There are only around half a dozen people I trust when it comes to their musical recommendations. One of them is Werner Olckers of Wrestlerish, and so when he said he was compiling a list of his favorite albums of the year, I figured it only made sense for us to put it up here on the site. It’s an impressive list, including his detailed Top 10, Honorable Mentions, Biggest Album of the Year, and his favorite Debut Album of the Year.
Check out the list below.
Honorable Mentions:
Deftones – Koi No Yokan
Right Away, Great Captain! – The Church Of The Good Thief
Sea Wolf – Old World Romance
Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror
Torche – Harmonicraft
The Vaccines – Come of Age
The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten
Efterklang – Pirimidia
The Other 10:
20. Grizzly Bear – Shields
19. Miike Snow - Happy To You
18. Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
17. Why? - Mumps, Etc.
16. The Men - Open Your Heart
15. Death Grips - No Love Deep Web
14. The Cribs - In The Belly Of A Brazen Bull
13. Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
12. Balmorhea – Stranger
11. Action Bronson - Blue Chip
Debut Album Of The Year: Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Biggest let down of the year: Milo Greene – Milo Greene
10. Silversun Pickups – Neck Of The Woods
The amazing thing about music is that you can change your mind at any time. Upon first listen, Silversun Pickups’ third release didn’t have me convinced. I put it away and it would be a few weeks before I attempted another listen, but man, I’m really glad I did.
Neck Of The Woods is definitely a creeper, borrowing heavily from early 90s Depeche Mode and Smashing Pumpkins’ Adore by fusing ominous synths and textures with catchy guitar lines. The band has found a perfect symmetry between having the vocals drive the music and using the backing vocal melody lines as an extra instrument.
This is definitely a headphone album and you’ll have hours of fun exploring it, I know I did.
9. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo – Tree Of Tongues
This album is everything I’ve wanted out of a “heavier” band in years. It’s diverse, explores interesting time signatures, yet never dwells too far past being fractured and manages to remain consistent across songs. I’ve never been a fan of the term “mathcore” but this band has managed to put together a perfect equation of technicality, melody, groove, giant riffs and aggression.
Tree Of Tongues effortlessly ventures between the power and precision of Dillenger Escape Plan and utilizing noise as melody a la Fear Before.
This is one of the most exciting bands around at the moment, and I have a feeling they’re still two albums away from their crowning achievement. I look forward to watching them grow.
Stand out track: Torough. Modern
8. Wintersleep – Hello Hum
Wintersleep are one of those bands that could possibly put out a great record every two years for a decade and never really get noticed. Is it because their albums are just not quite good enough? Nope, not even close. This could possibly be your “new” favorite band and I’m pretty sure you’ll thank me later.
Hello Hum is sonically my favorite album of the year. It ranges from being noisy and rhythmic to slow and barely having a pulse. The production is spacious and so well executed that although the songs are diverse, it pulls it all together with style.
Stand out track: It’s a toss up between Resuscitate and Smoke.
7. Yeasayer – Fragrant World
Sometimes you want a band to zig and they end up zagging. Fragrant World was probably the hardest record for me to get into this year. I was a huge fan of Odd Blood and had a certain sound and direction in mind in hopes for their follow up.
Having said that, the album does not disappoint. It takes Yeasayer’s electronic sound and grounds it in rich earthy tones. The band eliminates the electronic element to some extent and fills the void with interesting brass, string and organ arrangements. This happens seamlessly and the listener never feels like something is missing.
This album cements the fact that Yeasayer are a band first, and electronic artists second.
6. Bad Books – II
This is the only “supergroup” I’ve ever really been interested in (I’m using the term supergroup very loosely here). Consisting of members from Manchester Orchestra alongside solo wunderkind Kevin Devine, Bad Books’ first release, although having one or two great songs, felt like a way for its members to pass time between their respective projects’ albums.
However on II the band has become just that: a band. The songs and style are far more defined. Andy Hull (Manchester Orchestra) seems to have shed his dark and slow phase by meeting Kevin Devine halfway for a record full of upbeat choruses, hooky guitar lines and harmonies delivered with intent.
Stand out track: It Never Stops
5. Beach House – Bloom
This album was exactly what I hoped it would be. When a band has such a distinct sound, progression and growth often seems impossible or simply too risky. Beach House managed to take their “Dream Pop” and turn it into an album full of finely constructed songs full of space and melody. Bloom is filled with subtle production that makes the album an absolute treat when it comes to re-listening to it. You’re guaranteed to hear something new every time.
Stand out track: Wild
4. Every Time I Die – Ex Lives
How do you follow up your most successful record to date? Write something similar and please the fans? Recycle the riffs and structures? Fuck no. You go and make your heaviest, darkest and fastest record ever.
Ex Lives sees the band leaving their tongue in cheek “Southern hardcore” sound behind to make room for a more aggressive approach to their very distinct take on modern hardcore. Buckley’s lyrics are still full of one-liners and salted sarcasm. The band shines musically and navigate between Pantera-fueled riffs and droning Alice In Chains-style guitar tones.
This album is bound to lose them some fans. But I have a feeling ETID wouldn’t want those pussies around anyway.
Stand out track: Drag King
3. How To Dress Well – Total Loss
The last year has seen an interesting turn in RnB and Neo Soul, with artists like How To Dress Well and Frank Ocean taking a genre that was pretty much on it’s deathbed and injecting it with much needed vision and life.
While Ocean has deservedly gained praise throughout the music industry, producer and singer Tom Krell has released an album that seems to have slipped just under the radar. By breaking the 3 minute radio single mold and expanding on instrumentation and soundscaping, Total Loss could very well have been a Prince album backed by Bon Iver and James Blake, and thank God for that.
Stand out track: & It Was U
2. Mystery Jets – Radlands
This album was by far the biggest surprise of the year for me. I had never really paid too much attention to the band, and mostly found their previous releases predictably bland. Radlands is a major departure from their British Indie sound and borrows tones and arrangements from Americana and Country pioneers such as Gram Parsons and even has moments reflecting The Stones’ Exile On Main Street.
The lyrical content has a strong storytelling edge that almost resembles a concept album for an “English Boy’s Honky Tonk Adventure”. The hooks, harmonies and instrumentation are all beautifully thought out and executed. The album sounds like it should have only been put out on vinyl.
With songs ranging from bluesy ballads to guitar-driven country avalanches, this album truly gets better with every listen. I just hope their newfound transformation keeps progressing and leads to that one perfect record.
Stand out track: Lost in Austin
1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Post Rock? Maybe. Album of the year? Definitely. For a band that almost didn’t happen, it’s amazing to see how they’ve taken a sound that I honestly thought couldn’t get more honest or raw and craft it into a “20-something angst anthems masterpiece”.
The album truly captures their live band energy and combines it with Springsteen-esque stadium rock guitars, tapping into an array of nostalgic topics. This album makes me want to relive and cling to everything it means to be young, dumb and full of cum.
Stand out track: The House That Heaven Built
So that’s Werner’s list? What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Feel like he’s insulted your mother?