1. See The Light, Jessica 6
I've loved Nomi from the very first time I saw her perform with Hercules & Love Affair at Studio B back in 2008. However, for no good reason, it took me a while to give Jessica 6 (bonus points for the band name's coming from Logan's Run!) their due. I finally caught them opening for Holy Ghost! and had to wonder why I hadn't already bought their album. Nomi's voice is fantastic (as always), and all the songs are well crafted. It's an album that you want to listen to the whole way through, and can it soundtrack anything from a party to a romantic interlude to just chilling out. Lush in so many ways.
This album is higher on this list than it should be simply because it contains my very favorite song of the year, "Beth/Rest." Justin Vernon's innovative combinations of sounds and styles brings great dimension to this album, but it is that one song that spoke to my soul the very first time I heard it. Any album that contains a song that can do that is pretty awesome.
I used to be a soundtrack fiend. Being a movie nut, I was always falling in love with Soundtracks that deftly captured the mood of films like Grosse Pointe Blank, 10 Things I Hate About You, Top Gun, The Fabulous Baker Boys, etc. etc. etc. However, there came a point at which I realized that I could construct most soundtracks for new movies out of the soundtracks I already owned (I think the last soundtrack I purchased for a new release before this one was Middle Men, just because it is like a great mix tape that I am too lazy to make), and there weren't all that many original scores that caught my ear either. Drive changed all of that and renewed my faith in music supervisors. This soundtrack starts off strong with the song that opens the film, "Nightcall," by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx, and continues with four other songs powerfully evocative of their specific roles in the film before switching gears into the original score by Cliff Martinez. The thing is, those first five songs sound like they could have come straight out of the score material. This album is tight and moody, dark and bold - just like the film with which it is so perfectly integrated. Extremely honorable mentions: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo soundtracks -- also excellent pieces of artistry.
This album was totally worth £15 - "Raindrops" performed by an orchestra? Totally brilliant. Classy, refined electro-classics was not a niche that I realized needed filling, but now that I have this album, I want more like it. This is a concept album taken to the next level; every track delivers a surprise (though "Good Luck" really doesn't sound all that different from it's usual version, which is a bit disappointing). Basement Jaxx have always been innovative, and they continue that tradition here with extremely rewarding results.
I wasn't overly impressed by Sixx:A.M.'s first album (even though I am a huge fan of Nikki Sixx), so it took me a while to get around to actually listening to this one, and I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that it was a solid rock album with great song writing (both lyrically and musically) that made me want to listen to it over and over again all summer. Highlights include the single "Lies of the Beautiful People," "Sure Feels Right" (perfect for oceanside sunset drives with the windows rolled down), and the pounding title track "This Is Gonna Hurt." Singer James Michael's voice is much more palatable than that of Vince Neil, and while many of these songs will never reach the legendary status that those of Mötley Crüe have, the album itself is certainly stronger than the Crüe's most recent effort, Saints of Los Angeles. Sixx:A.M. is clearly a labor of love for its members, making it a sincere creative effort rather than a mere side project.
Gosh, this is a beautiful album! I love listening to it on Sunday mornings and/or when it is gross and gray and rainy. Listening to this album is like curling up inside a cozy blanket; Guy Garvey's voice is incredibly warm and the orchestration on this album in exquisitely layered. I enjoy Elbows' previous work, but I truly love this latest album - it's kind of addictive.
The first Pop Idol winner has finally come into his own. While Young's previous effort, Let It Go, was certainly a strong effort with some stand-out songs, Echoes is an entire album of listening pleasure. It reminds me greatly of Kylie's Aphrodite because it seems as if the whole album has one story to tell and every song fits perfectly with all the others. This is a chilled-out pop dance album for an audience that is aging right along with the artist -- that is to say, adults who still want to have fun, but are taking it a bit easier than they used to. "Jealousy," "Losing Myself," and "I Just Want A Lover" are immediate standouts, but every song here has something special to offer. I nearly skipped over this album since Young's past efforts had tended to be erratic, but my faith in an artist I've followed for quite sometime was handsomely rewarded. I was able to pick this album up in the UK, but it is more than worth the "import" price from Amazon here in the US.
This is actually the first Tom Waits album I have ever bought. Being as crazy as I am, I was actually more familiar with his acting work (especially love him in Wristcutters and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus) than with his music. Ironically, I bought this album because I heard "Back In The Crowd" playing in a cinema while I was waiting for a movie to start. I really loved that song, and thought I might as well take a chance on the album since everybody had such good things to say about it, and about Waits as a musician in general. I was not disappointed. This album has so many beautiful textures and layers, and Waits's gruff voice is haunting in its malleability. I have a lot of catching up to do on this guy....
9. Together We Were Made, The FeelingThe Feeling is another band I have been following for quite some time despite their somewhat erratic output. Like Will Young, they have produced a dance album that carries their own unique brand of dance-y power pop. Favorite tracks here are "Searched Every Corner," "A Hundred Sinners," and "Set My World On Fire" (also available in some fun remixes). This is definitely a spirited party album that is infectiously sunny. There are also terrific vocal cameos from Róisín Murphy and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, bringing some true UK dance-pop cred to the boys who "Love It When You Call."
I admire Andy Butler and Kim Ann Foxman for mixing it up with some new vocalists on their sophomore effort and exploring different song structures and tones. While this album certainly has some fun disco numbers, it offers more stylistic variety than H&LA's first album. Both albums are strong, and it is always nice to watch collective groups like this truly evolve and experiment rather than getting stuck in a rut after garnering great acclaim for their debut effort.
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