The must-have albums of 2013

[Spider]

The first time I saw These New Puritans was in a half empty Digital as part of The Great Escape a few years back. I then saw them as support to British Sea Power a few times. I enjoyed the first two albums which were very different to each other. This new one is again a change of direction and am looking forward to giving it a listen.

Hidden was a genuinely astonishing album. I still go back to it and am always amazed at how amazing and sophisticated it is. It really does sound like Benjamin Britten at times - and to look at them they just don't seem like to sort of band to come out with something like that. Sadly I can see it becoming something of a forgotten masterpiece, with an album like that they should not be the relatively small band that they still are. Really looking forward to hearing the new one (it's been long enough coming), though I have a feeling that they're never going to recreate the lightning in a bottle that Hidden was.

Finally got round to listening to the new Phosphorescent album after really enjoying them live at The Great Escape. I can't decide whether it's really good or really dated yet. Either way, it's a nice easy listen.

 

[Buzzer]

Bought 3 new albums yesterday and they all get the big thumbs up from me.

Tricky - False Idols. He's obviously far more comfortable in the studio than live (I'll never pay good money to see him 'perform' again) and his depth of music knowledge and what influences him is a constant source of envy from me. He's got the Antlers, Chet Baker, Nneka (German/Nigerian singer. Very lovely, very talented) and others all collaborating with a dub heavy album that suggests he's back to being a bit peed off with the world. It's not got many smiles and there's no party tracks but it's a great album that shows that he's still moving forward yet there's so much to remind us that this man did Maxinquaye, was in the Wild Bunch. He's still got it.

Primal Scream - More Light. It's a scuzzy, swamp rocky, blues-y, noisy, trippy return and much much more like them when they were in their pomp. I expect Radio 6 will play some of the tracks on this to death.

Stanton Warriors - Sessions IV - I can tell you what it's not. It's not the kind of CD you can put on at 11 am on a Saturday morning when you've had a massive argument two nights before with your girlfriend and she's still giving you the silent treatment. I love this album. Full on and relentless. Highly recommended. Just need to find a time when I can listen to this on the stereo with volume cranked right up.

 

[Bad Ash]

Just want to thank this thread/you guys for getting me on to John Grant, I'm loving the Pale Green Ghosts album. I suppose I quite enjoy the indie/dance vibe, I'm also quite partial to stuff like Django Django, The Beta Band (plus most Steve Mason stuff) & Super Furry Animals. Any other recommendations along these lines?

 

[Pevenseagull]

CocoRosie album is very good if you like that sort of thing. I can certainly understand anyone not liking that sort of thing because most of the time I think they are taking the piss.


I like it.

 

[Buzzer]

Just want to thank this thread/you guys for getting me on to John Grant, I'm loving the Pale Green Ghosts album. I suppose I quite enjoy the indie/dance vibe, I'm also quite partial to stuff like Django Django, The Beta Band (plus most Steve Mason stuff) & Super Furry Animals. Any other recommendations along these lines?

Primal Scream, most definitely. Also - if you like female singers then Saint Saviour is worth checking out.

Oh - and Phenomenal Handclap Band.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Hidden was a genuinely astonishing album. I still go back to it and am always amazed at how amazing and sophisticated it is. It really does sound like Benjamin Britten at times - and to look at them they just don't seem like to sort of band to come out with something like that. Sadly I can see it becoming something of a forgotten masterpiece, with an album like that they should not be the relatively small band that they still are. Really looking forward to hearing the new one (it's been long enough coming), though I have a feeling that they're never going to recreate the lightning in a bottle that Hidden was.


Finally got round to listening to the new Phosphorescent album after really enjoying them live at The Great Escape. I can't decide whether it's really good or really dated yet. Either way, it's a nice easy listen.

You could well be right. The new album is apparently a bit of a risk and if it fails to deliver then Hidden will probably remain the band at their very best. They are also fortunate to have an extremely attractive key board player.

 

[Buzzer]

I heard a track from the new Lee Perry/Orb collaboration in Resident and liked what I heard. If it's half as good as the last one then it will still be a must-have.


I think this is shaping up to be a much better year for music than last year. Fingers crossed the Mercury Prize has a few heavyweight entries as that's proven to be a good barometer. I was very disappointed with last year when you consider just how good it's been in previous years.

 

[spring hall convert]

The first time I saw These New Puritans was in a half empty Digital as part of The Great Escape a few years back. I then saw them as support to British Sea Power a few times. I enjoyed the first two albums which were very different to each other. This new one is again a change of direction and am looking forward to giving it a listen.

I too caught them a lot supporting BSP and I actually didn't care for them a great deal, which I can't really work out now as Beat Pyramid is totally to my taste. Hidden is a modern classic & I think this one tops that. I'm hearing latter day Talk Talk & Radiohead in there, not influences I'd picked up on with them at all.

 

[King of Birds]

Best so far - British Sea Power

Most disappointing so far - The National

 

[The Modfather]

Primal Scream - More Light. It's a scuzzy, swamp rocky, blues-y, noisy, trippy return and much much more like them when they were in their pomp. I expect Radio 6 will play some of the tracks on this to death.

I may have to buy the Primals one after all. Have all the previous albums but was not going to bother with this one, due to the lead single, and previous LP both being pretty poor. Sounds like it may be a return to form.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Best so far - British Sea Power

Most disappointing so far - The National

Lots of positives for Machineries Of Joy and rightly so.

 

[Felpham Seagull]

Derek and Clive

 

[jd312]

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold definitely. Although it was originally release in 2012 i think.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Most disappointing so far - The National

Harsh. I've always found the national albums to be growers so I'm giving it time.

 

[PFJ]

Just pre ordered '13' the long awaited new Black Sabbath album

 

[spring hall convert]

Just pre ordered '13' the long awaited new Black Sabbath album

God is Dead, the single is far better than I thought it would be, I'm quietly confident that it will be a good record.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Hit The Waves - The Mary Onettes

Air Mech - Front Line Assembly

The first one is best. Stunning stuff.

 

[Pevenseagull]

at 1.30 a.m. I rather like 'A is for Alpine', by Alpine

it sounds like this:



hardly groundbreaking but rather lovely

 

[Pevenseagull]

deliberating on the difference between 'hardly groundbreaking' and 'groundbreaking hardly'

what a lovely language, (use of comma?) when we screw with syntax and/or grammar

 

[Pevenseagull]

ignore the above, I'm drunk