Some More English Albums of the Year (2)

My previous, pre-Christmas post, highlighted some of the English-language albums that I've been listening to over the course of the year... But below are those albums that really left an impression... and which you just may not have heard of...
 

Maria del Pilar - "Songs + Canciones 1"

I was fortunate enough to catch Chilean native and L.A. resident María Del Pilar last year when she opened for Saint Etienne at the Fonda Theater on Hollywood and I was absolutely blown away by both her energy and dynamism, and her heady fusion of up-tempo anglo-pop and latin grooves. Her album, "Songs + Canciones 1", is the most addictive mix of English and Spanish songs. There's a great balance of English language euro-disco beats and achingly smouldering ballads, but ultimately it's as she clicks into the cien-por-ciento latin-pop that this album really soars... And then María launches into the most achingly beautiful of heart-breaking canciones and just for a precious moment everything is frozen in time as that voice holds centre-stage... "Songs + Canciones 1" is the most stunning mestizo of an album which perfectly captures the cultural melting-pot that is L.A.

Veronica Falls - "Waiting for Something to Happen"

It's probably fair to say that "Waiting for Something to Happen", the band's follow up to their 2011's eponymous debut, isn't exactly a huge departure from its predecessor. However, comparing the two there's plenty of evidence of a subtle progression - a perceivable shift to a warmer and maturer sound - as the band hone both their song-writing and musician-craft. The result? Thirteen perfect guitar-fuelled, indie-pop tracks  - all spearheaded by a pair of duelling guitars, memorable hooks and spot-on vocal harmonies... There's pent-up energy bursting forth from every track, that repeated listening to this album fails to dissipate. In a world of a million and one guitar bands, what makes Veronica Falls stand out from the crowd is their ability to write intelligent songs and a more than melodic tune - this album is a fine testament to that.

Best Coast - "Fade Away" 

The first thing to say is that from the moment that the trademark lo-fi fuzzed-up guitar is cranked up and Bethany Cosentino's vocals kick-in, you just know this is a Best Coast album. All those tell-take signs are there in spades - the muddied, distorted guitar with just that right amount of feedback, the muffled back-beat - but then a couple of things leap right-out at you. Has Bethany's voice ever sound this right? And then there are those lyrics... and it's in the songwriting department that this album stands out. Whereas it could be argued that Best Coast's songs always seem to revolve around the same themes - here there's a genuinely autobiographical feeling and a subconscious move towards a darker sound. There's also a new found maturity, confidence and sophistication unheard on either of their previous albums. "Fade Away" finds the duo at a crossroads, looking back in the rear view mirror from where they've come, forward to roads yet to be travelled... The end result is without a doubt their finest album to date...

Groenland - "The Chase"

"The Chase" is the most ambitious and impressive of debut offering by Montreal-based six-piece Groenland. The album is a lush symphony of meticulously-crafted indie-pop that borrows from and is influenced by genres as seemingly diverse as electronica, classical, jazz, blues and country-folk (with added ukulele - for good measure), and pushing the boundaries of each. It is testament to the band's maturity, belief and creative "je ne sais quoi" that the resulting sound is such a seamless, uncluttered, fusion of genres that is at one challenging, yet engaging and ultimately a rewarding conveyor of 12-immediate classic pop hooks lead by the dynamic vocals of front-woman Sabrina Halde. "The Chase" is my choice for pop-album of the year and it seems I'm not alone, as the band deservedly picked up the prize at this year's GAMIQ awards for what is ultimately the most stunning and composed of albums.  

 

Courtney Barnett - "The double EP: A sea of split peas"

 

I have to thank SuperJules of Indie Wonderland fame for playing the song "Avant Gardener" by Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett from her debut album "The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas". Here was a song that literally stopped me in my tracks and forced me (yes, forced me...) to really listen. Now as you'd expect from an Aussie, Courtney's lyrics offer a rye sense of humour... yet she also has that unique Wordsmith's gift of having a keen eye for the vagaries of day-to-day life; the mundane becomes interesting... The earth-shattering or life-changing (anaphylactic shock, anyone?) almost matter-of-fact... And it is this eye for detail and the almost deadpan yet confident delivery that makes you hang on every word. But it's also musically that allows her to stand head and shoulders above the herd. This girl can write - a proper tune. With the album (deservedly) picking up more critical nods than there are Aussie bartenders in Earls Court (or English batsmen scuttling back to the pavilion - ouch), I strongly suspect that Courtney Barnett won't be a best kept secret for much longer...

Laura Veirs - "Warp and Weft"

So one of my oft used tweets after having tuned into my regular weekly fix of the Indie Wonderland podcast usually runs something along the lines of "...and just how good is Laura Veirs?" This album more than answers that question. "Warp and Weft" is a magical journey through contemporary Americana - part folk, a little bit of country, a dash of blues and jazz - added indie sensibilities and attitude, and then for good measure throw-in some incredibly astute lyrics and keen ear for a detailed melody... The end result is a beautiful and thoughtful (and thought-provoking) album that refuses to allow itself to be typecast. There's reverbed electric guitar, pedal guitar, haunting strings, saxophone and sweeping keyboards. Oh, and did I mention Laura's crystal-clear, note-perfect, voice? There are so many musical highlights - indelible luscious melodies of vocals, guitar and strings,  juxtaposed with foreboding bleakness, a hypnotic harmony between Veirs and k.d. Lang, musicianship of the highest order. 

So how good is Laura Veirs? English-Language album of the year, bar none... That's how good...