Psychedelic trips, thrillingly unhinged vocals and blaring guitars powered this excellent debut from the entrancing Leeds four piece.
39. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
Returning with a possible career high point, this moody, powerful piece of work has quite rightly featured in many other 'best of 2013' lists, making the top spot on God Is In The TV's writer's list. Certainly a fine offering from the ever-imaginative Cave, it's a record that I have only heard a few times, and yet it still claims a place here. A few more listens and it could have been higher, but no doubt more hours will be spent with this album in the future.
38. Cave - Threace
From one Cave to another. Comprising of 5 tracks that stretch to 42 minutes, pieces are elongated, made up of repeating riffs and off kilter rhythms that gradually unfold bit by bit. It's a record that requires patience over the course of a few listens to be enjoyed properly, and the 5 minute 'Shikaakwa' is the LP's shortest track. Touches of 70's prog and krautrock are put together with a stubborn percussive groove as wandering guitar parts intertwine with analog synths and the bright, organic flourishing of woodwind, flutes and other jazzy developments. It's odd, it's rather beautiful, and its rhythms really lock the listeners ear into its calculated patterns.
The lengthier tracks tend to take a while to unfold, and on the surface they may do very little to please the more impatient ear, and when they do progress, sometimes they have the feeling of an overlong build up. and have a very gradual, slow burning impact. Having said that, when it does eventually reach its climax, '2' has some considerably mean bite, while fluid highlight '3' plays with psychedelic wah-wah jazz-funk. Weird and repetitive, much of 'Threace' is built around odd time signatures, topped with plenty of skillfully utilised analog synths, explorative guitars, tantalising percussion, and even some colourful flutes.
37. Bonobo - The North Borders
Recommended to me by Reuben who works at the great Raves From The Grave in Bath. Full of glowing, glitchy late night moods and fluid grooves, this was one of the year's finest electro/dance releases.
36. Roy Harper - Man And Myth
After a 13 year gap between albums, the hugely influential 72 year old folk hero returned with this marvelous LP, his 23rd overall. With guest spots from Pete Townsend, strong melodies and magnificent arrangements, Harper's talent for storytelling was just as sharp as it's ever been. Uncut: "an often spectacular comeback album that confirms Harper’s place as one of English music’s last great visionaries. Now 72, age has barely tempered Harper’s view of the world as a battleground, where good and those on its side are ranged against those who are not good, far from it, in fact, and the many more on their side, by inclination or coercion. The rebel in him will clearly never be quietened, nor his robust romantic impulses ever quelled. Like the brave bird after which Stormcock was named, Harper continues to sing fearlessly in the face of hostile winds..."
35 New War - New War
New War are a Melbourne-based quartet who play dynamic post punk, and their debut album was originally released down under back in 2012. However this year saw ATP Records grant it a well-deserved re-release, and tongues have started wagging among a wider audience. What it lacks in guitar noise, it makes up for with hypnotic rhythms, insistent basslines, pitch black atmosphere and songs that go on many different journeys. The Quietus: "indebted to molasses-thick, 70s-doused heavy rock records, all Satanic riffs and snarling harmonics, with lyrics that implore you to “sacrifice your head” and song after song starting with tumbling drums that recall John Bonham’s precision chaos. Moments break from the retro mold – ‘Revealer’’s insistent disco bass evokes a haunted-house iteration of The Rapture – but the band are at their most impressive with heads down, rocking out – a thankfully timeless delight."
34. The Pastels - Slow Summits
33. Foals - Holy Fire
32. Money - The Shadow Of Heaven
Manchester-based Money lit up 2013 with this ethereal, enigmatic debut.
31 Euros Childs - Released via his very own National Elf label, former Gorky's Zycotic Mynci man Childs served up his finest solo effort yet, an addictively fun bag of treats packed with infectious melodies and brilliantly absurd lyrics. The wonderful McCartney-esque 'Tete A Tete' contains some of the best lines you'll ever hear.