![](\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fO4eu5gNczM\/VH04L6S2QgI\/AAAAAAAAEKc\/qkE11Ka5x38\/s1600\/allah%2Blas.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n10: ALLAH-LAS – Worship The Sun<\/b> (Innovative Leisure)<\/p>\n
The second album from L.A based Allah-Las sees them once again ploughing their own retro furrow of fuzzy psyched up\/ 60’s garage, but with a more assured feel than their 2012 debut. The influences are many (The Byrds\/ Love\/ Seeds etc) and their version of The Frantics’ 1960 single “Werewolf” (No Werewolf) is great, mad fun.<\/p>\n
9: DAMIEN JURADO – Brothers & Sisters Of The Eternal Sun <\/b>(Secretly Canadian)<\/p>\n Although still as inventive and “out there” as ever, Jurado’s Richard Swift produced 11th album is the most eminently listenable and coherent record of his prolific career. In places, the songs are shimmering and beautiful, in others psyched up and jazzy but all of them worthy of repeated listens.<\/p>\n 8: SLOW CLUB – Complete Surrender<\/b> (Caroline)<\/p>\n From 2009’s folky debut to 2011’s poppier follow up and on to this, their fantastic, tune laden and soulful third, Sheffield’s male\/ female duo, Slow Club, have certainly been anything but formulaic in their musical progression. The production, although polished, stops short of being too contrived, allowing their superb vocals room to shine.<\/p>\n 7: TY SEGALL – Manipulator<\/b> (Drag City)<\/p>\n Manipulator is the longest album in this top twenty with its 17 tracks running to just over an hour – an hour of joyous, rocky, glam, psychedelic, driving, garage from start to finish. Segall may be prolific but he certainly doesn’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Fans of Bolan, Bowie, Iggy, The Stones, Yardbirds et al won’t be disappointed.<\/p>\n 6: CHERRY GHOST – Herd Runners<\/b> (Heavenly)<\/p>\n Cherry Ghost is, essentially, Simon Aldred – one of Britain’s finest, most underrated songwriters. This is an album of proper songs; songs of romance, heartbreak, lost love and found love – all sharing a soulful, melancholic beauty. If you can listen to “Drinking For Two” without a lump in your throat, you must have a heart of stone.<\/p>\n 5: ELBOW – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything<\/b> (Fiction)<\/p>\n For a band who have now been together for nearly 25 years they aren’t having a bad run of form! Their trademark melodies and orchestral flourishes are here in full effect and the vivid songwriting and unique lyrical aphorisms are better than ever. In summary: the more things change the more they stay the same – but in a good way. Gorgeous<\/p>\n 4: MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Futurology<\/b> (Columbia)<\/p>\n The fact that Futurology was recorded in Berlin is evident from the off. The album brims with influences from Neu! to Bowie and even the early (good) incarnation of Simple Minds. Synths are used to great effect throughout but especially so on “Let’s Go To War” – one of 2014’s best tracks. A brave, brilliant album from a band still very much at the top of their game.<\/p>\n 3: REAL ESTATE – Atlas <\/b>(Domino)<\/p>\n It could be lazy of me to describe Real Estate’s “Atlas” as “21st Century Byrdsian”, but that’s pretty much the vibe that they conjure up, and an absolutely joyful vibe it is too. Listening to this album on a cold, wet and windy English December day has the power to transport you to summertime on a Californian beach.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n