Friday 19 December 2014

Even The Stars Top 20 Albums Of 2014 - 4 to 1


This week we will be running down our Top 20 albums of 2014, four albums a day.  On Day 5 we reveal our four favourite albums of the year and our unanimous winner.

As well as our Top 20, there's been a series of fabulous albums this year by the likes of Nina Baker, Blues Pills, Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, Candy Says, The Tea Street Band, The Wytches, East India Youth, FKA Twigs, Jim Noir, Allah Las, Allo Darlin', Real Estate, Alvvays, The Bedroom Hour, Wye Oak, Elbow, Johnny Marr, Young Summer, Jane Weaver, Jimi Goodwin, Post War Glamour Girls, Musee Mecanique, Emma Stevens, Velvet Two Stripes, Lily And Madeleine, Andrew Montgomery, Temples, The Raveonettes, Coves And Caves, Tokolosh, Reverend And The Makers, From Carbon, The Miserable Rich and probably plenty more that we've not heard (or have forgotten, and there's bound to be a couple) that deserve your ears.

So far we have revealed the following :

20 - Esben And The Witch - A New Nature
19 - Catfish And The Bottlemen - The Balcony
18 - High Hazels - High Hazels
17 - Gulp - Season Sun
16 - Little Sparrow - Wishing Tree
15 - Hookworms - The Hum
14 - Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
13 - Violet Woods - Violet Woods
12 - Lorelle Meets The Obsolete - Chambers
11 - Black English (NO) - El Prado
10 - John Grant - Live With The BBC Philharmonic
9 - The Vacant Lots - Departure
8 - Nicole Atkins - Slow Phaser
7 - I Am Kloot - From There To Here
6 - John Bramwell - Live At The Trades
5 - The Slow Readers Club - Live At The Library

4 - DAVE FIDLER - I'M NOT HERE


At number eleven in Stuart's chart of the year and number three in Dave's, Dave Fidler's debut album was released in October.

We said - "I'm Not Here is an absolute triumph, it's a joy of an album to listen to wherever you are. It feels like it's over in a flash which makes you want to start listening to it all over again.  It's not flash, it's not extravagant and it doesn't make any claim to be anything other than what it is - half an hour of ten beautiful pieces of music that will make you relax, smile and if you listen closely to the words, maybe even cry." (Dave)

Key tracks - Easy Gone Easy Come, Taking Over, Song For Nico



link to Even The Stars review

Dave Fidler's website can be found here.  He is also on Twitter and Facebook.

3 - COVES - SLOW FRIDAY


At number four in Stuart's chart of the year and number seven in Dave's, Coves' debut album was released in June.

We said - "I was hooked immediately by Coves. Opening with the 60s influenced Fall Out Of Love, this debut LP was off to a great start. They somehow manage to merge garage rock with a Phil Spector Philles girl band sound. There are no low points on the album. Fall Out Of Love, Honeybee and Cast A Shadow are probably my favourites. I say probably because every time I give the album a spin something else grabs me. There's elements of the Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine in there too. Some say there's a White Stripes vibe going on but Coves are miles ahead of them. This is a perfect late night record. I know I will still be playing and loving Soft Friday in years to come." (Stuart)

Key tracks - Beatings, Last Desire, Cast A Shadow


Coves' official website can be found here.  They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

2 - INSPIRAL CARPETS - INSPIRAL CARPETS


At number two in Stuart's chart of the year and number four in Dave's, Inspiral Carpets' first album for twenty years was released in October.

We said - "Inspiral Carpets is everything long-term fans of the Holt-fronted band of the eighties could have wished for and more.  It has all the elements that made them favourites of so many now-veterans of the Manchester scene of the time prior to them hitting the big time with a different line-up, yet it's been brought right up to date without losing anything that made them special.  It's got some bona-fide garage pop classics on it, but it isn't afraid to experiment and stretch the sound as well as slow things down in the middle of the record.

It could have been recorded in 1988 or 2014, yet sounds neither dated or contemporary, just totally timeless. It's by far the best thing they've ever produced, you can't ask a band at any stage in their career for anything more than that." (Dave)

Key tracks - Spitfire, A To Z Of My Heart, Changes, Let You Down


link to Even The Stars review

Inspiral Carpets official website is here.   They are also on Twitter and Facebook.

1 - JAMES - LA PETITE MORT


La Petite Mort was an unanimous number one in both Dave and Stuart's selections for the year.

We said - "La Petite Mort is James’ 13th studio album.  For a band that’s been dismissed by the media so many times, it’s a miracle that they’re still here.  Even more so when you listen to La Petite Mort and it has all that fire still burning in its belly that characterised their very earliest work.  And this time the flames have reached your face and are meeting you head on." (Dave)

Key tracks - Walk Like You, Moving On, Frozen Britain


link to Even The Stars review

James' official website can be found here. They are on Facebook and Twitter. Some of the band - TimLarryAndy  and Dave - are also on Twitter.
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1 comment:

  1. 'La petite mort' is class. Maybe their best effort to date? Oxford gig 10/11/14 was amazing i was at the front with the three people i went with. Tim stood up on barrier for one song right in front of us. Will never forget that gig probably my best gig of 2014. And i did 29!

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