2014 is over, but I'm still discovering plenty of stuff that I missed during the year. Our friend Henry Lipput gives us his five favorite albums of the year; and, of course, adds to my own growing list of stuff to check out.
More Pop for Now People: My Top Five from 2014
By Henry Lipput
2014 was a good year for indie pop music. So, even though there are only five albums listed below, it was in many ways an embarrassment of riches.
In descending order, here are my five favorite albums from 2014:
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Days of Abandon
In May of last year, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart released their terrific third album. Between their previous release and Days of Abandon the group lost two of its founding members -- a keyboard player and a bass player. But they’ve added a new bass player -- and, more importantly -- Jen Goma on vocals and Kelly Pratt on horns. The new album opens with the lovely “Art Smock” (their version of The Kinks’ “Do You Remember Walter”) and then kicks off the pop with “Simple And Sure.” There’s a terrific burst of guitar by lead singer and songwriter Kip Berman in “Beautiful You,” and the jangle in “Masokissed” has Johnny Marr’s fingerprints and guitar licks all over it. Goma’s wonderful lead vocals add new colors to the band’s songs, and Pratt’s horns add just the right shadings.
Louise Goffin, Songs from the Mine
On Songs from the Mine, Goffin and her co-writers, co-producers, and musicians have put together an album of pure pop pleasure. Her small, sweet 2002 album Sometimes a Circle was also full of wonderful melodies and grownup lyrics (for example, "What a Waste of a Perfectly Good Hotel Room"). Her new disc has ballads, up-tempo numbers, and, with “We Belong Together,” she’s got a song that Jagger and Richards wished they had written. The quiet, tuneful, and lovely songs include “Main Street Parade” (a happy sounding lost-love song with a ukulele as lead instrument). “Everybody But You,” and “Here Where You Are Loved.”
Liam Hayes, Korp Sole Roller
Hayes has been around since the 90s, recording under the band name Plush as well as his own name. He had a cameo in the movie High Fidelity in which he played the wonderful “Soaring And Boring” while John Cusack told us why he’s getting such a bad rap. Korp Sole Roller is available as a download on Bandcamp and includes songs that were part of the A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III soundtrack. The songs on Korp Sole Roller, like “A Glimpse Inside,” “Cried A Thousand Times,” and “Rock And Roll” are wonderful examples of piano-based melancholy pop that recall the best work of Emitt Rhodes and Harry Nilsson. A new album is due early this year.
Justin Currie, Lower Reaches
As songwriter, bass player, and lead singer for the Glasgow, Scotland, band Del Amitri, Currie has also been around since the 90s. He’s got a great voice that works for both rockers and ballads. For his Lower Reaches album he traveled to Austin, Texas, to work with producer Mike McCarthy, an arrangement previously used by Craig Finn of The Hold Steady resulting in 2012’s marvelous Clear Heart, Full Eyes. Currie's voice sounds great on every song but the backing doesn’t always fit the song. The exceptions are “Bend To My Will” and “Against My Conscience,” both of which could be Del Amitri songs. The songs that work best have the simplest arrangements like “Falsetto“ “Pricilla,” and the beautiful “Little Stars.“
Kalle Mattson, Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold
Take the voice of Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes, the horns from Elvis Perkins, and the lyrical bent and acoustic guitar of Bob Dylan. Put it all in a musical blender, and you might end up with Kalle Mattson. This release from Kalle Mattson certainly has its own sound but there are things that I hear that remind me of other artists I enjoy. Hailing from Ontario, the band’s new album is a primer to how to make excellent use of dynamics. The opening song, “An American Dream,” starts big with a full bank of horns and the band playing alongside. “Darkness” follows, with a the picking of an acoustic guitar and plaintive vocal and the horns return. It’s a wonderful sound and makes the album a continuously interesting listen. The gorgeous ballad “Amelie” references the album’s title in the lyrics and closes the disc.
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