25. Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy
Irish alt-folk songwriter Damien Rice delivers a gripping album full of his soothing tenor and beautiful swelling sounds. There is a sparse, deliberately-paced delicateness present…often in the same songs with lushly textured rhythms. The title track slowly reveals all the emotion contained within a fragile soul. Elsewhere, “I Don’t Want To Change You” is an easily digestible piece of R&B loveliness, and “Trusty And True” moves from an eerie syncopation into a triumphant, almost-tribal tune. This moody album is perfect for certain occasions and delivers rich personality with repeated listens.
Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy
24. Umphrey’s McGee – Similar Skin
The rapturous delight of a live Umphrey’s McGee show has long existed for me….part of my yearly concert schedule actually. Their studio work has also had its good moments, no more so than 2014’s Similar Skin. The no-parameters progressive rock is a sight to be seen and now heard on an album full of killer hooks, explosive drums, and some very solid songwriting. “Cut The Cable” and “Hourglass” are both high energy classic rock-tinged marvels with stellar electric guitar work and big vocals. Some of their baroque pop leanings come out on “No Diablo” and “Puppet String“. Radio-metal tunes “Little Gift” and “Hindsight” represent the heavier side of this endlessly talented band, but overall it’s the craft and abundant components of the songs that make this so gratifying.
Umphrey’s McGee – Hourglass
23. Ty Segall – Manipulator
The extremely prolific Ty Segall is back again this year with his brand of raw, noisy garage rock…this time with much more variation on the sprawling 17 track Manipulator. The lo-fi production and guitar crunch is familiar but there are crisp tones that penetrate the sound and drive towards an almost glam rock vibe. He has inhered in the Iggy Pop / Stooges camp in the past and tracks like “Manipulator” and “Tall Man, Skinny Lady” push the psychedelics further. “It’s Over” and “Feel” gallop on a driving bass line and eventually just absolutely rage! Later, there are dreamy alt-folk nuances on “The Clock” and “Green Belly“. Stomping garage rock fuzz returns on “The Crawler“, but overall the shifting character of the album is what makes it a magnetic listen.
Ty Segall – Feel
22. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Hypnotic Eye
The legendary Tom Petty leads The Heartbreakers through a surprisingly spirited set of classic American rock and roll. I absolutely treasure the bang-up bass lines and permeating guitar riffs of “Fault Lines” and “Red River“, two great songs about self-examination. The band also creates some smoky Blues numbers like “Full Grown Boy” and “Power Drunk“. “Forgotten Man” is classic Petty with the reverb-drenched guitar twang and bouncy melody. Hypnotic Eye shows that The Heartbreakers are arguably one of the most underrated talents, and Petty sounds fantastic, with the perfect amount of smile and snarl storytelling. The album is grand, not due to any great expansion of sound but for the sheer quality and focus of the tracks.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Fault Lines
21. Nude Beach – 77
Part garage punk and part jangly 70s-era power pop, 77 is a sprawling 18 track trip into the underbelly of Rock and Roll. This is such an extensive collection of songs with broad reach that it truly takes the listener some time to absorb all the conjuration. Several songs such as “I’m Not Like You“, “Yesterday“, and “I Can’t Keep The Tears From Falling” are classic rockers a la The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello…through a filter of The Replacements and The Clash. Subtly shaping moods and beautiful melody are present on impressive songs “Time” and “Geoffry’s Tune“. Penultimate song “I Found You” finds the band stretching out to the 10 minute mark with swagger and ripping guitar solos. It does take a few spins to get acclimated to the trebly production, but this is brash, unpretentious fun with thoughtful and confident material throughout.
Nude Beach – I’m Not Like You