Top 33 Albums of 2014 (Part One: 23-33)

No. 23 // thom yorke // tomorrow's modern boxes 
[ landgrab ]

The Radiohead frontman dropped this solo album out of nowhere in September. It was also released, somewhat experimentally, via BitTorrent. Yorke's no stranger to alternative release methods, but this one was a bit of a surprise, outside of a few social media hints. Thankfully, I was somehow able to secure a first pressing of Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, now in its third edition.

If you're a fan of Yorke, you won't be disappointed. While not as immersive as The Eraser, this one pushes the experimental envelope, layering synth clips, treated piano lines, sychopated beats, and multiple vocal voices. The result is a sparse, cold, lonely version of Yorke. "Guess Again!" twitches back and forth robotically, "Interference" is a soft and sad digital ballad. "The Mother Lode" finds his incredible voice on display, and how the rhythm of the percussion fights the rhythm of the piano is wonderful. "Pink Section" approaches Further Down the Spiral territory.

Yorke gets a tad political, but it's vague enough, I think, that it doesn't overpower the musical intent. He's always been a serious fellow. Themes of dystopia, the environment, individuality, and the future don't let this small batch of songs sound anything but serious. However, Yorke is an artist on an island, he always has been, and this record is as solid as any he's done in recent years. Headphones encouraged.

No. 24 // damien jurado // brothers and sisters of the eternal son 
[ secretly canadian ]

I first heard Damien Jurado with 2002's I Break Chairs. I loved his voice and his songwriting style, the images of religion and rebellion. Since, he has released records at a steady pace, and for the most part, I've enjoyed his output. His latest effort, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son, is presented as a concept of sorts, a lonesome quest of a lost man.

The songs themselves can feel desolate at times, but Jurado is a talented composer and weaves this thread through a series of individual "Silver" experiences, most happening after a droning reunion in "Return to Maraqopa." The strongest of these, is "Silver Malcolm" a soft spacey tune, that recalls the feeling of waking up not quite sure where you are. I find the concept intention a bit hard to follow, but it's probably for the best, as it lets the songs exist on their own. Jurado's voice is the star of most of these, particularly the closer, "Suns In Our Mind." It's a tremendous finale, a hint psychedelic '60s pop, and perfectly arranged.

This album can be compared to 2012's Maraqopa, and has been described by Jurado as a companion to that album. That may be, but Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son stands on its own two feet, and is one of the stronger albums in Jurado's canon.

No. 25 // the afghan whigs // do to the beast 
[ sub pop ]

It's a bit scary when a band that hasn't released an album in almost twenty years decides to hit the studio again. To be fair, Greg Dulli and John Curley are the only original members involved, and Dulli has been pretty active in the music world since Afghan Whigs' previous LP in 1998, with the Twilight Singers and the Gutter Twins.

Do to the Beast, thankfully doesn't attempt to recreate the sound of the Whigs' previous albums, at least not outside of Dulli's style. It's dark and rhythmic, dirty and heavy. The LP kicks off with a bang with "Parked Outside" a raucous, sleazy riff and drum beat, and a lot of yelling. "It Kills," "Can Rova," and "I Am Fire" are other standout tracks. "Algiers" is my favorite track, proving Greg can still write a killer tune after all these years. The melody is so good, and the smoky tempo and slide guitar just makes the whole thing drip with a cold sadness. The closing track "These Sticks" is a perfect slow burn to put the finishing touch on this dense album. The artwork and packaging on the LP version is pretty awesome, strange black and white photos, strange symbols, and lyrics included, which is always a nice bonus.

So, fear not, this record will be a quick favorite for fans of the Whigs and Dulli's other projects alike. Time will tell if this "reunion" will be a permanent one, but this one works. An interesting anecdote, this year I got a tattoo, my second, after a 14-year gap from my first. The album I chose to listen to whilst getting tattooed? Do to the Beast. It seemed fitting.

No. 26 // denney and the jets // mexican coke 
[ burger ]

There's a scruffy charm to the debut Denney and the Jets LP. Mexican Coke is rough around the edges, but the band barrels through sloppy blues and drunken waltz ballads with a devil-may-care attitude and some pretty good chops. Chris Denney is a storyteller, and most of his stories deal with drinking too much, doing too many drugs, and getting into trouble.

I stumbled upon this mid-year, and from the first few notes of "Water to Wine," I knew I was going to dig it. It's just dirt-kicking rock and roll, and there's something annoyingly hypnotic about Denney's Nashville drawl. The use of call and answer vocals is very cool, and the guitar tones are perfect. Matter of fact, great guitar is all over this record, clean, dirty, tremolo, reverb all used in great ways to shape bluesy riffs that hold up Denney's tunes. Whether it's ballads like "Darlin,'" a country waltz like "Charlie's Blues," or the slamming riffs of "Mama's Got the Blues," Denney and his Jets seem comfortable with pretty much any style.

Mexican Coke's rocking country blues and dirtbag stories may not be for everyone, but I found myself listening to it quite a bit. They don't take themselves too seriously, it seems, and a touch of humor and a touch of danger goes a long way.

No. 27 // ultimate painting // s/t 
[ joyful noise ]

There is something comfortable and uncomplicated about this UK duo's debut, self-titled LP. It sounds british without sounding too british. It sounds vintage without getting too vintage. Think warm guitars, punchy percussion, vocals sang or spoke with a vaguely english inflection. It's reminiscent of the Velvet Underground's self-titled album, in that it sounds simple, but attempts to expose some deeper emotion, without really understanding it.

Naming the title track after your band is always a bit strange, but it's a strong lead track. Vocals match up just enough, and the guitar work is strong. "Central Park Blues" tells a great rambling story about the desire for solitude, all the while in a bustling setting. Other standout tracks include the dreamy "Riverside," the Velvet-esque "Ten Street," and the dirty pop of "She's A Bomb." Really, all the songs are well-crafted and the album flows nicely.

This record is a solid debut from a group I hope to hear more of. There's a lot of potential here, and their willingness to keep things simple shows they respect the songs and where they can go. On a side note, I discovered Trouble In Mind Records this year, and have enjoyed many of their artists, a few of whom made this year's list.

No. 28 // the felice brothers // favorite waitress 
[ dualtone ]

The good news about the Felice Brothers' first foray into a proper studio, is that they still churn out a ramshackle stack of roots rock songs that sound like a Saturday night into Sunday morning. Favorite Waitress begins with a goodbye ode to Pete Seeger, bittersweet and sad, full of string swells and strums. It's a proper tribute to one of the fathers of American folk. "Cherry Licorice" is one of my favorite tracks of the year, trucking along with accordion accompaniment and tongue-in-cheek lyrical wit. When Ian Felice reaches for the line "I'm high on halloween candy again" they hit that musical perfection songwriters dream about.

Throughout the night, the band treats you to earnest ballads and alt-country numbers, all in a slightly unpolished, loose manner with an open mix. Their vocal harmonies shine on tracks like "Lion" and the Wilco-esque "No Trouble." Felice Brothers' sound is familiar, comfortable, and uncomplicated. This LP is enjoyable in any context, but feels especially geared towards an all nighter of beers with friends. Everyone sings along to "Katie Cruel."

Now that the sun is up, "Woman Next Door" is that last loud kick for anyone who is still awake. As you fall asleep, "Silver in the Shadow" blacks out the windows as best it can. Almost ten years into their career, the Felice Brothers can still make you tap your foot and stay up too late, even if it's the usual. Sometimes, that's just what you need.

No. 29 // circulatory system // mosaics within mosaics 
[ cloud ]

The Pandora's Box award for 2014 goes to Circulatory System's Mosaics Within Mosaics. An apt title, there's little left uncovered after the double LP's 31 tracks have been experienced. And an experience is just what this is. Some tracks feel as if you're wandering through a rehearsal building, hearing a bit of each band. Some songs are fully realized, incredible pop gems, while others are ideas petering out of gas in front of you. All of them have strange layered, bedroom tape machine, potluck feel to them.

This wild experience is completely intentional, however. Leader Will Cullen Hart knows what he's doing here. Making a record like this is more difficult than it seems, and easy to honk up. There are so many stellar tracks that pop their head out of the sand throughout this journey. "If You Think About It Now" gate sets the mood after a Red Red Meat style intro. The beautiful "It's Love" wouldn't sound that out of place on the White Album. Some songs are brilliant half and halfs, like "There is No Time but Now." It's an interesting style that works really well. The album get better as it goes along, and my two favorite tracks "Sounds That You've Never Heard" and "Stars and Molecules" are both constructed perfectly and provide the second LP with the steam it needs.

Mosaics Within Mosaics is a heady listen all at once, so be warned. I've had just as much satisfaction jumping around the digital tracks as I have spinning it in its entirety, discovering new sounds all the while.

No. 30 // jack white // lazaretto 
[ third man ]

Jack White is a polarizing fellow. He's everywhere these days, between his Third Man Records gimmicks, world concert tours, primetime interviews, baseball stadium VIP tickets, as so on. It can be hard to separate the man from the music. If you can muster the strength to do this, his new LP Lazaretto is probably the most exciting one he's released since Get Behind Me Satan. We may still long for those White Stripes days, but this confirms White 2.0.

Where 2013's Blunderbuss seemed schizophrenic, this one feels like a roller coaster to every sound White has under his belt. White employs his touring band for the majority of these tunes, as well as a slew of additional musicians, and the group can sound smooth and cool, tight and crisp, or just plain nasty. A dense population of instruments let them frame White in just about every color of the spectrum. White's vocals are confident as always, even if he does tend to occasionally write above his register, but don't we all?

There is really isn't much outside the realm of Jack White's song style, and here we find rockers, country strings, folky traditions, space-age '70s effects, often in the same song. Standouts like "Temporary Ground," the muscular instrumental "High Ball Stepper," and country-blues "Entitlement," Lazaretto prove that, whether you like the man or not, you can't deny the musician's talent.

No. 31 // warm soda // young reckless hearts 
[ castleface ]

Get the fuzz in your face with this one. I wasn't too impressed with Warm Soda's debut LP in 2013, but Young Reckless Hearts is quite a step up in maturity and songwriting. This LP can sound like '50s rock and roll, '70s puff, '90s rock, and even a bit like early Strokes records. It was recorded at a studio called Fuzz City for crying out loud.

The songs are poppy, almost a power-pop, but the instruments are kept pretty lo-fi and warmly compressed, that it doesn't wander into the candy zone. "Postcards" and the title track are early standout examples of this. The tones are just heavy enough, throwing in classic riffs and layered whispery vocals makes for one of the more interesting rock and roll records this year. "Save This Dance for Me" seems pulled straight out of teen movie with a band at the dance. Who has a band at the dance? "When Your Eyes Meet Mine" is another favorite. Strangely modern and classic simultaneously.

At the end of the day, this record was better than Warm Soda's previous, and I liked enough to include it in the list. They still sound just like their name suggests. But this time around, at least you're drinking Barq's.

No. 32 // chad vangaalen // shrink dust 
[ sub pop ]

Supposedly written as cinematic score, this Canadian weirdo's fifth LP is perfect for the "german black and white nightmare film" genre. The imagery is strange and an almost fever-induced haze covers the entire record. After an introspective introduction "Where Are You?" shouts down the coal tunnel, probably at himself, his psyche, as hypnotic drums and a mess of sounds attempt to hold structure.

Once you've made it to the other side of this interesting start, there are some beautiful songs here. "Lila", "Weighed Sin" and "Evil" sound almost normal by comparison, if it weren't for that aforementioned haze. VanGaalen's warble finds pretty melodies within each simple arrangement, especially when harmonizing with himself. This lends an interesting polarity to the lyrical imagery of fear and isolation. The garage rock "Leaning on Bells" and the psychedelia of "Weird Love" color the record's back half and prevents any repetition from forming. "Hangman's Son" and the echoing closer "Cosmic Destroyer" will lift you out of VanGaalen's nightmare slowly and sweetly. The country-tinged beauty in these two tracks is worth the entire trip.

The density of the twelve tracks makes Shrink Dust a fairly stout listen, but if you'd like the push past the usual indie type into a more challenging sound without falling off the deep end, this record is for you.

No. 33 // delta spirit // into the wide 
[ dualtone ]

Compared to previous Delta Spirit releases, this album feels like a fresh redirection in sound. Perhaps it's them striving to match their live sound, or stay current. It also could be an attempt to shake the alt-country sound of their earlier work.

In any case, Into the Wide is dense, dramatic, and polished. It's similar in sound to their previous, self-titled release. From the balladry of the opener "Push It" to the urgent pulse of "Live On" to the arena-rock "Patriarch," Delta Spirit are eager to flex each muscle in their arsenal for the listener on this one. Matthew Vasquez has always had a strong unique voice, and it's showcased throughout, but particularly so on "Take Shelter" and the title track.

Into the Wide is a very serious record that, in my opinion, you must be in the mindset to enjoy. Themes of perseverance, rebellion, history, and rebirth are heady subjects to tackle, and don't quite work as background or party music. But for what it is, it sounds like Delta Spirit have picked a lane, and punched the gas.