The 30 Best Albums of 2014

 20. Tori Amos – Unrepentant Geraldines

Tori Amos has kept herself quite busy in recent years. She collaborated on a musical production of The Light Princess, which hit the stage at the Royal National Theater in London last year. She’s also put out a holiday album, 2009’s Midwinter Graces, and two orchestral albums, the stunningly beautiful Night of Hunters from 2011, and 2012’s Gold Dust, which features orchestral re-recordings of some of her most-loved songs. For Unrepentant Geraldines, her first regular studio album since 2009’s underrated Abnormally Attracted to Sin, the piano is back front and center for the first time in two decades. “Wild Way” is heart-meltingly beautiful, as are heartrending tracks like “Weatherman,” “Wedding Day” and the exquisite “16 Shades of Blue.” First single “Trouble’s Lament” is Amos speaking to a younger woman from experience, that if you allow trouble to seep inside you it will latch on and make itself at home; trouble is notoriously difficult to dislodge once you’re in its grasp. One of the most touching moments is “Promise,” a duet with Amos’ teen daughter Natasya Hawley. Back in the ‘90s, Amos wrote stark and painfully cathartic pieces about her series of miscarriages, like “Playboy Mommy,” “Spark” and “iieee.” Now, all these years later, she’s in a different place and on a different plane, and has a daughter with a lovely voice with whom she can duet; its an astonishing turnaround, and one can’t help but feel joy at hearing those two voices intertwined so beautifully. She’ll never return to the harrowing, emotional confessionals of her ‘90s work –and why would she? Her life is completely different now, so it would be totally inauthentic if she tried. If you haven’t listened to Tori Amos since the peak of her ‘90s popularity, there have been some great albums in the interim (especially 2003’s Scarlet’s Walk), but Unrepentant Geraldines is a great place to dive back in. It’s Amos at her best, a strong collection of imaginative songwriting and stunning performances that’s hard to shake loose once you give it the time it needs to burrow inside and take root in your heart. After all, Trouble needs a home, girls.

19. Morrissey – World Peace is None of Your Business

It’s strange to think that The Smiths only released four studio albums (not counting their all-important singles compilations) during their brief but enormously influential career, and Morrissey as a solo artist has more than doubled that output with his tenth album, World Peace is None of Your Business. It continues his string of excellent releases this past decade, after a long hiatus following his 1997 album Maladjusted. World Peace is None of Your Business has all of the familiar facets that make Morrissey who he is – the sardonic, gloomy and self-deprecating wit, the soaring vocals, the ability to mix mordant humor with genuine personal tragedy and insight. All of this is on display throughout the album, especially on what is arguably its best track, “Staircase at the University,” a sad parable about a young person wilting under the crushing pressures of life. “Smiler With Knife” is particularly chilling, and “Istanbul” is an epic hard-rocker that ranks with his best. Sonically the album explores new territory, with bits of electronic elements burrowing their way into his usual jangly guitar-rock. World Peace is None of Your Business isn’t quite on par with his “big four” greatest solo albums (Viva Hate, Your Arsenal, Vauxhall and I, and You Are The Quarry), but it’s still a vital collection by an artist who continues to alternately bewilder, surprise, infuriate, and delight his devoted fans. *Note – since World Peace is None of Your Business is not available on Spotify, we’ve instead included a representative track from one of his recent albums. 

18. Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams

For his fourteenth album in fourteen years, the always-prolific Ryan Adams has delivered a killer collection of ace songwriting that stands among his best. The album opens with a burst of electric guitar and organ on the slow, sinewy “Gimme Something Good,” a bluesy rocker with a retro vibe and a instantly memorable chorus. Just listen to that brief acoustic guitar solo midway through, with the organ churning behind it, before erupting right back into the explosive refrain… marvelous. “Kim” is equal parts bitterness and heartbreak, with a guitar solo that melts the heart and conveys the emotion of the song better than any words. “Am I Safe” is one of the album’s emotional centerpieces, a stark expression of self-doubt, a portrayal of walking on the edge of sobriety. It’s eerily beautiful in its raw portrayal of vulnerability, especially coming from the often brash Adams. “Shadows” is another standout; throughout the album, Adams wrings incredible nuance both from his vocal performance and from the music itself, creating an unmistakable atmosphere that suits each song perfectly. The guitar solo in “Shadows” is particularly spellbinding. Co-produced by Adams and his collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Mike Viola of The Candy Butchers, Ryan Adams has a raw, intimate feel – turn it up, and it sounds like the band is standing in the center of the room, the guitars humming and buzzing and the naked emotion seeping through with every word. Ryan Adams turned 40 in November, and his self-titled album feels like the debut of a new, mature stage of his career. He’s a Hall of Fame artist, and while he’s widely praised by critics and has a strong fan-base, it’s time for Adams to get some broader appreciation. Very few have accomplished what Ryan Adams has done in terms of quality and quantity over the last fifteen years, and Ryan Adams rivals 2004’s Love is Hell as the finest album of his career.

17. Rival Sons – Great Western Valkyrie

California rockers Rival Sons crank the volume up to 11 on their fourth album, the superb Great Western Valkyrie. The four-piece is no-frills, straightforward rock n’ roll ensemble that crushes it with one killer tune after another. The searing blue-rock riffs are hot and heavy, and vocalist Jay Buchanan is an electrifying front-man. “Electric Man” grabs you from the very beginning of the ride and it’s impossible to jump off until it’s over. “Open My Eyes,” with its John Bonham-esque opening drum lines and heavy guitar riff very much reminiscent of Mr. Page, is a far better approximation of something in the style of Led Zeppelin than just about any other band could manage. It even has ethereal acoustic segments. The epic seven-plus minute “Destination on Course” ends the album with a chorus of melodic guitars and a slow-building intensity that turns into manic fire. The musicianship on Great Western Valkyrie is top-notch, and the songwriting is strong enough to hold up to the band’s considerable musical chops. It’s classic rock for a new generation. Get it now, crank it up, and nobody will look askance if you pull out and dust off that old air guitar that’s been sleeping in a closet somewhere. You won’t be able to help yourself.

16. Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else

Cleveland indie-rockers Cloud Nothings hit pay-dirt with their fourth studio album, a ferocious 8-song sonic assault called Here and Nowhere Else. At a compact 31 minutes, there is no wasted space here – apart from the ambitious 7-minute “Pattern Walks,” the songs are mostly short, spiky, tightly-wound post-punk. “Psychic Trauma” is a highlight — it starts as a mid-tempo rocker before erupting into a volcanic blast of unhinged emotional catharsis. “Just See Fear” is another blistering tune; the vocals way down in the mix, it sounds a bit like Green Day without all the studio polish and crisp production values. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Dylan Baldi is backed by the wildly savage rhythm section of TJ Duke on bass and Jayson Gerycz, whose relentlessly powerhouse drumming is essential to band’s manic potency. Here and Nowhere Else is merciless garage rock, a caustic torrent of righteous angst unleashed at its most raw and visceral. It sounds like someone took a boom-box, hit the red record button, sat back and watched the trio bash out their frustrations in a torrential fury while the livid neighbors scream epitaphs as they shake their fists angrily out the kitchen window (too bad nobody can understand what the hell they are saying… the music’s just too damn loud).

15. Perfume Genius – Too Bright

The third album by Seattle’s Mike Hadreas, who records under the name Perfume Genius, is a lush, elegant tour de force. Opening with a few bars of stately piano on “I Decline,” Hadreas’ sweet and expressive vocals float above with somber elegance on the brief opener before launching into the album’s key single, “Queen,” a stylish mix of glam-pop and new wave in which Hadreas’ utilizes a variety of sonic textures to great effect. Hadreas has the good fortune of collaborating with Portishead guitarist Adrian Utley, who plays multiple instruments throughout the album, and PJ Harvey drummer John Parish. But Too Bright is Hadreas’ album, no doubt, with his lovely piano and breathtaking voice soaring above the often sparse instrumentation. “Grid” is another key track, a new-wave throwback with tribal percussion, keening saxophone, and wild vocal effects that combine for a piece that’s unique, startling, and slightly unsettling. “I’m a Mother” is Hadreas alone, faintly whispering above a deeply pulsing wash of synthesizers; his anguished vocal, like on much of the album, is laden with effects to give it a strange, otherworldly quality. The album closes with “All Along,” a piercingly spectral piece with enigmatic lyrics. Perfume Genius’ Too Bright is an album shadowed in ambiguity, but sparkling with the singular talent of Mike Hadreas. It feels like he’s right on the cusp of greatness, and that each new album will be met with greater and greater anticipation. Too Bright is emotive late-night listening, beautiful, stately, lush, and strange.

14. Elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything

Elbow has comfortably occupied its particular niche in British rock for well over a decade now, generally falling somewhere in between the audacious brilliance of Radiohead and the tepid arena-rock of Coldplay. Their understated dream-pop has always delivered moments of brilliance, and their latest release is perhaps the finest of their career thus far. The Take Off and Landing of Everything is an album of soaring melancholy that’s beautiful and deeply absorbing. Guy Garvey’s voice is an appealing blend of Peter Gabriel and David Gilmour, and the band’s long, languid pieces are often reminiscent of mid-70’s Pink Floyd. These are songs of experience and regret, maturity and self-awareness. Standout tracks include “Charge,” with its exotic string arrangement, the vaguely Bowiesque “Fly Boy Blue/Lunette,” which features a wonderful double-tracked vocal, and the solemnly beautiful “New York Morning.” “My Sad Captains” is a piece of striking power and beauty, with the aching repetition of “oh my soul!” between poetic stanzas. “For each and every train we missed, a bitter little Eucharist – – oh my soul.” Elbow’s music unfolds at its own leisurely pace and it’s not going to hit you in the face with Top 40-ready pop hooks. That’s all for the good. The Take Off and Landing of Everything is epic in every sense of the word; a work of towering artistry.

13. Royal Blood – Royal Blood

The first surprise upon hearing the massive sonic assault of Royal Blood is that the British band consists of only two members, and everything you hear is vocals and bass (Mike Kerr) and drums (Ben Thatcher). It seems impossible given the thunderous wall of sound on Royal Blood that there aren’t multiple guitarists but it’s a testament to the extraordinary talent of these two musicians that they are able to pull it off. They are also able to put their musical chops to good use on some killer tunes. The churning rocker “Figure it Out” was the album’s first single, and it’s a first rate slice of garage-rock with a thunderous bass-line. The playing is unbelievably tight throughout – it’s frankly incredible. “Out of the Black” opens with machine-gun rounds of drumming before the full fury of the band kicks in, and Kerr howls madly over the cacophony. “Little Monster” is an exercise in changing dynamics, from heavy metal riffs to quieter sections. “Careless” is a sizzling rocker, as is the album’s closer “Better Strangers” which harkens back to the grunge era, calling up the ghosts of Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Royal Blood’s self-titled debut is going to be hard to top, but they have the talent to do it. As it is, Royal Blood is the highest-ranked debut album on this list, and it’s well-deserving of the accolade of best debut album of 2014. Crank it up, just be careful not to blow out your speakers.

12. First Aid Kit – Stay Gold

The third album by Swedish duo First Aid Kit, made up of sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, is a sheer delight of exquisite harmonies, warm production and outstanding songwriting. Produced by longtime Saddle Creek Records mainstay Mike Mogis, Stay Gold is true to its name. It shimmers with beauty from start to finish. Stay Gold has an exotic flair – a beguiling mix of folk, pop, with some country influences. The sisters write their own material, and the instrumentation is acoustic guitar at its base but they frequently employ strings and other instruments to ornament their sound. Opening track “My Silver Lining” sounds like it should be from a long-lost Western; it’s gorgeous and mysterious, with a phenomenal vocal. The duo’s lyrics are often wistful and poignant, such as “The Waitress,” about a woman who’s lover has left and she reflects on her past and future, daydreaming about what the future might hold and trying to come to grips with a new reality. “But you know it’s a dark twisted road we are on, and we all have to walk it alone.” “Fleeting One” is stunning, as is the haunting ballad, “A Long Time Ago,” which begins with a simple piano accompaniment before a lovely string arrangement joins and then the full arrangement begins. The vocals are so warm they practically glow, and the lyrics pull at the heart every bit as much as the glorious sound. Stay Gold is an album of heartbreak and breathtaking beauty that will only sound better with each subsequent listen.

11. Bruce Springsteen – High Hopes

For his latest album High Hopes, Springsteen approached things a bit differently. Rather than a focused period of writing and recording for a specific album project, he collected songs from the last decade or so that had been left off his albums for one reason or another and revisited them, and added a couple covers. The result is his strongest work since 2002’s The Rising. High Hopes sounds vital and urgent, unlike his downbeat and overly despondent 2012 album Wrecking Ball, which had some great material but was ultimately a difficult slog. No such problems with High Hopes, an album in which Springsteen has regained his considerable fire. The opening title track is a powerhouse, as is “Harry’s Place,” originally recorded for The Rising. “American Skin (41 Shots)” is a song that was written following the shooting death of Amadou Diallo; he’s played it many times before, but this is the first time a studio version has appeared on one of his albums, and he delivers a knockout recording (and of course, the song is more relevant than ever, sadly). “The Ghost of Tom Joad” is a song he recorded as a solo acoustic number in the ‘90s, but here he turns it into a long rock epic, featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. “Just Like Fire Would,” a cover of a track by The Saints, is destined to become a Springsteen live classic. His recording of Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream” closes the album on a somber but powerful note. Perhaps it’s partially the added influence of the fiery Morello who brings the added spark that set High Hopes ablaze, but whatever the reason the album is Springsteen at his righteous best. Given the fact that much of the album is populated by material recorded over a wide span of time, it features two performances by the late, great saxophone legend Clarence Clemons. His unmistakable presence is felt on “Harry’s Place” and “Down in the Hole.” Rock and roll needs Bruce Springsteen, and High Hopes is an example of what makes him The Boss…. Still.