2014: Ben's Top Ten
by Benjamin Ray
Honorable Mention
Future Islands - SinglesUses New Wave and pop as a basis, then infiltrates with modern electro-pop and ties it together with Samuel Herring’s stellar vocal work.
Download: “Like The Moon”
Real Estate - Atlas
A good, melancholy album for a thoughtful summer evening spent in the backyard by yourself with a beer and a grill, the Jersey band’s third effort gets a bit predictable in the music department but rises above lyrically, tackling relatable themes of growing older and looking backward with poise and strength.
Download: “Had To Hear,” “Talking Backwards”
Magic Numbers - Alias
This lovely, downbeat disc from the dual sibling duos captures the spaces of gray that fill in our everyday world. An appealing blend of Fleetwood Mac’s sound and spirit, ‘90s alt-rock and modern indie-pop shoegaze, the vocal harmonies soar above with melancholy beauty.
Download: “Thought I Wasn’t Ready,” “Shot In The Dark.”
The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams
New guitarist Steve Selvidge makes a huge mark on this band’s latest effort, turning it into a louder, smarter, and more streamlined affair than before.
Download: “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You,” “Oaks”
Afghan Whigs: Do To The Beast
Lost ‘90s band reunites with two original members (and sans the original guitar player) and turns in a dark, heavy groove-centric alt rock affair with only hints of the old sound.
Download: “Parked Outside,” “Can Rova”
Gary Clark Jr., Live
If you’re not familiar with Clark, hop to it. Along with Joe Bonamassa, he is one of the best modern blues-rock guitarists working.
Download: “Catfish Blues,” “Ain’t Messin’ Round.”
Drive-By Truckers - English Oceans
The timeless soundtrack to our everyday lives, great for putting on in the background during a warmish summer day while grilling in the backyard.
The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Full of dreamy yet weighty post-punk and ‘80s era classic rock-inspired musical sculptures, it is easy to get lost in this all-encompassing album.
Download: “Under The Pressure”
Eric Church - “The Outsiders”
The outsider position is desired in country music, and with this song Church not only nailed the spirit of the Southern outcast but set it to an intoxicating blend of country rock, classic rock and an edge that is missing from the genre.
Spoon - "Outlier"
The band returns after a brief hiatus with a fine album (They Want My Soul) blending old alternative and modern indie rock with flair and energy, shucking off the restraints of the genre with a shrug and a loud snare drum. "Outlier" is one of the highlights, incorporating elements of late-90s electronica and a swirling, happening rhythm section.
Ryan Adams - "Gimme Something Good"
Great blues rock from an artist who took a detour with his eponymous 2014 album, and if the rest of the disc isn't as immediate, it's easy to get lost in the smoky vibe of this song.
Fuego was inconsistent, a modern Phish record that treaded water (albeit pleasantly), but this song was the best by a mile. Trey Anastasio’s voice moves from sleepy questioning to melancholy yearning as the sunny jam band groove shifts and squirms behind him.
Notable Misses
Pink Floyd - The Endless River
A great surprise in theory but a tepid affair, using leftover 1994 outtakes and grafting on new guitar and drum parts as needed. The short instrumental songs recall older, better Floyd tracks and never reach the emotional heights that the band’s music is capable of. Best heard as a sendoff for the band, the exit music over the credits.
Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
A grand concept of recording eight songs in eight rock-centric cities, thinking up lyrics on the spot and filming it all for HBO turned into just another modern Foo Fighters album. It’s good music, of course, just not quite at the level of what a concept like that demands.
Neil Young - Storytone
A double disc, one of solo Neil and one of the same songs recorded in front of a big band or orchestra. The songs are standard solo pieces for Young, making the appearance of the big band somewhat of a gimmick that doesn’t really help the compositions. Not bad, but like the Foo Fighters album, the songs have to rise to the level of what the concept requires.
Weezer - Everything’s Going to Be Alright In the End
The band’s best album in at least a decade, still self-referential but catchy, energetic and with some attitude. The songs don’t stick around, but the fire has returned, and it was missed.
Worst Albums
Flaming Lips - With A Little Help From My Fwends
Simply awful. Don’t even bother.
John Frusciante - Enclosure
The former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist should know better. Nearly unlistentable.
Robin Thicke - Paula
Like peering into the bedroom of a fighting married couple, this was Thicke’s public apology and plea to his estranged wife Paula Patton. It’s a little creepy and the music isn’t memorable – although it returns to Thicke’s older Marvin Gaye-inspired sound – and it was both a public and personal bomb. Patton filed for divorce soon after it came out. Ouch.