"The only year end list that matters" - Liam Gallagher.
A collection of the top twenty two tracks from the past twelve months. Listen to the playlist //HERE//.
22. Eyes Off You - Bombay Bicycle Club
for fans of: James Blake, The Maccabees, Sivu
Bombay Bicycle Club take a break from the evolving indie-dance-rock of their fourth album, the ever-romantically titled So Long, See You Tomorrow, in favour of a slow burning symphony. Eyes Off You begins as a solo piano ballad that jolts along like a sled in the snow. The smoky falsetto vocals gradually chime into a roaring crescendo of dizzy percussion, acting as a reminder to why this album was one of the most universally acclaimed British LPs this year.
21. These Days - Take That
for fans of: anyone feeling a bit too old and too creepy for liking One Direction
No, really, I'm serious. Gary Barlow et al. have released a proper corker, and there is no shame in having so much love for These Days in your heart that it might just burst. It peaked at UK Number 1 a few months back, proving that Gary, Mark, and the hairy one don't need ex-members Jason Orange or national treasure Robbie Williams to produce a winning tune. Yes, the rhythm guitars are cheesy, the video is cringe enducing, and the chord progression is reminiscent of their early days, but you will catch that chorus easier than you'll catch a cold on the Northern Line. It's nifty and each time I listen to it I'm uplifted to the happiest place on Earth by the "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh". If this was released by Foster The People, you'd love it. So go on, hate it, I dare you.
20. Salad Days - Mac Demarco
for fans of: DIIV, Ariel Pink, Melody's Echo Chamber
King of lo-fi Mac Demarco managed to subtlety craft a third album that was so important, that it finally gave him the well-deserved status as a hero. His rugged exterior has labelled him in the media as a 'slacker rocker' - but don't fall into this trap, he's one of the most dynamic artists in the game. Demarco was arrested onstage a few weeks ago in true Jim Morrison style, and it was one of the most amazing rock-n-roll stories of the year. The Canadian epitomises Brooklyn-style cool, and Salad Days' title track is an example of how indifferent he is to his significance. It's simultaneously lazy and lucid, with an airy brushing off the loss of youth in the midst of remarkable honesty and self-awareness. He hasn't quite reached the big time, but it's a matter of time before his gap-toothed genius is recognised.
19. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
for fans of: John Legend, Coldplay, Newton Faulkner
Admittedly I'm rather indifferent to Ed Sheeran - like he's alright but, you know - however Thinking Out Loud is just one of those songs that's universally loved. You'd have to be a right Scrooge to hate it. It's going to be around for years, and a true testament to that is how it's going to be played at every chav's wedding for the next couple of decades. The guitars are relaxed and understated, creating an oppourtunity to showcase Sheeran's soulful vocals and potent love declarations. Beautifully emotive, in a way that doesn't make you sad for a while.
18. Every Other Freckle - alt-J
for fans of: Glass Animals, Jagwar Ma, Egyptian Hip Hop
To widespread astonishment, these Yorkshire shy guys released a salivating monster of a tune. From the eclectic This Is All Yours comes a fuzzier offering in the form of Every Other Freckle. Infused with tribal beats and delectable harmonies, the industrial synths act as electric undercurrents to the naughtiest lyrics in alternative music: turn you inside out / and lick you like a crisp packet. Possibly the most awkward sext ever; how did they record that without blushing? Packed to the brim with lustful sounds and a sly homage to Lou Reed (Lou, Lou / let the cover girls sing), Every Other Freckle is one of the indie anthems of the year.
17. Fire Squad - J. Cole
for fans of: Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Wale
2014 Forest Hill Drive was a late release this year, but still broke records across the pond. It became J. Cole's third US number one album and beat One Direction's Four (a surprisingly brilliant album) as the most streamed album on Spotify in release week, being played over 15.7 million times. The rapper has been deemed as "Drake for the intelligent", and his self-assuredness really does prove this. Fire Squad is less mellow and more angsty than the album's earlier tracks, but still has the magic J. Cole touch. The retro instrumental loops around and around, while he spits lyrics assertive and spicy enough to set the aux chord well and truly aflame (while silly niggas argue over who gon' snatch the crown / look around my nigga / white people have snatched the sound / this year I'll prolly go to the awards dappered down / watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile). Bruuuuuvvvvv, someone cop me the aloe vera! Yet don't think this was an album really filled with anything but love: he proclaims on Note To Self (a very College Dropout inspired thank you): my mama OOOHHHHHHHH, I LOVE YOU!. Such a superbabe.
16. Jackie and Wilson - Hozier
for fans of: George Ezra, Half Moon Run, Lewis Watson
Bright young talents don't come much shinier than Irish crooner Hozier. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 10 months, its inevitable that you would have come across his worldwide smash Take Me To Church. However, after listening to his self-titled debut, I found it to be one of the album's weakest tracks. Instead there are a multitude of other songs which showcase his musical magic in a much better light. Blues rock jam Jackie and Wilson is one of the best examples of this. It's upbeat yet still retains that spirituality so prevalent through his LP. His wonderfully upbeat soul guitars effortlessly accompany his honeyed vocals as they purr out genuinely cheerful lyrics that run around in your conciousness hours after hearing them. Talent and a knack for a charming sort of sincerity are just a few reasons behind Hozier's success.
15. Sunset State - Jaws
for fans of: Swim Deep, Splashh, Foals
Breakthrough boys Jaws are the underdogs of the new wave of British indie music. Though achieving little commercial success, the Birmingham four-piece have cultivated a growing fanbase partly through association with the B-town movement, but mainly through energising live shows and music that sounds familiar. Sunset State - from their dazzling debut Be Slowly - has a rumbling undercurrent of fast-moving sunny synths underneath lead singer Connor Schofield's signature minimalist vocals. Their baggy rock takes a back seat in a hazy inducement of sallow colours and hearty teenage longings through sedative instrumentals and woeful sentimentality.
14. Brooklyn Baby - Lana Del Rey
for fans of: Sky Ferreira, Lorde, MØ
Anything that makes reference to the Beat Generation already scores huge favour points with me, and add Lou Reed to the mix? Brooklyn Baby is a winner. The Dan Auerbach (all hail) produced track is, believe it or not, actually enlivening compared to the rest of the modern day siren's acclaimed second album Ultraviolence. While a valiant attempt at timelessness, Brooklyn Baby is an ambient celebration of/poke at hipster culture. Her vocals are transcendent among the clarity of lonely, mellow guitars, echoing the lo-fi work of Brooklyn boy Mac Demarco, as she purrs a goldmine of the kind of phrases that would be considered as 'goals' (my boyfriend's in a band / he plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed / I've got feathers in my hair / I get high on hydroponic weed). Anti-pop at its finest.
13. World Pleasure - Peace
for fans of: Superfood, Mystery Jets, Tribes
I think appearing on the screens of the main stage of Reading Festival during the performance of this song was one of my highlights of 2014. Maybe my life too, but certainly this year. World Pleasure is one of Peace's most ambitious songs to date. Concerning their forthcoming album Happy People, lead singer Harrison Koisser (who I !met! this year!) previously revealed to Gigwise that he'd "like to think that people can kind of digest it a little bit and chew it up and be like, 'Ok, it doesn't sound like Lovesick but I like it", and World Pleasure exemplifies this vision ideally. For a start, witty lyrics (maybe I was not born brave / maybe I was born / GOOD LOOKIN') are kind of rapped by Koisser, sounding something like Madonna in her 1990 hit Vogue. Though the juttering guitar solos and funky basslines are clearly inspired by Peace's higher powers (Blur, The Stone Roses, etc.), the strings add a delicate and more mature touch to a song from band with a notoriously unruly sound. Among dreamy female backing vocals is a consistently strong beat from drummer Dom Boyce, producing a vivacious yet a bit grown-up new sound from the NME darlings. It's no Wraith (nothing will ever be as great), but it's still pretty darn good. Their 2015 tour is going to be immense.
12. I Found - Amber Run
for fans of: Josh Record, Saint Raymond, Bad Suns
After accidentally irritating a member of Amber Run after Lewis Watson's Shepherd's Bush show in September by asking him to take a picture of us rather than with him, I think it's only fair to include them on my countdown. Fortunately the Nottingham group have a whole catalogue of genuinely excellent songs to choose from, however their July release I Found is particularly sublime. Beginning with a dark dosage of acapella goodness, you're hooked from the second the first harmony drops. The track is enchanting; Amber Run are stripped back and completely raw in their most striking track to date. The acute awareness of such a delicate piece of music makes the eventual blend with percussive beats seem so strategically placed to literally shock you with feeling. The Nottingham big guns (Jake Bugg, Saint Raymond, Dog Is Dead) better watch their backs. I can't wait to see them at Dingwalls in February.
11. NEW DORP. NEW YORK. - SBTRKT + Ezra Koenig
for fans of: Disclosure, Jungle, Mount Kimbie
This was possibly the weirdest collaboration of the year, but the even stranger thing was the fact that it actually...worked. Who'd have thought that Vampire Weekend's dreamboat frontman Ezra Koenig (who has previously collaborated with Major Lazer and The Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O) would gel so slickly with the wacky London producer? Though SBTRKT's second album Wonder Where We Land fell on the underwhelming side, the fresh minimalism of NEW DORP. NEW YORK. certainly did not. The underground dancefloor anthem pulses with life and clean wit; drunken verses breathlessly delivered by Koenig over flavourful production manages to come across as a politely aggressive groove. It's so effortlessly New York - one of it's biggest appeals - that you almost expect Azealia Banks to pop up and start rapping about the 212. What NEW DORP. NEW YORK. manages best is to be a subtlety explosive diamond in the rough.
10. Stuck In My Teeth - Circa Waves
for fans of: Wolf Alice, Young Kato, Two Door Cinema Club
Circa Waves are making a real song and dance of an, arguably, tired genre. To quote Chaka Demus: same shit bands / too much hype. Though the Liverpudlian foursome are one of the most eagerly backed new bands of the year, they are vomiting up tracks that deserve the attention they're getting. Following an opening riff that may one day become iconic, the light hearted lyrics of Stuck In My Teeth are woven into fast and playfully furious guitar magic that manage to hit home in all the right ways. Their pure indie rock has a vibe of euphoric vibrancy that's drenched in sunlight, and to say this song will make you feel good is a dangerously naive understatement.
9. Montreal Rock Band Somewhere - Happyness
for fans of: Wilco, Mazes, Posse
Happyness are hard to place; is their music loud and raucous, or fluffy and introspective? As an emerging new talent they are yet to define themselves, but their debut album Weird Little Birthday has categorised them as a band boiling under the surface. However Montreal Rock Band Somewhere, from their self-titled EP, definitely floats like a feather into the fluffy and introspective category. Their nostalgia-evoking slacker rock is still wedged into the grooves, yet is significantly down-tempo. The result is an atmospheric wooze of understated licks weighed down by poignant lyrics (let's call it day if not now when). Their grainy and groggy vocals hum a melody much like a male Honeyblood without the feisty bite. Yet attentive pathos really works for the South London trio, and is a winning formula that should evolve when they've discovered their stride.
8. Better Man - Paolo Nutini
for fans of: Matt Corby, Johnny Flynn, Van Morrison
Nutini's third studio album Caustic Love is an example of progression; he's comfortably eased from acoustic pop, to quirky ska-funk, and now to sophisticated blue-eyed soul. Better Man is certainly the stand-out track from this example of a newly emerged, refined Nutini; he's aged like a good wine. Tender yet gritty, Better Man is soaked in passion. Beginning with a simplistic acoustic pattern, it cultivates into a soulful ballad before peaking at intoxicating heights with gospel jubilation. His dulcet tones are still as husky as they were back in the days of Last Request (he's one of those stoners who never seems to shut the fuck up about weed, like great, we get it, thank u), yet the adolescent moodiness is a cloud that seems to have past as Better Man basks in the sun.
7. In The Mirror - Public Access TV
for fans of: Drowners, Skaters, Palma Violets
Fresh out of New York City come the literally-it's-like-your-toes-are-possessed-because-you-can't-stop-them-tapping-to-their-songs jangly rock outfit that is Public Access TV. They've made a somewhat small splash over in the UK through praise from various music media outlets and support slots with Circa Waves as well as Catfish and the Bottlemen in continental Europe, however these young whippersnappers (an underrated word) are not destined for anything but the big time. Or at least outrageously charismatic lead singer John Eaverly isn't. In The Mirror is their third online release, and is jam-packed with enough buoyancy to keep them afloat for a long time. Comparisons of this track to something of The Strokes are lazy and unadventurous; Public Access TV have way more to offer than being another group of Julian Casablancas clones. Fun loving riffs and crowd pleasing hand claps are just some examples of the kind of understanding the four piece have of the components to make a good song fit together. Plus they're not machines that just churn out great songs - they ooze the kind of stage presence that makes you think they're going to strip naked mid-show.
6. Zombie - Jamie T
for fans of: King Krule, Only Real, The Cribs
One of my biggest regrets this year - and I'm hardly ever the kind of person to experience feelings of regret - was hating Carry On The Grudge when it came out and refusing, out of stupid principle, to even bother seeing Jamie T at Alexandra Palace. Yet, the regret is so real and such a struggle, because it's grown on me like a fungi. Bun The Libertines, fuck Kate Bush: living legend Jamie T's comeback was the most exciting and important of 2014. His last album Kings & Queens was the soundtrack to our South London high school lifestyle (mildly rough girls thinkin we're tougher than we actually are - though we're actually pretty solid). It's true that his first offering in five years couldn't possibly match up to the thrills of iconic tracks such as Sticks 'n' Stones, but Zombie is still a classic Jamie T angry singalong. The divine combination of geezer rap and boisterous indie choruses and bridges make for an infectious track. Forever loquacious, the addictive tempo of shredding guitars to a pulp with a refined kind of class will brainwash you to adore this.
5. End of the Affair - Ben Howard
for fans of: Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow, Angus & Julia Stone
As I said in my original response to End of the Affair back in August, "a good song leaves you gripped even after it's finished, but when you're hypnotised within the first few seconds and still hanging on at the end of the final chord, what further proof do you need that what you're listening to is great?". End of the Affair may only reach #5 on my favourite tracks of the year, but I believe it to be the most beautiful piece of commercial music for many years. Simply hearing the opening chords chills my nerves before becoming enveloped in Howard's delicate solitude. The acoustic beginnings are hauntingly sonic, as if the ghost of his very soul has been left to roam in between each note. His words are simultaneously universally relatable, yet also untouchable in a regal sort of way. The fluidity of the track's initial 5 minutes or so is satisfyingly gorgeous in its own right, yet it is the calm before a storm of turbulent rage. The relationship was corrosive and dripping in poison, and once the initial sadness has flown Howard makes room for the symphonic drowning that will leave you speechless. End of the Affair bursts in a truly magnificent format of crashing drums and guitars, that make a mess of the song's long-forgotten gentle nature.
READ MY ORIGINAL RESPONSE TO THIS AND OTHER TRACKS RELEASED IN AUGUST 2014
4. i - Kendrick Lamar
for fans of: Childish Gambino, Schoolboy Q, A$AP Rocky
i is, without a doubt, the most important song of the year - though the excellence of this song divided many fans and music critics alike. Lamar takes a step back from any self-deprecating in a love song to himself. I think one of the greatest movements we've seen this year is more of an appreciation of ourselves and the people and world around us; it's no longer cool to hate things (though whoever said it ever was is mildly pathetic), and, most importantly, hating yourself shouldn't be a thing. The Compton rapper has taken that unfolding ethos and dissolved it into Kendrick-style honesty with a bigger pinch of feel-good. Therefore, i proves even further how much he was robbed at the 2014 GRAMMYs as it showcases his versatility in storytelling. The retro guitar licks and Isley Brothers sample is organic and showcase how strongly this track is rooted in funk. Though his spit still has a tainted edge of innocence, his change of flow gives a dreamy and interesting twist. Screeching guitars and, what sounds like, cow bells give a Latin flair and resemble urban landscapes of bustling people and police sirens: Kendrick is speaking to the masses. He wants you to love yourself like he does. But not in the cringey Bruno Mars way, of course.
3. Shelter Song - Temples
for fans of: Foxygen, Tame Impala, Boogarins
Okay so technically this track was released two years ago, but Temples released one of the best albums this year and this was the stand-out song, and so it had to be resurrected in order to be met with the appropriate amount of praise. Shelter Song exudes Temples' signature modern-day-cum-1960's psychadelia - they'd fit right in with the likes of Jim Morrison as well as Australian innovators Tame Impala. The drums whir from the get go, releasing the trippy and acidic vibes that accompany the rather Egyptian influenced guitars which create a more tropical feel. This track gets so much love because of the choral chanting followed by the very Marc Bolan-esque James Bagshaw, crooning literature daydream lyrics with his melodious vocals. His famous 12 string is gracefully awake underneath the controlled ruckus of stomping and divine choruses, and everything from the production to the arrangement is simply immaculate - probably because of how much control the band themselves have over their projects. Nonetheless, Shelter Song is sensual and narcotic, and every time I hear it my heart fills with an incontestable happiness.
2. Homesick - Catfish and the Bottlemen
for fans of: Lonely The Brave, Cage The Elephant, Little Comets
In the space of six months, I have seen Catfish and the Bottlemen live four times. That's how phenomenal a live band they are. Their connection with the crowd is intense, their showmanship is on point, and, fundamentally, they aren't mechanically performing - they want the audience to have as much fun as they're having. Though virtually unknown at the beginning of the year, they've had one of the quickest sky rockets to fame we've seen in years - bar anyone that's come off of reality TV. From a top ten album to winning the BBC Introducing Award at this year's first annual BBC Music Awards to Twitter spats with One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, 2014 has been their year. Choosing a favourite from The Balcony was like picking a favourite child; their music, though sprightly and tireless, has a weird sort of emotional connection that can't really be explained. Homesick has that perfect balance between a seasoned rock ballad (through Van McCann's ever raspy vocals) and let's go HAM choruses, making for the ideal crowd singalong. Unlinke many of their other tracks, there's no sign of chaos among the desire, but there is an air of recklessness between every chord. Wonky riffs simmer below turbulence, but are tactically stifled by furious percussion. Their sound is for stadiums, and say what you will about their generic nature, the stadiums are exactly where they're headed.
1. Blank Space - Taylor Swift
for fans of: EVERYTHING, because I honestly can't understand people who dislike this song
Who else to claim the number one spot but the Queen of 2014? Swift's fifth studio album, 1989, defied all expectations and pulled the music industry out its rut and has since sold almost 5 million copies in 3 months alone. One of the stand-out songs from the beginning - and the second single from 1989 - was Blank Space. Choosing a favourite song from such a stellar collection of songs was hard, but the iconicness of Blank Space clinched it. Upon first listen (and every listen since) I found myself screaming THIS IS MEEEEEE to the lyrics (nightmare dressed like a daydream? CHECK. oh my god look at that face, you look like my next mistake? EVERY TIME.). The cracks in her vanilla persona are finally beginning to unravel as her sound grows and she bears her teeth. Bouncy beats are ever so courteously decorated by sugary synths, yet over these lies sarcastic choruses and verses she uses to make fun of the psycho-bitch image thrusted upon her by the media. The hooks are slick and stylish, obviously taking inspiration from her BFF Lorde, always on an equilibrium with her voice - guess what, she's a pop star who can actually hold a tune. She addresses the man-eating rumours even more aggressively in the music video, which has to be the greatest of the year. Not only does the fashion and mansion decor make me swoon, but the concept is a caricature of what the world thinks of her and it's honestly groundbreakingly excellent. Taylor Swift is one of the world's most beloved individuals in pop culture and she never even needs to prove why.
READ MY TRACK BY TRACK RESPONSE TO 1989
LISTEN TO THE 8TRACKS PLAYLIST CONTAINING ALL THE TRACKS FROM THIS POST BELOW. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THIS YEAR. HAVE A WONDERFUL 2015. XXX
READ MY TRACK BY TRACK RESPONSE TO 1989
LISTEN TO THE 8TRACKS PLAYLIST CONTAINING ALL THE TRACKS FROM THIS POST BELOW. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THIS YEAR. HAVE A WONDERFUL 2015. XXX
