Mid-year List
Half-way through the year, and there's some really great records out. I wanted to get a little list out to catalog how the year's looking so far. Not in that much of an order, other than the first 3. |
| 10 |  | Chiodos
Devil
I personally liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Many will differ, but that's just me. First half is ridiculously strong, to me. |
| 9 |  | Manchester Orchestra
Cope
After falling off the wagon a bit, Cope flaunts enough career highlights (Girl Harbor. That bridge.... The Mansion, Top-Notch, Indentions) to earn its place here. |
| 8 |  | Taking Back Sunday
Happiness Is
Maybe it only sounds good because TBS was one of the worst records I've heard... ever... but this new sound is comfortable and appropriate for TBS and sounds strangely fresh. |
| 7 |  | Crosses
Crosses
A huge, dark, beautiful, Chino-filled adventure that is close enough to some moments of Deftones and Team Sleep to not be too jarring. But at the same time, Chino's never been this poppy before. And it feels RIGHT. |
| 6 |  | Closure in Moscow
Pink Lemonade
Part throw-back-proggy-venture, part futuristic fever dream, this new psychedelic direction suits the ever weird Closure In Moscow beautifully. |
| 5 |  | Death Grips
The Powers That B - Part I: Niggas on the Moon
Ride's flow alone earns a place on this list. |
| 4 |  | The Menzingers
Rented World
Do I need to say more? Though sporting a few tracks that do absolutely nothing for me, the good spots are above and beyond anything else in punk right now. |
| 3 |  | Fireworks
Oh, Common Life
This one has a lot of personal significance. Aside from being everything I want from a pop punk band, as opposed to the more aggressive bands such as The Wonder Years, Fireworks released an album that might be catchier than Gospel, and with a lot more depth and emotive lyrics. Though a few tracks have obvious albeit slight flaws (Glowing Crosses, The Back Window's Down), the rest is so unbelievably solid that it deserves such a high ranking. |
| 2 |  | Weatherbox
Flies in All Directions
One hell of a record. Brian takes Weatherbox into new territory and still writes more than a few instant 'Box-classics (Dark All Night being one of his best 5 songs, easily). It may not have the unified vision of Cosmic Drama, but it's for sure the best set of songs Weatherbox has unleashed so far. |
| 1 |  | Trophy Scars
Holy Vacants
This is tied with Weatherbox right now, but this is everything you want from a Trophy Scars record. The entire near-hour runtime is filled with twists and turns and beauty that you can't get anywhere else, and the story-telling aspect has gone off the deep end in the best way possible. Worth the wait and disappointment of Never Born, Never Dead. |
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