Top 10 Albums to look forward to in 2018!

With 2017 being such a good year for music with Father John Misty releasing a great album, along with Wolf Alice and Mount Eerie also producing two top class albums, what should we be looking forward to in 2018?

10. Table Scraps – ‘Autonomy’ 

February 2018

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5XKjsh8YlXVLexKCTllATG

This is a bit of a cheat on my side as I have already heard the album, however it still will be big when it’s released in February. Table Scraps have been around for a while now and have released some great EP’s and Singles, but they are yet to release the big one. Finally this year they have bought it to us, and you will not want to miss it. Filled with heavy guitars and punching drums, each song has it’s own swagger and it will surely be an underdog for one of the albums of the year.

9. Pale Waves – ‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/324lOBmPbUuIi5Ra2KKz8O

After hearing so many great things about this band, it’s exciting to see what they can produce over an album. They’ve already had some good releases with ‘My Obsession‘ and ‘Television Romance‘ , but it’s quite the challenge to produce something of that quality over the course of a 10-12 song stretch.

8. Peace – ‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/4Upj1Jx9qIM1MKyE5Bn5DP

The Birmingham band haven’t released an album since 2015 with ‘Happy People’ however they still have people waiting on the edge of their seat for their brand new album. After releasing ‘From Under Liquid Glass’ they’ve got people talking, and if the album piggie backs from what that song gave us, it’s certain it will be another strong release from the established PEACE.

7.CHVRCHES -‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/1Tlk5UV5vbff34BPJHCaZy

CHUVRCHES were a band that were heavily lauded in 2013 with their release of their debut album  ‘The Bones Of What You Believe’,  as they managed to bring a twist to an electronic sound that was slowly losing pace. After the release of their second album, the band clearly showed that they still have so much to offer, hopefully 2018 they can prove that.

6. The Vaccines – ‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/0XiZ2H6hFwXGm5CjoJza0a

When The Vaccines came bursting onto the scene in 2010, indie rock seemed to have hit a slight slump and they gave it the injection. Eight years later and 3 albums deep the band have established themselves as one of the UKs better bands, however they still have a lot to prove after the release of English Graffiti  in 2015, which didn’t hit everyone like their debut did.

 

5. The 1975 – ‘Music For Cars’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6BPpeUq5q7cHzoa35HHmNL

The 1975 seems to have always been fighting off this plastic hollow-pop stereotype since they were favoured so heavily by the likes of Radio 1 and getting quite a lot of publicity. However Matt Healy and the guys have such a lot to offer, as they dive into depths of what it’s like being a kid, growing up and falling in love. The bed of music they produce along with Matts unique vocal style, they bring something different to the table, and ‘Music For Cars’ will defnitely be another good installment from the band.

4.  Julian Casablancas & The Voidz – ‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2avCzL6HtaJ5Nspq2fVFQe

Since the start of The Strokes Julian Casablancas has established himself as a unique vocalist that never seems to put out anything bad. His music always has that raw edge, while he always puts his own label on it. However his run with The Voidz hasn’t kicked off the way it perhaps should have, with their debut album not leaving a lasting impression. It will be interesting to hear now the band have spent some real time together crafting this new album.

3. Frank Ocean – ‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6Nle9hKrkL1wQpwNfEkxjh

Frank Ocean has become a loved artist in many genres because of the innovative and versatile albums that he’s put together. Whether it’s rapping, singing or harmonising, he can do it to a very good standard. Blonde was incredible back in 2016, and with this habit of making everything he touches turn to sweet music, this new project looks promising.

2. Arctic Monkeys -‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5FVd6KXrgO9B3JPmC8OPst

Ah, the Arctic Monkeys, the ever changing band that consistently put out great tunes since they first banded together. However their latest instalment ‘AM‘ gathered the band some mixed reactions, which they have never be shy of as pockets of fans clamour for the days when Turner would sing about drinking in Sheffield. As much as some hope I don’t think this new album will be a return to the past, but another move on into the future as the bad constantly evolve, and the same is bound to happen again.

1- Father John Misty -‘TBA’

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/7oicWlCIeYclL5eUYFpXfz

After last years album Father John Misty well and truly put himself on the map, as he released possibly the best album in 2017. Also with another one on the way, if this could be just as good we could be looking at a very special period for Josh Tillman as he corners songwriting and has it at his mercy. I don’t know how long FJM is planning to keep this run going, but while it is lets just drink coffee and enjoy.

The Vaccines – Come of Age

Intro 

This post has been a long time coming, I’ve been an awful music reviewer for the last month or so with all the work load and with uni coming back into play. After a lot of thought, and looking at how much work I will be doing I shall be aiming for at least TWO good posts a week, and I do mean good posts. Hopefully I will get a bit more time, and I shall be able to do even more, not promising anything. Right, The Vaccines, Come of Age, the second album from The Vaccines, released on the Columbia Label, and working with the producer Ethan Jones. Ethan Jones has worked with some good artists, those being Laura Marling , Kings of Leon and Paolo Nutini. There was a lot of talk coming up  to this album, and I was quite excited for it, also after hearing ‘Teenage Icon’ and ‘No Hope’, but a part of me wished there was more.

The Album

I’ll begin with saying that it isn’t a terrible album, if you LOVE The Vaccines, then it’s probably going to be the best thing you’ve ever heard. It stayed in my car for healthy 2 weeks, this was not out of wanting it to be in there, this was just out of being lazy, if I wasn’t being lazy it probably would have left my car on the second day and here’s why.

I don’t think the album had a lot to offer, what it did have to offer was catchy songs, with it thought some of them were borderline pop music, decent pop music, but none the less pop music. After I was half way through the third time of listening to the album, I felt there was nothing else the album had left to offer, making it quite substance – less, and quite predictable. All the songs names were the chorus, or in the chorus, this were one of the factors making it predictable. I’d look at the case and think ‘What’s next? oh bad mood, lets wait for him to say bad mood’. I was also looking really forward to listening to Freddie Cowan’s guitar riffs and solos, yes they were all very catchy, but again I thought it was quite predictable because the solo just followed Justin’s singing, so i thought he played it quite safe for a good guitarist, and he is I saw him live and I thought he was extremely energetic when he was playing. The album for me wasn’t all bad points, it still had good points…

I’m not a music snob, I do like catchy music, I do like singing in the car every no and then. I think it’s rather a nice summer album, something nice to be driving round with, just generally singing to and that. My favourite track on the record would have to be ‘Weirdo’ or ‘Ghost Town’, mainly because I think ‘Weirdo’ is freaky, and can be a bit unnerving, also I like Justin’s lyrics in the song, I shall get on to those later. Also ‘Ghost Town’ seems to be the new ‘Noogard’, which also is quite catchy and 2 minutes of indie bliss.

Justin’s lyrics are probably what really lift the standards of this record, as there’s a lot lyrics that are quite amusing, I can’t be bothered to find them them out exactly, but the ones in ‘I wish I was a girl’, ‘Weirdo’ and ‘No Hope’, really like the lyrics in no hope.

Overall

Not a bad second album, I still think The Vaccines have something to offer, perhaps in their third album. I don’t want them just to stay an Indie-pop band, because I believe that they’re better than that. I’d like to see them be a bit more daring in their third album, a bit more raw and not so polished up. Also, let Freddie really go on the guitar and perhaps get him on vocals or something, I dunno. However I’m still going to see them when they come round to Birmingham, so they must be doing something right (keeping the tickets cheap). So if you’re seeing them in Birmingham, let me know.

The Vaccines – Teenage Icon

The Vaccines have a new track out, well not a new track because I heard it a couple of times before and at T in the Park, so basically they’ve got a new video out haha, if you haven’t heard it, here it is…

What do I make of this?

The Vaccines I think have established themselves as a band that are more than capable of writing a very catchy song, with catchy riffs and lyrics. But sometimes this isn’t enough for me, I’d like to think that bands have more to offer than something to shout out loud on your own. So have they evolved with this song, have they done something different? the answer to this is no they haven’t, they’ve stuck to what they know, and what they do well.

If you like The Vaccines first album and your looking for more music like that, I’m a 100% you will like this because  it’s pretty much a step in the same direction. I really like the solo in the song which was composed by the lead guitarist Freddie Cowan, his sort of made his own sound out of his solos and they really catch the melody of the song, it really fits together. Oh, and I think he’s getting cooler every time I see him.

I like the song, it’s good to put on and have a sing too. Just feels like there’s no substance to it, this does not mean I don’t like it what so ever. Make of it what you will, leave a comment and tell me what you all think of the new tune.

Photo’s courtesy of thevaccines.com and NME.com 🙂

and the video from NME.com