Terça-feira 30 Dez 2014, 20h:32

It's been a whiiile. It's also that time. Rap albums are coming later, but without further ado, here are my favourite albums of 2014, in no particular order:

Clean Bandit - New Eyes
Okay, so this one is in definite order. Best album I've heard all year, and they've already been stepping their game up with other singles they've released since. This album hops all over the place within EDM, covering house, drum n bass, dancepop and dancehall. Layered within all these styles are live strings, like chameleons adapting to all the all the genres with ease. Their live show was one of the highlights to my year, as well. It was the first non-metal/hardcore/punk/rock/etc show I've ever been to and admittedly danced my ass off. Based off their last single especially, I can't wait to see what else they have in store.

Anup Sastry - Lion/Titan
Drummer extraordinaire Anup Sastry blessed us with 8 new tracks this year, after a full length released only last year. I'll go ahead and say that musically, nobody can do what Anup does. I don't mean they lack the ability, but I doubt anyone will turn the home-studio metal production on its head like Anup has. If you told me as a long-time guitarist that a drummer composed an album on his own by recording and programming guitars and it would be this good, I doubt I would have believed you. Coming from a drummer's perspective, he brings a really different vision on how to approach metal guitar playing, some of which might not have been possible by a real player. I've been sort of let down by most metal recently, but I can count on Anup to keep me interested.

Basement Jaxx - Junto
Before this album, I'd heard a total of 3 songs from this production duo. Being into house this year, I decided to pick this album up solely on knowing they were big in the genre (the fact that I liked the album art helped as well). I will say, the majority of my love of this album stems from the second and second last tracks, Power to the People and Mermaid Salinas respectively. Power to the People has such a powerful (excuse the pun) chorus, possibly my favourite one of the year. The Spanish fusion heard in Mermaid of Salinas has no doubt been done before, but I'd never heard like it before. There are a few more stand-out tracks from the album, but honestly none are a let-down (though there is one singer on Summer Dem that doesn't sit quite well with me). Basement Jaxx is able to dance around EDM genres quite well on Junto, without quite the broad spectrum Clean Bandit brought, though it's enough to keep the sound fresh throughout.

Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World
10 years ago, DFA1979's You're a Woman, I'm a Machine was getting a lot of love from me. I have fond memories of bringing it around with me with my walkman, scaring some family members when they couldn't even make it through the first track. Being 10 years since then, I didn't know if they could bring the same energy, and the same sound. Well, it sounds like they were able to do it with ease. Sure, there is a matured sound only that time could bring, but the sound is still unmistakably DFA.

Steve Aoki - Neon Future I
Now, before I heard this album, I'd heard maybe one song from Steve Aoki, two if you counted his collaboration with Linkin Park I listened to once. I wouldn't have even been able to place his sound. So, to find a pretty cohesive album like this, I was pretty surprised. Using futurologists Ray Kurzweil and Aubrey De Grey, Steve Aoki paints a picture of a technology driven lifestyle. Now, with featured artists like Fall Out Boy and Waka Flocka Flame, you can't expect the theme to be there throughout the album, but he does use those features well. Neon Future is really an album you'd expect from the current state of EDM, but does a bit of expanding with the crossover into rock (Back to Life) and rap (Rage the Night Away). Really, my only fault against this album would be the collaboration with Flux Pavillion, Get Me Outta Here, which seems like a step back in terms of sound. I'm not even sure the song would be that good in the dubstep era.

(Mostly alphabetical here because I'm lazy)

Destiny Potato - Lun
As a fan of David Maxim Micic's solo work, I've been awaiting this album for quite a while. As a solo musician, Micic has made a name in the progressive metal genre by releasing three EPs on his own, creating moving, sonic landscapes with a sort of free-flowing sound you wouldn't expect from such a rigid genre. On this album, there really isn't a lot of that. Don't get me wrong, this isn't your typical vocal-driven metal (among others, Micic is joined here by Aleksandra Djelmash, a long-time collaborator). His playing still sets the sound apart from many other bands, partially due to the sound his Serbian background brings. Destiny Potato didn't necessarily have to go the more traditional verse/chorus structure on this project, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing, but given Micic's track record it's a bit odd. If you've never even heard of this band before, go have a listen to Lunatic (or the full album, while you're at it) and prepare yourself for something new.

Destructo - West Coast EP
It was a little bit hard to choose whether or not to put this one on the rap list since it rides the line so much. On this EP, house producer Destructo heavily features rappers over his music (known as g-house, due to the rap influence). Honestly, there isn't a lot packed into this album; the rap verses/choruses are a bit sparse (not exactly the lyricism you'd find on Pinata) and the production is very sparse, but it's all done really well. Destructo really meshes the current West Coast sound with the classic house sound, and I could really see this becoming a popular trend.

Dirty Loops - Loopified
Just listen to this album. If I told you the most talented pop musicians you'll hear this year were some jazz fusion trio from Sweden, I don't know if you'd believe me, so just listen to it on your own and find out for yourself.

Gorgon City - Sirens
Unlike some of the other electronic albums I've mentioned so far, there isn't a huge amount of variation on this album. This deep house album is full of catchy melodies and guest vocals from artists like Katy B, MNEK and Jennifer Hudson. Other than that, I don't know what else I can really tell you. I just really like it.

Issues - Issues
This year, Rise Records metalcore band Issues finally released their first full-length album. Teasing the release with the strangely absent Hooligans, they continued with their nu-metal revival sound. In case you haven't heard them before, Issues blends the metalcore sound with their DJ Scout and R&B/pop singer Tyler Carter and a west-coast mentality (though they come from the state of Georgia). I like this album, it's good.

I don't really like writing this much, and this list has drained me, so excuse the abruptness of the rest of the list.

Forevermore - Telos
Just finally heard this yesterday, and it's might be the best metal album I've heard all year. All from one listen.

Juan Luis Guerra - Todo Tiene Su Hora
Really good Latin music. Makes me want to dance.

Knife Party - Abandon Ship
I'm so glad Knife Party put out a full-length album. Their humour really makes this album.

Luke James - Luke James
Listened to this one on sort of a whim and found some of the catchiest stuff I've heard all year. I love it.

Skrillex - Recess
If you told me a few years ago Skrillex would sound like this, I might not have believed you. He shows so much variation, possibly a retaliation to those who used to make fun of his sound so much? Love the track he did with Diplo, CL and G-Dragon, definitely want to hear more of that.

Structures - Life Through a Window
Somehow Structures became more chaotic while becoming more structured (hehe, puns). Too bad it had to be their last.

Taylor Swift - 1989
Pop queen Taylor Swift blessed us with a new album this year, and we were all better off for it.