Best 5 albums of 2014 – Samuel Hernandez

by Samuel Hernandez

Two albums in two years with starkly different tones. “Alix” is a coming out of depression jam for how even when things go wrong you’ve still got so much energy to put into letting loose.

“Black Lemon” has been on constant rotation since the album dropped. The band mixes borderline melancholy vocals with shaking dance beats. There is a need for introspective albums that make you delve deep into your head while at the same time forcing your lower body to sway and shake. They’re electric pop is exuberant with an emphasis on excited for life.

In addition to having the most stunning album covers, they earn a best of the year spot while nodding to how silly best of the year spots can be this tweet.

Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels 2

Killer Mike and El-P revitalized their already storied career by merging El-P’s beat making brilliance and Killer Mike’s lyrical prowess. Equally poignant amidst America’s foray into police brutality the lyrics on “Run the Jewels 2” were about the ever more present conversation of what it means to be Black in America. Killer Mike was emotionally invested and angry.

Run the Jewels 2 was thought provoking hip hop with innovative beats, and luckily for the rest of us Killer Mike and El-P are still interested in working together. There won’t be as long as wait for the next album.

Pillar Point, Pillar Point

Scott Reitherman emerged from the cocoon of Throw Me the Statue to release a self-titled album of pitiful dance tunes. He was exploring the distance that social media creates between individuals and trying to move those same people closer together on the dance floor. His electronica pop was tinged in happiness, the concept of moving people as quickly as possible from their fears and loneliness to finding a connection with others.

Each of the songs on the self titled album were a continuation of Reitherman’s work with Throw Me the Statue but re-explored through keyboards and synth. With siren vocals and a tendency to slip lyrics under the radar, Pillar Point’s debut is hipster dance music for the economically challenged.

The Preatures, Blue Planet Eyes

Blue Planet Eyes was everything that it needed to be without the letdown of a debut album. As the new Talking Heads, The Preatures built up buzz and a following by excessive touring in which the bombastic frontwoman took over the stage and dominated the audience. After extensive touring they finally sat down and recorded an album that was able to both capture the ferocity of their live performances with the polish of a well produced album.

Gems like “Is This How You Feel?” were every bit the tour de force, with an infectious opening from the frontwoman to the sexual ballad of love and lust. The album continues through singles that explore passionate guitar playing, you can hear the guitar strings snapping with each guitar solo, and slow down rock and roll yearning. The Preatures are still the cool kids but now you can carry their music around with you and pretend to carry a little bit of that cool.

Rural Alberta Advantage, Mended with Gold

The Rural Alberta Advantage take their time with each album. So with each anticipation builds. They’re a Canadian band that revels in their Canadian culture, each song a love song to somewhere in Alberta, some old rock found in the very center of a small town that isn’t actually a rock but has a cherished back story, there’s love in each carefully constructed song.

The trio continues their chemistry, making room for the distinct vocals and simple chords of the frontman, the heavy metal drumming, what should be out of place but falls naturally into each song, and the subtle female vocals and organ playing underneath it all. With songs like “On the Rocks” and “45/33” has moved from the beauty of folk rock acoustic guitar driven tunes to a more progressive rock play. RAA has been known for fitting as much energy and music into a small amount of time but with Mended with Gold they’ve explored stretching that energy out over longer and longer songs.