tinymusiccritic's Top 25 Albums of Q1 2014
So, three months into the year, and we've already been spoiled for choice. Maybe I've been feeling generous, but with five releases getting 90+ scores and 23 more getting 80+ scores, this is definitely turning into a stellar year for new music.
Q2 looks set to continue the trend too, what with new LPs from tUnE-yArDs, Swans, Sharon Van Etten, EMA, Todd Terje, and TMC's Most Anticipated Album of The Year Award recipient, Owen Pallett, set for release in the coming months.
Below is a list of what I consider to be the top 25 releases of the year thus far (in alphabetical order by artist to avoid spoiling the end of year best-of list fun!). Links to listen are provided.
AMENDED (03/04/2014): Added Get The Blessing's 'Lope and Antilope' so now it's Top 26 albums, because it would be mean to bump someone else off the list.
Alaskan – Despair, Erosion, Loss
Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness
Big Ups – Eighteen Hours of Static
Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata
Get The Blessing – Lope and Antilope
Have A Nice Life – The Unnatural World
Helms Alee – Sleepwalking Sailors
Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
Sevendeaths – Concreté Misery
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Give the People What They Want
St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out at Jagbags
The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
Silver Mt Zion – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything
Vince Staples – Shyne Coldchain II
Wild Beasts – Present Tense
Xiu Xiu – Angel Guts : Red Classroom
That's my take. Do you agree? Disagree? Did I make any glaring omissions? Mac Demarco maybe? $0.25 for your thoughts. Thanks for reading!