We’ve had veterans dipping into the solo world, seasoned mainstays releasing some of the best work of their career and, always most excitingly, brand new bands unleashing truly impressive debuts. 2014 has been undoubtedly another strong year so far, and Live4ever has once again picked out just a handful of albums for us all to revisit and reflect on as an all-too fleeting summer homes into view.
The variety is striking; from the ‘true joy and genius of great punk music’ found in OFF’s ‘Wasted Years’, to the ‘haunting, tragic air’ of ‘I Can Learn’, and the majestic under-the-radar first release from Vikesh Kapoor which dispays ‘the real America, its majesty and pride never so honestly depicted’. All this and much more is waiting in the latest edition of Live4ever’s Essential Listening series.
Live4ever’s Essential Listening is here to share, not preach! An interactive celebration of rock and roll where your favourites can contribute. Make sure your stand-out albums of the year so far get a deserved mention by leaving a comment below.
25: Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’
“Bombay Bicycle Club have certainly made the most of their time away, producing a well thought out and multi-layered body of work, alluding to a band getting tantalisingly closer to the sonic nirvana they seemed to have been effortlessly edging towards even before this record was conceived.”
24: The Rifles – ‘None The Wiser’
“One of the best on the record is ‘Catch Her In The Rye‘, a cool (almost dancey) number with ringing guitar and the tight bearing of a Franz Ferdinand track and echoes of their fellow Scottish band Idlewild, and a reflective warm sadness that is reminiscent of some old Rialto tune; a track resplendent with an outro of almost anthemic, lighters in the air proportions which would certainly make it a pleasing closure to a Rifles gig.”
23: OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’
“The tracks on ‘Wasted Years’ are pointed barbs that voice anger and resentment at much of today’s society. Punk hasn’t been this political in a long time, and this return to calling out the world, and its problems, comes as a true burst of fresh air. Strange to think that the oldest element of the sound is the freshest and most timely. These tracks, while sounding like classic slices of American hardcore, also sound of the moment; which is the true joy and genius of great punk music – when done with real fire and passion, it never dates.”
22: Tom Williams & The Boat – ‘Easy Fantastic’
“The album itself opens with the riff-driven ‘Hurricane’; the guitar work reminiscent of early Led Zeppelin and providing a sense of upbeat muscle to establish its foundations. Second track and first single ‘All Day’ is a love song which utilises piano and high vocal harmonies to keep building the positive vibes. Lyrically personal and relatable, it’s a cleverly crafted pop tune which has real potential as a British summer anthem.”
21: Teleman – ‘Breakfast’
“Rather than trying to pigeonhole artists such as Teleman into any particular genre and sub-genre, it’s appropriate simply to commend them for using pre-existing formula with ingenuity to establish a clear musical channel. Regardless of its minor imperfections, ‘Breakfast’ is a marvellous debut and a fine contribution to today’s British music.”
20: Wye Oak – ‘Shriek’
“‘Shriek’ is a fantastic metamorphosis for those willing to embrace something more electronic and considered. Die hard rock fans might be a little disappointed with the transition, but Wye Oak have once again proven themselves capable of producing music that is both intelligent and exciting.”
19: VerseChorusVerse – ‘VerseChorusVerse’
“‘No More Tears‘ is of the same sort of pedigree; equally as ‘ump pah pah’ and beginning with surging mouth organ which lends it a kind of Bob Dylan meets country rock vibe, but with eerie little Rhodes signatures in the back end of the song which give it a more reflective edge, mid-scored by rattling drum beats and bombastic guitar constructs, all framing Wright’s vocals.”
18: Lykke Li – ‘I Can Learn’
“And this is a haunting record, with a tragic air throughout. It would be easy to compare Li to many of her contemporaries, people working similar ground like Emiliana Torrini or even Peter Bjorn and John, but in reality what she does is very different, very different indeed. The warmth of these artists has been removed, but not the impact. Somehow, through creating this distance from the heart, Lykke Li manages to be more true to it. And this album is all heart, even if it is a cold and broken one.”
17: Jack White – ‘Lazaretto’
“The various plays and scripts penned by White’s 19-year old self provide an intriguing basis for self collaboration which results in a thoroughly enjoyable listen, showcasing a talented mastery of many genres, yet remaining steadfastly his own work bolstered by the ever blossoming artistic freedom allowed by a solo record.”
16: Manic Street Preachers – ‘Futurology’
“Never less than alive to what should be done, the Manic Street Preachers are now in their middle age focusing on what little revolutions can be done. Acutely aware of their respective limitations as both artists and seemingly as people, it would be easy to limply process ‘Futurology’s rhetoric and see a band just playing chalk to their last release’s cheese. The reality is more complex; for all the accusations of po-faced aloofness, anyone who hears this record will immediately understand that these songs want to be heard by as many people as possible, mass communication massed on the borders of our conscience.”
15: Dexters – ‘Shimmer Gold’
“‘Shimmer Gold’ really does glisten and gleam, capturing that glint of attraction to material things on a spiritual level. ‘Can’t Sleep’, constantly at war with the dreamland and the real world, is a funky and freakish track collecting all the missing pieces of a memory, hoping you can reassemble them in the perfect place as before. It’s distracted by psychedelic delays and captivating musical gestures which keep it fresh and futuristic despite the past being such an influence on the flow of the album’s multidimensional sense of direction.”
14: The Crookes – ‘Soapbox’
“Pop music is seen as a trend, not a career choice, but when a band totally submerse themselves in its ins and outs, in the heartaches and hardships of what pop music can deal with when executed correctly, the results are rather remarkable. They are the surveyors, and purveyors, of great music to dance to for the most depressed of souls that encounter them.”
13: The Horrors – ‘Luminous’
“‘Luminous’ sees The Horrors stepping over the line which marginalised them. They’re a band that observes evolution as the key to achieving ultimate creativity. A band that is instantly recognisable for their names, their haircuts and their sense of style. ‘Mine and Yours’ is the hybrid of all these various elements; horrific in its nature, but heartfelt in foreshadowing their next steps into the future.”
12: Rival Sons – ‘Great Western Valkyrie’
“They could have easily become a one trick pony, but instead Rival Sons have reached deep, taking on not only a plethora of influences but also a staggering amount of fresh impetus. In an attempt to try and take their muscular rock to the next level, the ambition and confidence comes across time and time again. There are no half-measures, every track is intended to destroy the audience. Absolutely no time is wasted on pointless, or less than adequate tracks. This really is all killer, no filler.”
11: Band Of Skulls – ‘Himalayan’
“‘Cold Sweat‘ is pure lovelorn epic-ness stained in whiskey heartbreak, where Emma Richardson’s lone vocals paint triumphantly sultry laments, seemingly flooded in a longing Patti Smith/P.J Harvey plume of viperous guitar squiggles unfolding slowly over the rest of the instrumentation in a way that is a suitably poised contrast to the rampant, slightly menacing tempest of ‘Hoochie Coochie’.”
10: Nine Black Alps – ‘Candy For The Clowns’
“‘Candy For The Clowns’ encompasses all things sinister and serene throughout its audio journey. The band has retained their distinctive, sludgy grunge-rock sound, but with a tighter and more dynamic style; opening number ‘Novokaine’ is an absolute punch to the stomach, with a screeching guitar and droning backing vocals, allowing obsession to possess in highly melodic and infectious fashion. The bass and drums pummel along in unison, keeping the song messy but in the most organised of ways.”
9: The Orwells – ‘Disgraceland’
“The intensity of The Orwells sound and the breakneck pace of the record cannot fail to please. The music demands attention, much like their debut record ‘Remember When‘. Unlike that record, however, it is infused with a lecherous pop sensibility that makes this a much more compulsive listen. The energetic punkiness of their debut has been replaced by a plethora of influences, and a sensation of joy.”
8: Temples – ‘Sun Structures’
“These help underline that as world conquering as it became, British music was in tightly concentric, ever decreasing circles of creativity until 1967 broke its song cycle in technicolour, sending our Victorian hang-ups into a kaleidoscopic, wonderful tailspin. ‘Colours To Life‘ and the six-minute closer ‘Sand Dance‘ aren’t as weird, spaced out or free wheeling as the excesses of that era, but succeed due to avoiding the three minute verse-chorus-verse route which had become a formulaic straitjacket.”
7: Vikesh Kapoor – ‘The Ballad Of Willy Robbins’
“Many have compared the current state of America to the great depression, but Kapoor manages to bring this sad comparison to life. Through songs of vivid beauty and tales of characters truly struggling in today’s world, the utter anguish of the Great Depression is played out once again in modern America. Like Steinbeck, and even Springsteen, rarely has the desperation of the individual been so honestly and beautifully shown. This is America today, forget what you may have been told elsewhere, this is the real America and its majesty and pride has never been so honestly depicted.”
6: The Afghan Whigs – ‘Do To The Beast’
“It is pure drama. Cinematic, not in being lush and orchestral, or even overly bombastic, but thematically and for the wonderful use of light and dark. Like a classic noir, everything is played out in the shadows, but every so often rays of light come bursting through. And its these tiny rays of light which make the album stand apart from earlier efforts. A wonderful album, shining light into the darkest corners of the soul.”
5: Embrace – ‘Embrace’
“The only metaphors that come close to describing what this album is in terms of epic bravery and heartfelt aura would only be a downer on the album itself. It’s grandiose, futuristic, formulated. It’s a kiss during the eclipse, the sensation of more than one painkiller taking effect after an injury. A gust and gush of midnight breeze that could carry any lost soul home. See what we mean? It’s simply excellent.”
4: Sleaford Mods – ‘Divide and Exit’
“As much as these songs are often laugh out loud funny, they’re also warnings: tablets of drone which are being brought down from the processed cheese mountain, a manifesto which is designed to stop us sleepwalking into the fascist state of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta. On its final chapter ‘Tweet Tweet Tweet‘ Williamson is told to ‘Cheer up you f*****g bastard’ by the terminally impervious, but it’s all too late, the grim reaper of taste and compassion has already been and gone, and as conscience free consumers of whatever we’re told to buy, the nightmare from his perspective is that we’re dead but don’t even know it yet. Like the rest of ‘Divide and Exit’ it’s brilliant, stimulating, terrifying, without question the kick in the bollocks music needs.”
3: Gruff Rhys – ‘American Interior’
“‘American Interior’ is a fantastic work of art. A rethink in a Welsh accent of what accidents can emerge as something solid. Gruff Rhys remains an individual made up of many moods. ‘Walk In the Wilderness’ gives the listener space to breathe in a perfectly executed collision course of powerful piano bashes, gentle country-influenced acoustic strokes and vocals that rise up and sink low in a melody designed to melt stars and shower us in an extraordinary symphony.”
2: Augustines – ‘Augustines’
“The clear narrative from desperation through to sobering contemplation segues into a final low key run of tracks, playing out the record with a sense of hopeful optimism and intention to leave a destructive past behind; the haunting organ chimes of ‘Highway 1 Interlude’ lead into the more upbeat piano melodies of a soon to be live favourite in ‘Hold Onto Anything’ as a fitting departing tribute.”
1: The Sunshine Underground – ‘The Sunshine Underground’
“A love of dance and electronic has led The Sunshine Underground to make an album born from its earliest and purest influences, a tribute to the pioneers of the form. The music is simple and sparkling, resonating with the purest and truest ideals of dance, wonderfully simple sounding, with a euphoric beauty that is unsurpassed by their previous work.”
Great to see The Crookes as No. 14. They probably won’t be big, but such a good band.
I’ve seen them 4 times – London Calling (twice – balcony session and in Paradiso), Instore session and in Bitterzoet.
Also I wasn’t very impressed with The Rifles new album, but really loved their first album and they’re fantastic live. I recommend anyone on here to go to see them if you ever have a chance.
Edit: I just remembered why I didn’t go to see The Crookes in the end of May cos I was at The Rifles gig on the same day when The Crookes played in an another venue.