Liverpool band The Wombats started their career strong. Their debut album is a great party album drawing influences from post-punk and guitar indie. The lyrics are humorous and there are no boring moments. The biggest hits were Let's Dance to Joy Division, which celebrates the irony of dancing to Joy Division and Backfire at the Disco, which tells a story of a date gone wrong. It truly is a shame that the second album from this band was an utter fiasco. The sounds became cheap and electronic and there are only small traces left of the humour in the lyrics. This debut album is nevertheless excellent piece of party music, so crank up the volume and dance to The Wombats. Listen to the album on Spotify.
I'm not the biggest fan of electronic indie pop, but there are some albums that you can't ignore. MGMT's debut album is full of party melodies, psychedelia and enthusiastic rhythms. Album's biggest hit Kids is a confident way to get people on the dance floor in discos. Even though I'm boosting the idea of a party album, there's more in there. Some of the songs are not the most approachable beacuse of the psychedelic sounds and rhythms. This gives the album more depth than your average disco pop. MGMT is a manifestation of the hipster era. Ridiculous album cover deepens that impression. I don't know if people will remember this album in ten years time, but they should, because it features great songs that express the last half of the decade. Listen to the album on Spotify.
With my taste in music I should like Arcade Fire more. I don't know why but this band has never been one of my favourites. Their second album Neon Bible, nevertheless, remains in my opinion their best piece of work and I have to appreciate the massive sounds and the style. Arcade Fire became one of the biggest phenomenons in the indie circles and that is saying a lot from a Canadian mormon band. Untypically, the highlights of the album are put to the end. No Cars Go and My Body Is a Cage are the best songs from this album. The album cover brings to my mind a sleazy neon sign motels in the middle of a desert in the American bible belt with their bibles in the nightstand drawers. Listen to the album on Spotify.
When you see the name of the singer, you don't think of Sweden. José Gonzales is from Gothenburg in Sweden, but his parents moved there from Argentina. Gonzales plays beautiful and hypnotic melodies on a classical guitar. His two first albums sound about the same, but this second album has some amazing moments like the title track and Cycling Trivialities. It is amazing what one can do with just an acoustic guitar. This album doesn't need any other instruments. I've seen Gonzales live and the atmosphere was mystical. People were silent throughout the show and merely listened to him only making noise in between the songs. Gonzales is not much of a performer, but the mystic atmosphere made the live show special. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Beirut has a really distinctive sound. The singer's laconic expression fits perfectly to the weird folk sounds accompanied by horns and rhythms that sound as though they were made with pots and pans. I saw the band live last summer at Field Day festival in London. The horns accompanied the dark clouds that were filling up the sky making the feel of a doom's day. The Flying Club Cup is in my opinion the best album from Beirut. Guyamas Sonora is probably the most beautiful song on the album. The trumpets get the shivers in my spine. Beirut is a shining example of the effect of more unfamiliar instrumentation in popular music. I just wish there were more bands that would think outside the box in this way. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Band of Horses is a contrast to Beirut. They play only conventional instruments and the melodies are typical pop melodies. Still this band has something special about it. I call it the feeling. Massive guitar riffs, high singing voice and rising tunes have a beautiful effect on me. Some of the lyrics are outstanding and for example No One's Gonna Love You has a great personal meaning to me. The album cover illustrates beautifully the feel of the album. Band of Horses has four great albums but this one, I think, is the best one. The first three songs are just perfect but the rest of the album is full of great songs as well. What can I say? With this album it is true that simple is beautiful. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Liam Finn from New Zealand is not known very widely. His debut album is nevertheless a great piece of work. Innovative pop and rock melodies with a wide range in sounds. Some of the songs are really beautiful, some are full of rage and some are just brilliant compositions. His second album took four years to complete but unfortunately it's not as good as its predecessor. I recommend this album for everyone who likes singer-songwriter music and beauty in sadness and longing. This is not pure melancholy though. It's got some happier moments as well. Liam Finn is my favourite artist (and only one I know) from New Zealand. If you haven't heard of him, I suggest you listen to the album on Spotify.
Austin, Texas based Spoon is a peculiar rock band. The sounds are pure rock n' roll, but the songs are innovative and don't always follow the logic of normal rock songs. Some songs sound as if they are going to explode at some point but they just keep the listener in suspence until the very end. It's hard to name any highlights for this album since it's full of them. There are many songs with a completely different attitude on this album and still you can call it a whole album that is not just a collection of songs. This album reveals great studio gags when you listen to it on a good stereo equippment. Small loudspeakers do not make this album justice. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Andrew Bird has recently beacame one of my all time favourite artists. He's probably the best whistler in the pop music industry. He also picks a violin, which is something I love. Last summer I saw him perform live and that moment was amazing. beautiful songs, sunlight and beer. What more could you ask for? Even though Andrew Bird's each and every album is brilliant, this one is my favourite. It's got some of the best songs such as Imitosis and Plasticities. Bird's voice is one of the most beautiful out there. Even though it's a bit subdued, it fits perfectly with the beautiful melodies and multiple instrumentation that he uses. Glockenspiel and whistling make a weird combination that is beautiful and unearthly. Andrew Bird on Spotify.
To be fair, this is not the best album from the Shins. It's still number one on my list this year, because it contains few of my all time favourite songs. Australia and Phantom Limb are outstanding tracks and work as perfect examples of perfect pop songs. If you have not seen them already, I truly recommend you to watch some music videos from this album (or any othe Shins album for that matter), because they're brilliant. The Shins is probably the best band in the world to produce feel good melodies and hits. The Shins might well be one of the few bands that get all of their records on my annual lists. But this remains to be seen. There are some absolutely brilliant albums coming on the upcoming lists. Listen to the album on Spotify.
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