Hello again, internet. I have finished a 57-page paper and a 27-page take-home exam, and my first semester of PhD complete. Between my program and the dearth of good albums released in December it’s been slow around here, but I’m back to put together a list of my favorite albums from the past year. I’ve decided against rank ordering my list, as making those kind of decisions across genres just didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Enjoy!
1. The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
The Wonder Years fall into the unfortunate category of “bands I should have given a chance way sooner.” I’ve been peripherally aware of them for several years, but for some reason I had decided -based upon next to no exposure- that I didn’t like them. In the course of a few days earlier this year, I saw a line from their song Logan Circle pop up a handful of times on both twitter and tumblr –I’m not even sad anymore, I’m just so tired most nights- and really connected with it, as it mirrored my current experience with mental health issues. I looked up the song and have been hooked ever since. The Greatest Generation is as fun of a pop-punk record I’ve heard, with frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell’s emotional delivery and excellent lyricism shining through on every track.
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2. Cannibal Ox – Gotham
Cannibal Ox may have taken 12 years of since the 2001 release of their debut album, the critically-acclaimed The Cold Vein, but Vordul Mega and Vast Aire have certainly not lost even half a step. With such a long layoff between albums and the level of love listeners have for The Cold Vein, Can Ox was fighting an uphill battle with Gotham, but the album doesn’t disappoint in the least.
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3. We Came as Romans – Tracing Back Roots
I had come to know of WCAR back in high school and was drawn in by lead guitarist Joshua Moore’s excellent, positive lyrics. Unfortunately, after a rather lackluster sophomore effort with Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be and taking in a few uninspiring live performances, I was ready to give up on We Came as Romans. Clean vocalist Kyle Pavone flat-out could not sing live and his voice was often auto-tuned to death in the studio. Unclean vocalist Dave Stephens was consistently great, but the rest of the band seemed to have failed to live up to the promise of their debut LP, To Plant a Seed. TBR answered my doubts decisively. Stephens was given an increased role, adding clean vocals on many tracks in addition to his normal throat-shredding screams. Pavone, for his part, appears to have improved by leaps and bounds. The auto-tune of the past is notably absent -and videos of live performances demonstrate a drastic improvement- and Moore’s lyrics are once again a high point in an overall fun, upbeat album.
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4. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
Pending an unexpected reunion, The Civil Wars will always be one the groups I will most regret never getting to see live. Vocalists Joy Williams and John Paul White had an unmistakable chemistry and a level of musicianship that is pretty much unmatched in popular music. Their simple, emotional songs resonate with me in a big way, and are some of my favorite things to play and sing with my good friends. Seriously, as a vocalist, you have no idea how difficult this performance of “From This Valley” from their self-titled album is.
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5. Jamie Cullum – Momentum
Jamie Cullum should be infinitely more popular than he is. The Brit import has gone from albums mostly consisting of jazz standards and covers to 2013’s Momentum, produced by Dan the Automator and featuring only a two covers. Cullum is an energetic performer and excellent pianist and at this point in his career, he is at his absolute peak.
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6. Touché Amoré – Is Survived By
Touché Amoré burst onto the scene in conjunction with bands like La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, and Defeater, and Jeremy Bolm’s powerful vocals and deeply personal lyrics have helped establish them as leaders in this particular movement within post-hardcore.
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7. The Devil Wears Prada – 8:18
It’s been a real treat to watch TDWP grow up. Frontman Mike Hranica lived and went to school in my hometown of Sidney until middle school, and the band is based out of nearby Dayton. I can remember seeing Prada at the local venue at a release show for Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord back in 2006. That they have grown into the scene behemoth they have become would have seemed very unlikely back then, given the overwhelming irrelevance of my hometown (and what was, in retrospect, the fact that Dear Love was not a particularly good album). The miles Hranica has put on his vocal cords are evident on 8:18, but the band opted to leave these imperfections in place, lending a type of authenticity and realness to the tracks. After a lackluster effort with 2011’s Dead Throne, Prada is at their peak on 8:18, a punishing, confident record that showcases a breadth of musical style/influence not seen on previous albums.
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8. Hands Like Houses – Unimagine
The sophomore effort from the Australian post-hardcore/power pop group has hooks for days and excellent guitar work to back them up. After popping up on the scene radar thanks to guest vocals from Jonny Craig and Tyler Carter on their single “Lion Skin” in 2011, HLH holds up quite well without any help on Unimagine. Their 2012 debut, Ground Dweller, showed a lot of promise, but the songs tended to blend together without much to differentiate one song from another, but Unimagine demonstrates a much improved sense of identity and stylistic differentiation between tracks -Most noticeably on “Oceandust,” a piano-driven ballad, a large departure from previous work. Unimagine is one of the more interesting albums of the year, and I still find myself unable to get certain songs out of my head for days at a time.
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9. Have Mercy – The Day the Earth Pushed Back
Baltimore’s Have Mercy is one of the new additions to Topshelf Records’ already excellent roster -which includes bands like Duck! Little Brother, Duck!, Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), and The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die. Thankfully Have Mercy opted for a simpler name and have the musical chops to live up to Topshelf’s sterling reputation, even more impressive given that The Day the Earth Pushed Back is their full-length debut.
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10. Mayer Hawthorne – Where Does This Door Go
Not much analysis required for this on; Mayer Hawthorne just puts out fun records. Slick production, all the rad bass lines your heart could desire, and a dope drop in by Kendrick Lamar all make for an excellent listen, not to mention the vast improvement Hawthorne has made as a vocalist since his debut with 2009’s A Strange Arrangement.
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11. Tiny Moving Parts – This Couch is Long and Full of Friendship
Tiny Moving Parts may be the least well-known -even in the scene- of any band on this list, but it’s certainly not due to a lack of talent on the part of the Minnesota-by-way-of-North Dakota trio. Couch moves deftly between spoken word vocals and screams, mixing noodly rifs that would be right at home on a Dance Gavin Dance record with indie and emo sensibilities. That Tiny Moving Parts can craft a rich, full sound as easily as they can the still, quiet moments on Couch is impressive given the group’s 3-man composition and young age. Couch definitely gives me plenty of reason to look forward to what the band does next.
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Honorable Mentions:
Paramore – Paramore; Norma Jean – Wrongdoers; The Head and the Heart – Let’s Be Still; Dance Gavin Dance – Acceptance Speech; I, The Mighty – Satori; Defeater – Letters Home; Sara Bareilles – The Blessed Unrest; The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die – Whenever, If Ever; Deltron 3030 – Event II
Ryan and Jon Do Music 