What have been your favourite albums of the year?

Ugly Devil

Well-Known Member
1. Ride - Weather Diaries
2. The National - Sleep Well Beast
3. Morrissey - Low In High School
4. Slowdive - Slowdive
5. Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage & Joy
6. The Horrors - V
7. S*M*A*S*H - Goodbye WGC
8. John Carpenter - Anthology
 
1. Peasant-Richard Dawson
2. How The West Was Won-Peter Perrett
3. Memories of Another Future-She Drew The Gun (technically a reissue but with enough new tracks that I think it counts)
4. Bright Phoebus-Lal and Mike Waterson (also a reissue, but now the floodgates are down...)
5. Semper Femina-Laura Marling
6. Resistance-Songhoy Blues
7. Masseduction-St Vincent (though I'm hoping it'll be a grower)
8. Party-Aldous Harding
9. Every Valley-Public Service Broadcasting (might've been higher if they'd lost the James Dean Bradfield track)
10. Spooky Action-Paul Draper (PSB should've let him sing on the James Dean Bradfield track)

No LIHS, you’ll note. It could be a fantastic album, but I haven’t heard it yet. There’s no way it’d beat Richard Dawson, though. That’s got to be one of the best albums released in my lifetime.
 
  1. Sorority Noise - You’re Not as _____ as You Think
  2. Radiator Hospital - Play the Song You Like
  3. Front Bottoms - Going Grey
  4. Diet Cig - Swear I’m Good at This
  5. Ratboys - GN
  6. Nana Grizol - Ursa Minor
  7. Morrissey - Low in High School
  8. Florist - If Blue Could be Happiness
  9. Iron Chic - You Can’t Stay Here
  10. The Menzingers - After the Party
Have really enjoyed the work Small Circle, Adult Mom, and Slaughter Beach, Dog have put out this year as well.
 
Sometimes you need some fierce bong-rattling stoner metal


I didn't hear S/S's newest until about february, so I'm going to count it


Savage is a masterpiece and the first to put him in the UK top 10 since Telekon.


Goths was a good album


OMD had a solid offering.


The year isn't over yet.
 
Sometimes you need some fierce bong-rattling stoner metal


I didn't hear S/S's newest until about february, so I'm going to count it


Savage is a masterpiece and the first to put him in the UK top 10 since Telekon.


Goths was a good album


OMD had a solid offering.


The year isn't over yet.

Andrew Eldritch is moving back to Leeds, is a work of genius, thanks G23
 
Andrew Eldritch is moving back to Leeds, is a work of genius, thanks G23
Darnielle is my absolute favorite modern lyricist. He can make me laugh or cry, or laugh until I cry.
He cracked me up playing this live as a lead in to Andrew Eldritch.
 
1. Peasant-Richard Dawson
2. How The West Was Won-Peter Perrett
3. Memories of Another Future-She Drew The Gun (technically a reissue but with enough new tracks that I think it counts)
4. Bright Phoebus-Lal and Mike Waterson (also a reissue, but now the floodgates are down...)
5. Semper Femina-Laura Marling
6. Resistance-Songhoy Blues
7. Masseduction-St Vincent (though I'm hoping it'll be a grower)
8. Party-Aldous Harding
9. Every Valley-Public Service Broadcasting (might've been higher if they'd lost the James Dean Bradfield track)
10. Spooky Action-Paul Draper (PSB should've let him sing on the James Dean Bradfield track)

No LIHS, you’ll note. It could be a fantastic album, but I haven’t heard it yet. There’s no way it’d beat Richard Dawson, though. That’s got to be one of the best albums released in my lifetime.

Thanks very much for reminding me of Spooky Action! I'd been meaning to try that one. Could you say why you placed your top two as your top two? Just a bit about why each is worthy of their rating.

S.
 
1. Ride - Weather Diaries
2. The National - Sleep Well Beast
3. Morrissey - Low In High School
4. Slowdive - Slowdive
5. Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage & Joy
6. The Horrors - V
7. S*M*A*S*H - Goodbye WGC
8. John Carpenter - Anthology

I've only listened to four of your top eight. Hadn't thought of The Horrors in an age! Did you like Sleep Well Beast more than the other albums by The National? I liked High Violet a LOT. Got to see it on tour! Also lifted the singer over the rather high barrier so he could get back on stage :)
 
Thanks very much for reminding me of Spooky Action! I'd been meaning to try that one. Could you say why you placed your top two as your top two? Just a bit about why each is worthy of their rating.

S.

Pleased to be of service re: Spooky Action. It’s not in the same league as Six, but it is a very good record from an artist who never really got his due. One track’s a Dominic Chad co-write, too, which gives hope for the future.


In terms of my top 2, Peasant is one of the strangest and most affecting albums I’ve ever heard. On first listen, I felt an almost visceral dislike for it but after forcing myself to give it more time, the beauty began to filter through and now it’s one of a handful of albums from this decade to have earned a place in my all time top ten (I probably shouldn’t mention this on a Morrissey forum but the others are Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom and 90 Bisodol (Crimond) by Half Man Half Biscuit). I’ve expounded at more length in my Amazon review if you’re interested, but I probably shouldn’t link to it here.


How The West Was Won is a more mainstream rock album, but a very well done one from a musician who most people would’ve thought had been lost to a drugs habit years ago. It’s only his second album in 40 years and it’s terrific, lyrically and musically. Even without the backstory, it would have been brilliant but when everything is taken into consideration, it’s magnificent and the love songs to his wife of nearly fifty years are incredibly moving.
 
Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
Slowdive - Slowdive
Ride - Weather Diaries (I'd honestly rate both ride and slowdive's albums as good, if not better, than their material from the shoegaze days)
The Horrors - V
Thundercat- Drunk
Washed Out - Mister Mellow
IDLES- Brutalism
Sleaford Mods - English Tapas
 
The ridiculously great record from which this eponymous track and lead-off single is taken.



Barely edging out The National's superb Sleep Well Beast.
 
Pleased to be of service re: Spooky Action. It’s not in the same league as Six, but it is a very good record from an artist who never really got his due. One track’s a Dominic Chad co-write, too, which gives hope for the future.


In terms of my top 2, Peasant is one of the strangest and most affecting albums I’ve ever heard. On first listen, I felt an almost visceral dislike for it but after forcing myself to give it more time, the beauty began to filter through and now it’s one of a handful of albums from this decade to have earned a place in my all time top ten (I probably shouldn’t mention this on a Morrissey forum but the others are Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom and 90 Bisodol (Crimond) by Half Man Half Biscuit). I’ve expounded at more length in my Amazon review if you’re interested, but I probably shouldn’t link to it here.


How The West Was Won is a more mainstream rock album, but a very well done one from a musician who most people would’ve thought had been lost to a drugs habit years ago. It’s only his second album in 40 years and it’s terrific, lyrically and musically. Even without the backstory, it would have been brilliant but when everything is taken into consideration, it’s magnificent and the love songs to his wife of nearly fifty years are incredibly moving.

I've had strong averse reactions to some albums. It's been rare for me to return to something I really disliked to find "hey, this isn't so shit!" Moving on to other shit, I always have a place for "National Shite Day" in a playlist! Another helpful reminder! Loved the music on "Spooky Action," didn't much care for the lyrics. They felt like deepisms - quasi-profound truisms cast as the author's insights. But then I pay way more attention to lyrics than the instrumentation now that I'm a non-musician. Re-visited Mansun with that thought in mind, and found that there was more humor on "Grey Lantern" to balance out what could have been deepisms, in my opinion. The recent solo work seemed to solemn and inward, which always makes a laugh difficult.

Aiming to check out "Peasant" still. Re-listening to "V' by The Horrors presently and enjoying it a great deal. Now I want to go back and check out the albums between the first and this most recent one to check out the progression. "How the West Was Won" is on my list as well. Wish I had more to recommend. This year hasn't entailed much exploration for me. It's mostly been musical comfort food over here in Faerieland.

Have an un-Unhappy New Year!
 
Pleased to be of service re: Spooky Action. It’s not in the same league as Six, but it is a very good record from an artist who never really got his due. One track’s a Dominic Chad co-write, too, which gives hope for the future.


In terms of my top 2, Peasant is one of the strangest and most affecting albums I’ve ever heard. On first listen, I felt an almost visceral dislike for it but after forcing myself to give it more time, the beauty began to filter through and now it’s one of a handful of albums from this decade to have earned a place in my all time top ten (I probably shouldn’t mention this on a Morrissey forum but the others are Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom and 90 Bisodol (Crimond) by Half Man Half Biscuit). I’ve expounded at more length in my Amazon review if you’re interested, but I probably shouldn’t link to it here.


How The West Was Won is a more mainstream rock album, but a very well done one from a musician who most people would’ve thought had been lost to a drugs habit years ago. It’s only his second album in 40 years and it’s terrific, lyrically and musically. Even without the backstory, it would have been brilliant but when everything is taken into consideration, it’s magnificent and the love songs to his wife of nearly fifty years are incredibly moving.
Pleased to be of service re: Spooky Action. It’s not in the same league as Six, but it is a very good record from an artist who never really got his due. One track’s a Dominic Chad co-write, too, which gives hope for the future.


In terms of my top 2, Peasant is one of the strangest and most affecting albums I’ve ever heard. On first listen, I felt an almost visceral dislike for it but after forcing myself to give it more time, the beauty began to filter through and now it’s one of a handful of albums from this decade to have earned a place in my all time top ten (I probably shouldn’t mention this on a Morrissey forum but the others are Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom and 90 Bisodol (Crimond) by Half Man Half Biscuit). I’ve expounded at more length in my Amazon review if you’re interested, but I probably shouldn’t link to it here.


How The West Was Won is a more mainstream rock album, but a very well done one from a musician who most people would’ve thought had been lost to a drugs habit years ago. It’s only his second album in 40 years and it’s terrific, lyrically and musically. Even without the backstory, it would have been brilliant but when everything is taken into consideration, it’s magnificent and the love songs to his wife of nearly fifty years are incredibly moving.

I listened to the Richard Dawson album and didnt get it the first time but I too have listened to it a few times since and it is extraordinary. On my bucket list is to see him live as he's meant to be something else in concert.

Here's an interview with this somewhat self-effacing man with an extraordinary talent.

http://thequietus.com/articles/22157-richard-dawson-peasant-interview-michael-hann
 
I listened to the Richard Dawson album and didnt get it the first time but I too have listened to it a few times since and it is extraordinary. On my bucket list is to see him live as he's meant to be something else in concert.

Here's an interview with this somewhat self-effacing man with an extraordinary talent.

http://thequietus.com/articles/22157-richard-dawson-peasant-interview-michael-hann

That’s a great interview, with RD coming across almost exactly as I expected him to, and a timely reminder that I need to explore more of his stuff. Thanks for sharing it.
 
I've had strong averse reactions to some albums. It's been rare for me to return to something I really disliked to find "hey, this isn't so shit!" Moving on to other shit, I always have a place for "National Shite Day" in a playlist! Another helpful reminder! Loved the music on "Spooky Action," didn't much care for the lyrics. They felt like deepisms - quasi-profound truisms cast as the author's insights. But then I pay way more attention to lyrics than the instrumentation now that I'm a non-musician. Re-visited Mansun with that thought in mind, and found that there was more humor on "Grey Lantern" to balance out what could have been deepisms, in my opinion. The recent solo work seemed to solemn and inward, which always makes a laugh difficult.

One of the things I like about Paul Draper’s music is the feeling it provokes that the whole thing’s about to collapse under the weight of its own pretensions. It’s probably not an intended reaction but it’s one of the reasons why I rate this album so highly. Obviously, the killer tunes don’t hurt.
 
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