Top 10 Albums of 2013
Another year has come and gone. Below is our favourite albums of the year. As usual, the disclaimer is that the list is never static as we’re still working on “new to us” 2013 finds. But for now, this is where we stand. Happy new year!
10. Phosphorescent – Muchacho
09. Camera Obscura – Desire Lines
08. Yo La Tengo – Fade
07. Lorde – Pure Heroine
06. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
05. Disclosure – Settle
04. Kanye West – Yeezus
03. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City
02. Julia Holter – Loud City Song
01. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
Top 30 Tracks of 2013
30. Rogue Wave – College
29. Chvrches – We Sink
28. M.I.A – Y.A.L.A
27. Just Blaze x Baauer – Higher
26. Laura Mvula – That’s Alright
25. Camera Obscura – Every Weekday
24. Charlie XCX – Grins
23. Saturday Looks Good to Me – Invisible Friend
22. Daft Punk – Doin’ It Right
21. Yo La Tengo – Before We Run
20. Franz Ferdinand – Right Action
19. Holy Ghost! – Hold On, We’re Coming Home
18. Lorde – Ribs
17. The National – Demons
16. Kanye West – Black Skinhead
15. Disclosure – When a Fire Starts to Burn
14. Young Galaxy – Pretty Boy
13. Anna Calvi – Suddenly
12. Disclosure ft London Grammar- Help Me Lose My Mind
11. Joy Formidable – Silent Treatment (William Orbit Mix)
10. Andreas Hennenberg – Mountain
09. Daft Punk – Get Lucky
08. Federal Lights – I See Love
07. Austra – Forgive Me
06. Veronica Falls – Teenage
05. Kanye West – New Slaves
04. Purity Ring – Grammy
03. Bleached – Dead In Your Head
02. The National – Graceless
01. The National – Pink Rabbits
Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love (2013)
When looking at her discography, it is surprising to see that Neko Case has not released an album since 2009’s Middle Cyclone. Case is an artist who often pops up in various spots – whether it’s singing with Jakob Dylan, covering “She’s Not There” with Nick Cave or providing backup vocals for Camera Obscura, she’s never too far removed from the musical landscape. The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love sees Case return to the solo spotlight.
The soulful “Night Still Comes” and rollicking “Man” provide two early highlights that provide a mighty one-two punch. Sung a cappella, the parental failings in “Nearly Midnight, Honlulu” are truly heartbreaking as is the long distance lament in “Calling Cards”. While remaining emotionally raw throughout, a few of the tracks don’t hit with the same impact as what’s come before making for a good but at times inconsistent listen.
7/10
Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
Through much of 2012, Glasgow synth pop trio Chvrches was making waves with a couple of singles that caught the ear of the blogsphere and saw them named as a band to watch by the BBC. When long-time friends Iain Cooke (Aerogramme) and Martin Doherty started recording in 2011 they asked Lauren Mayberry to sing on a few tracks which lead to the formation of Chvrches. After the release of “Lies” and the equally brilliant “Mother We Share”, the music press were more than ready to embrace third single “Recover” which received high praise upon release in early 2013.
Those three tracks form the backbone of debut, The Bones of What You Believe while fourth single “Gun” could easily be mistaken for an upbeat Young Galaxy. “We Sink” is instantly memorable when Mayberry sweetly declares “I’ll be in a thorn in your side ‘til you die”. Elsewhere tracks such as “Under the Tide” and “Science/Visions” show a darker side to Chvrches sound. A slew of great singles without any filler to be found, The Bones of What You Believe is one of the better debuts of the year.
8/10
