Anathema - Distant Satellites (2014)

Since Anathema's return to the music world with 2010's "We're Here Because We're Here" and 2012's stunning "Weather Systems," the band have carved out a well-defined sound that, while similar to that of their older albums, marks a distinct chapter in the band's history. On "Distant Satellites" this sound has been altered slightly to evoke a darker, more brooding mood but the changes are certainly less subtle than one would expect simply based on the beautifully dark album cover. Things are a bit more stripped down on this album with an emphasis on simplicity, catchiness, and directness. This is most apparent on songs like "The Lost Song Pt. 1" and "The Lost Song Pt. 3," both of which are structurally straightforward with a constantly repeating drum beat and crescendo at the end. Yet even though this album is more minimalistic than the band's past releases there's still a whole lot of variety, perhaps more so than in the past. Take the difference between "You're Not Alone," for example, with its repetitive, almost garage rock sound and the ethereal, Radiohead-esque "Take Shelter." Here we see a band that's a little less restrained than before in terms of reaching into other genres while still retaining their trademark sound. While others may disagree, to me the way the album transitions into electronic territory on the last three songs is a brilliant move. One could think of the first portion of the album as signifying one's relations with people whereas the last part of the album takes a more introspective turn and examines our own consciousness and psyche. In any case though, the last three songs certainly give the album breathing space and allow it to end gracefully. If I had to pick some highlights from "Distant Satellites," mine would be "The Lost Song Pt. 2" and "Ariel." These two tracks are to me some of Anathema's greatest artistic achievements even if they sound like they could easily been on the previous two albums. In all, this is an album that's focused on trimming whatever fat was present on "Weather Systems" and further perfecting the band's atmospheric sound. The lyrics may be pretty cheesy but that's they've almost always been for Anathema and since they're coming from a genuine place it's hard to fault the band for that. I'll close by saying that "Distant Satellites" is another fantastic release from one of my favorite bands and it can stand tall in Anathema's discography.
9.5/10

(Special thanks to Kscope for the promo copy.)

Coldplay - Ghost Stories (2014)

After the glitzy, overproduced pop stylings of "Mylo Xyloto" which left many long-time Coldplay fans such as myself disappointed, the band decided to move back, at least partially, towards their original sound. Nowhere is this move more apparent than on the two sublime ballads "Oceans" and "O." These two tracks alone are possibly some of the best material Coldplay have created. Elsewhere on the album we see Coldplay experimenting around, especially on the ethereal, stripped-down "Midnight" which sounds like it could have been ripped from an M83 or Tycho album. Another highlight is "True Love" which is a fantastic synthesis between their new and old styles and is a truly gorgeous track. Then you have "Always in My Head" which seems to draw influence from U2. The album falls a bit flat on tracks such as "Ink" and "Another's Arms." Overall though "Ghost Stories" manages to be highly consistent in both its themes and overall mood despite having a lot of stylistic diversity. It might not be on the same level as "Viva La Vida" or "A Rush of Blood to the Head" but it's quite enjoyable nonetheless and I'm satisfied that the band are moving back on the right track.
8.5/10

Blackfield - IV (2013)

For their fourth release, Steven Wilson decided to be a lot less present here and mostly leave things up to Aviv Geffen. There's a bit of a decline in quality compared to the last record which, unlike most fans, I loved although whether that's due to Wilson's absence I can't say. However, this is still a very good album with some really memorable tunes. These include the fantastic "Jupiter" with Wilson on vocals and "X-Ray" featuring Vincent Cavanaugh of Anathema. Both are easily some of the best the band have ever done. It's not nearly on the level as Blackfield I but IV is still a very worthwhile album that fans of the band and Steven Wilson in general shouldn't miss out on.

8.5/10

 

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (2013)

As one of my most anticipated albums of the year, "Hesitation Marks" had a lot riding on it, especially after being impressed with the new How To Destroy Angels record, and I can gladly say it didn't disappoint. Overall it seems to continue in the same vein as the past few records while doing a bit of experimentation. New directions can be heard on songs such as the punkish "Everything" and the infectiously groovy, yet still quite dark "Satellite." The songs on "Hesitation Marks" don't have quite the same edginess as material from, say, "The Fragile" or "The Downward Spiral" but this reflects Trent Reznor's maturation as an artist and the point where he is now. It may be more poppy and accessible but it still unmistakably NIN and something I'm very happy to see added to the NIN discography. While it's not perfect, it's the best they've put out since "The Fragile." While other older bands/artists rehash material, NIN continue to innovate and not ride on their past glories.

9/10

 

The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

It's not everyday that an indie rock album manages to blow me away, but this one did exactly that. Inspired by post-punk bands such as (perhaps especially) Joy Division, The National's artistic vision is based on minimalistic, emotional, but also dark songs that convey exactly what vocalist Matt Berninger intends them to. If there's one song that brilliantly sums up the poignancy and immediacy of this album, it's "I Need My Girl" which is a truly captivating ballad. In all, "Trouble Will Find Me" is a no-frills, honest album that I'm sure many people in a relationship can relate to. I haven't listened to the band's other albums save a few songs, but I'm intrigued to see if they match up in any way to this one. This will certainly end up on my list of top 5 indie/alt rock albums of the year.
9.5/10

Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork (2013)

After the rather disappointing "Era Vulgaris,"QOTSA have reinvigorated their sound with guest musicians and a lot of new, interesting ideas. From the dark, experimental "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" to the infectiously groovy "Smooth Sailing" to the haunting title track, this is a very diverse, intricately crafted record meant to showcase the full extent of the band's musical talents. Another particular strength of the album is how the guests' parts don't outshine the band and really just flow naturally with the music. "Like Clockwork" won't have the revolutionary impact that "Songs for the Deaf" did back in 2002, but it does show that this band is still relevant and can still pump out great tunes.
9/10

Iron and Wine - Ghost on Ghost (2013)

Sam Beam continues to branch further away from his folk roots and really shows how versatile a songwriter he is on this album. The influences here range from jazz to pop to funk to soul, but somehow it all blends to make a coherent and beautiful collection of songs. In fact, that's one of the things I really admire about him. He's not afraid to experiment with new styles and move out of his comfort zone even if this is a process that takes several albums to fully achieve. While this is definitely not my favorite of his, "Ghost on Ghost" does contain some potentially classic Iron and Wine songs such as "Caught in the Briars," "Low Light Buddy of Mine," and "Baby Center Stage." In all, this is another high quality release from a very high quality artist and will hopefully pull in even more fans who will appreciate Mr. Beam's eclectic musical stylings.
9/10

 

The Dear Hunter - Migrant (2013)

The Dear Hunter's latest release is quite a surprising change of style for this highly accomplished band. There are no prog-rock epics on this album, but there is a whole lot of beauty and drama in what may be one of the most beautiful pop albums I've ever heard. The songs are sincere and, at times, even heartbreaking while their composition is elegant and well thought out. Influences range from classical to jazz to traditional pop as well as including modern bands like Radiohead and Arcade Fire. "Migrant" is a gorgeous, introspective album that shows a side of Casey Crescenzo he had hinted at in previous albums, but only fully develops on this one. Though the term "art pop" may sound self-contradictory, I think it's the perfect term to describe this catchy masterpiece of an album. Whether you're a fan of this band or not, you should make a point of checking this album out. While it's not TDH's best work, I'd say it's still an essential piece of their catalog and one of this year's best so far.

9.5/10

 

The Strokes - Comedown Machine (2013)

Continuing in the experimental direction they took with 2011's "Angles," The Strokes 5th album features heavy nods towards 80's music --particularly post-punk and synthpop -- as well as towards their original garage rock sound. Most of the songs are pretty catchy, and overall it's a very solid album but at the same time it seems to lack the freshness I found on "Angles." A few of the songs such as "50/50" and "Happy Ending" just seem rather stagnant and uninspired. But again, it's still a good album with several songs such as "One Way Trigger" and "All the Time" that are sure to become live staples. Hats off to this band for continuing to make enjoyable music even after they largely abandoned their roots.

  

8.5/10

 

Clutch - Earth Rocker

As this is only the second Clutch album I've listened to in full, I can say that this band is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the stoner genre. Their infectious grooves, upbeat attitude, and fiery vocals have me hooked. With influences from artists such as Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top, this is an album that will have you dancing and partying all night long. I highly recommend it.
9.5/10

Atoms for Peace - Amok (2013)

As a massive fan of all things Radiohead and Thom Yorke, I was eagerly anticipating this album and now that I've listened to it I can say it's absolutely amazing. In fact, it sounds quite similar to Radiohead's recent work in that it features hypnotic guitar melodies/bass lines, beautiful ambient glitches, and of course Yorke's traditional crooning. Amok is less similar to Thom Yorke's previous non-Radiohead project "The Eraser" due to the latter's absence of guitars, but it's still in the same vein as it. All in all, it's a very dense and lush piece of art that deserves many listens to fully appreciate.
9.5/10

 

Beirut - The Rip Tide (2011)

Yet another excellent indie band I discovered, Beirut skillfully boil down intricate folk and classical sections into a pop format. The songs are all very catchy and many of them are quite beautiful. The atmosphere is warm and the music is delightfully upbeat. Overall, it's just a pleasure to listen to especially with its no-frills, almost minimalistic approach which really helps bring all the musical elements (especially the brass sections) into focus. If you want to hear the baroque pop stylings of bands like Arcade Fire combined with the mellow acoustics of Bon Iver then this is your band.
9/10

 

The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011)

As far as indie rock goes, this band is hands-down one of the best I've ever heard. I'm ashamed to admit I only very recently discovered them, but better late than never. Their sound is very close to that of Radiohead (who vocalist Peter Silberberg admits is one of his top influences), but they still manage to keep their musical identity intact and quite vibrant with a healthy infusion of post-rock. In fact, if there's any band that could make post-rock pop it's this band. The instrumentation is very fresh and organic while Silberberg's vocals are simply magical and heartfelt. Again, I'm not much of an indie fan in general, but my respect for the genre did go up several notches after hearing this album.
9.5/10

 

Grizzly Bear - Shields (2012)

After initially not being that impressed with this album, I decided to give it another chance and found it to be much better the second the time around. Their music strongly resembles that of Radiohead and even that of late-era Beatles, but with a psych-folk twist. It's a very beautiful and lush affair with a very eclectic and quirky sound. While I'm not a huge fan of indie in general, this band is a notable exception. Definitely one of the best indie releases of last year.
9/10

 

My Bloody Valentine - BMV (2013)

The legendary shoegaze innovators have returned after 22 years with an amazing record that sounds like it picked up right where their hit album Loveless left off. To my great joy, the same swirling, beautiful textures and ethereal vocals that first attracted me and other fans to the band are ever present here. There's not much here that's particularly new other than some experimentation with electronica so it's a pretty gradual and almost unnoticeable evolution from Loveless. That's more than ok with though since, as I've stated before, experimentation can sometimes have disastrous results. But however it compares to Loveless or anything else in their brief discography, it's a phenomenal comeback and a gorgeous piece of art from brilliant band.
9.5/10

 

Circa Survive - Violent Waves (2012)

Circa Survive are another band in the same vein as Thrice, The Dear Hunter etc. in that they mix prog rock, alt rock, and a bit of hardcore. While this effort doesn't quite match Blue Sky Noise, it's still very good in its own right. Anthony Green's soaring, beautiful vocals are really the cornerstone of this album as on previous ones. Some of the songs could be shortened and parts of them made a bit more interesting, but it's still good to see that the band are as ambitious as ever on this record and show no signs of letting up.

9/10 

Clutch - Blast Tyrant (2004)

Yet another awesome band I've only recently checked out, Clutch have certainly earned their reputation as one of the best stoner rock bands around. Neil Fallon's blues-inflected, chain-gangish vocals and Tim Sult's outstanding guitar work really make for a cohesive and memorable experience with this album. This album has made me very excited for the new release coming out later this year. I'll be sure to review that when it drops.
9.5/10

Thrice - Major/Minor (2011)

I've heard so much about this band that I was finally compelled to check them out. I decided to start with their latest release and it's just awesome. It's quite similar to bands such as Coheed and Cambria and The Dear Hunter, but at the same time it has its own concrete musical identity. All the songs are catchy, upbeat and very sincere. It's all radio-friendly stuff (relatively speaking, not meant as a criticism in any way), but yet it's musically dynamic and sophisticated. I'll definitely be exploring this band's back catalog and reviewing it.
9.5/10

 

Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011)

Well, I finally listened to this one and it was pretty good. For a folk album, it's very eclectic in that incorporates elements of baroque pop and electronica. Some of the songs such as the last one could do without all the synths, and I think that the first half of the record is much better than the second half. However, it's still very enjoyable and I would certainly listen to it again to take more of the nuances. I feel like it's a grower and one that needs repeated listens to fully comprehend.
8.5/10

 

Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman: Descension (2013)

 

Having just listened to this for the first time, I can say it's just as good as Ascension if not slightly better. The epic tracks "Sentry the Defiant" and "Gravity's Union" are some of the most powerful songs the band have written, while "The Hard Sell" and "Dark Side of Me" are some of their catchiest tunes. The only criticism I have of the album is that the studio version of "Iron Fist" doesn't measure up to the live version. Of course, it's still a very good song, but I think the album could have been perfect if they didn't tinker with it. All in all, this is the calmer, yet darker companion to Ascension and the two albums together might just be my favorite Coheed release so far.

9.5/10