretty much every event of my life over the past year.

So there you have it, my top ten albums of 2013. However, I would like to point out the fact that I could have gone on forever with the likes of Jagwar Ma, Savages and Phoenix, all (to name but a few) of which released albums that I have been glued to for the past twelve months, but obviously for the purpose of this post and your boredom, I stuck to ten (well, eleven).

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