Ten Overlooked Albums of 2014
By Jake Weller
With hundreds of nearly identical “Top 10 of 2014” lists rolling in this time of year, it’s hard not to see a pattern emerge. When a record label’s PR folk really do a good job throwing their weight behind a halfway decent album, it will get noticed and reviewed by some of the bigger publications. In many cases, this advises the rest of the critical world as to which albums are worth checking out. And that’s okay. Well, it is what it is. We can’t listen to them all, and in the unfortunate business of having to generate page clicks and read-throughs to justify a publication’s existence, sometimes we have to take cues off of whatever the other guys are spazzing out about in the echo chamber. The obvious major problem with this system is that it leaves MOST albums unlistened to, unloved, and/or quickly forgotten. It is why you see nearly identical Top 10 lists from all of the major publications at the end of the year, every year (seriously, did anyone actually listen to The War on Drugs’ album, or did they just take each other’s word for it?).
Anyway, I say fuck that, for the moment. This list is made up of 10 albums that either fell on deaf ears completely, slipped in and out of our collective music consciousness without much more than a pat on the back, or were completely missed from the get-go, for whatever reason. These are not necessarily “the best” of the year, but they are very far from the worst. They deserve more praise than they ever had a chance to receive, and a great deal more than most of the generic garbage inexplicably listed in many other year-end lists. They are just a few examples (out of thousands) of artists’ hard work and passion that weren’t allowed to play near the bloated, noisy hype machine.
Kwaidan – Make All the Hell of Dark Metal Bright
As is the case with most of the artists on this list, Kwaidan do not exist merely to please the senses. Often dark and haunting, sometimes uplifting, it is instead a sensory rollercoaster. André Foisy preserves in this release much of what makes his more established project, Locrian, so special. An austere and cold soundscape of horror, it is the perfect listening experience about this time of year.
Mamiffer – Statu Nascendi
Similar to Kwaidan, Mamiffer has always relied on the listener to have enough patience and acceptance to let the music wash over them, soaking them to the bone and eventually eroding away the crust of pain and sorrow that we all either succumb to, or live in denial of. This is some of the most beautiful music being written today, bar none.
Wild Throne – Blood Maker EP
Formerly known as Dog Shredder, this trio’s sound has changed slightly under the new moniker, thanks, in large part, to the production input from the divisive Ross Robinson. Some fans are likely not happy with the new direction, as much of the lo-fi proggy insanity and geeky indulgence that set them apart has been tempered, but it is clear that Wild Throne is interested in tightening up their songwriting. In doing so, these guys are licking the curtain of rockstardom, and may end up pushing through it with their full-length debut in 2015, for better or worse. At least for now, they have retained enough of themselves to still slay.
Kayo Dot – Coffins on Io
While a departure from their earlier mishmash of prog, metal, jazz, and classical composition, Kayo Dot’s latest veers into a conceivably far more accessible arena of gothy ‘80s pop á la Sisters of Mercy/Type O Negative. It is fantastic. Perhaps its only downfall is that, with a resurgence of synth-pop and similar Reagan-era vibes these days, it is simply less ahead of its time than their previous work. Maybe it will only take people two or three years to discover this one, as opposed to the projected 10 years they normally need to allot.
Matt Christensen – Coma Gears
With intimate, dark trances—built around a droning electric guitar, subtle synths, and Christensen’s dripping wet, low-key, softly-sung, nearly-spoken, broken vocals—this is a beautifully atmospheric and occasionally claustrophobic album. It fell into my hands unexpectedly and unsolicited, and I listened to none other more times this year.
Dust Moth – Dust Moth EP
Why would anybody doubt that the guy who records some of the most amazing bands in the World wouldn’t be able to select musicians from a number of them and form a new one to make some gorgeously epic tunes? I’m sure they get tired of being referred to as Matt Bayles’ band, but the man knows how to bring some talented and creative mofos to the same party.
Constant Lovers – Experience Feelings/Deadkill – No, Never!
Both albums chosen for release in 2014 by Good To Die Records owner, Nik Christofferson, show his continuing tradition of finding bands that not only fit his roster, but show off the best that the PNW has to offer. The cracked-out noise stomp of Constant Lovers and the throwback trad hardcore stylings of Deadkill both sound as vibrant and energetic on record as they do at their brilliant live shows. Play them while you cook dinner and you’ll end up with food all over the walls.
Watter – This World
You know, with all the foofaraw and hullabaloo regarding the $150 Spiderland Box Set release this year, you think people would be curious about what drummer Britt Walford was up to these days. Well, they weren’t. He played on this lovely album with Grails’ Zak Riles, and the results are a spacey and lush sister act to Russian Circles and Pelican.
Zvi – Zvi
Zvi is the one-man act/brainchild of guitarist/vocalist, Ron Varod, and is difficult to pin down. Listening to the debut album is like falling down a long, spiraling rabbit hole into someplace far more frightening and confusing than Wonderland. I have previously described the album as opening reminiscent of Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock—with lovely and sparse chordal flourishes played against the tension of open space—then somehow eventually winding its way over five songs into nightmarish black metal. If that doesn’t inspire a listen, then you might be a mainstream music journalist.
