While 2014 proved to be
yet another great year for music, I found myself far more affected by the
individual songs I heard. In light of this, here are my 15 favourite songs of
the year, ranked as best I could (I think all of the top 6 were, at one point,
vying for the number one position):
15.
Agalloch – The Astral Dialogue
Ladies and gentlemen,
the one and only good song on Agalloch’s latest album.
14.
Godflesh – New Dark Ages
The crushing opening
track to Godflesh’s first album in 13 years is every bit as awesome as
promised.
13.
Opeth – Faith in Others
With the Storm Corrosion
collaboration showing Mikael Åkerfeldt the beauty of strings, this closer
delivers in a big way.
12.
Ben Howard – Conrad
“Conrad” is perhaps the
song on I Forget Where We Were most
similar in style to his debut album but that makes it no less impressive. It’s
a song with gorgeous melodies and hooks that will be in your head for weeks to
come.
11.
Anathema – Anathema
Bands naming a song
after themselves always bring about unrealistic expectations that are rarely
matched, but Anathema do a pretty great job with this one. “Anathema” is an
emotional epic that perfectly encompasses everything about the band’s history
and contains a typically awesome guitar solo to boot.
10.
Every Time I Die - The Great Secret
Channelling the spirit
of my favourite band, Converge, Every Time I Die absolutely tear through these
two and a half minutes with a ferocity unmatched in any other hardcore record I
heard this year.
9.
Sun Kil Moon – Carissa
Sun Kil Moon’s 2014
effort, Benji, is an almost
uncomfortably personal record and opener “Carissa” exemplifies this perfectly.
The lyrics seem to have been taken straight from Mark Kozelek’s diary and this
makes them seem so real, so close, it hurts.
8.
Ne Obliviscaris – Painters of the Tempest (Part II): Triptych Lux
Australian progressive
metallers, Ne Obliviscaris’ latest opus is the 16 minute centrepiece of Citadel. It’s every bit as epic as you
would expect and there is no shortage of wonderfully cheesy, borderline power
metal moments to ensure a rousing finale.
7.
Kairon; IRSE! – Swarm
“Swarm” is arguably not
even the best song off this Finnish band’s newest release but it is the most
memorable. In typical post-rock fashion, the song keeps building and building
to a magnificent climax that might not be the most original idea ever, but it
sure is effective.
6.
Swans – She Loves Us
The fact that this song
finds itself at number 6 is testimony to the amount of truly spectacular music
released in 2014. “She Loves Us” is perhaps the most ‘badass’ song of the
decade so far, with its hypnotic riffs and Gira’s maniacal vocals making it the
standout on my album of the year.
5.
Casualties of Cool – Flight
“Flight” is (almost)
the prettiest song you’ll hear all year. When you feel that Devin Townsend’s
vocals almost manage to ruin a song,
you know it’s one amazing piece of music.
4.
Ben Howard – End of the Affair
The best song of Ben
Howard’s career so far, “End of the Affair” is the 8-minute epic that defines
his darker, more mature sound in 2014. Starting off solemnly, the song
eventually moves into unchartered territory for Howard, with him almost
screaming “what the hell?” beneath a wash of guitar atmospherics and pounding drums.
It is, quite simply, mindblowing.
3.
Deafheaven – From the Kettle Onto the Coil
The band behind my Album
of the Year 2013 return with a solitary song recorded for Adult Swim’s weekly
singles series. The song possesses a far more blackened flair than we’ve become
accustomed to from Deafheaven, with the vocals altogether more vicious and the
atmosphere much darker. However, the second half launches into the heavy shoegaze
we know and love, with an emotional and stirring ending. The lyrics also go
beyond pure black metal cheesiness:
“To
the squinting spectator who drank in the despair as I tiptoed off the plane of
existence and drifted listlessly through the velvet blackness of oblivion. I am
what I always was. Gleaming and empty.”
2.
The Antlers – Palace
My number one song for
the first half of the year and arguably tied for the number one spot at the end
of it, “Palace” is the most beautiful piece of music The Antlers have released
since Hospice. The hope that Familiars might even trump that 2009
classic proved to be unfounded but “Palace” remains one of the best songs in
the band’s catalogue and a tearful, melancholic, yet ultimately hopeful journey.
1.
The Antlers – Parade
Upon first hearing Familiars, it was immediately apparent
that it wasn’t the album I had wanted it would be. The beauty of “Palace” was
unmatched and the rest of the songs followed a repetitive, jazzy dream-pop
formula that quickly wore out their welcome. However, upon listening to the
album more and discovering that there was one more song I really liked, “Parade”
quickly made its way up the list. Before I knew it, it was my go-to song for
every car journey anywhere. While “Palace” would be a typical Song of the Year
for me (slow and sad), “Parade” exudes a kind of swagger and attitude that
ultimately defined my year – an altogether more upbeat and confident one.