The Horrors @ St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Melbourne, Feb 4

The Horrors @ The Forum, Melbourne, Feb 3

OFWGKTA @ Big Day Out, Melbourne, Jan 29

Röyksopp @ Big Day Out, Melbourne, Jan 29

Hello again.

I hope you all had an awesome holiday break and got plenty of rest/drank heaps NYE/fucked a complete stranger/embarrassed yourself in front of your family at Christmas dinner by turning up on acid… well, maybe I speak for myself with those last few.

So it’s 2012. Yay? Not much has happened yet. Jay Z and Beyoncé had a baby girl. That’s pretty cool I suppose. But Blue Ivy Carter is a fairly ridiculous name. It’s only going to encourage bogans to name their kids equally ridiculous things like Apple, Jazmyne, Peebee and Chance. I suppose their baby can put up with a shitty name for a while as she can easily change it when she’s offered a multi-million dollar record contract in a matter of years.

So before we push forward with 2012 I think it’s time to reflect on the year that was 2011 and the music it offered us. Here’s a few of my favourite albums from last year. Some of them you may know, some you may not. I’m interested to hear what your highlights were too.

 Cheers,

 JP

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Instrumental music is not for everyone. It often requires patience and an attention span that eludes your average half-witted commercial radio fan. This being said, Mogwai are not a band for everyone. Nevertheless, those of us who have approached the band with open arms and open ears have continually been rewarded with their output of albums over the past decade or so – and 2011’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will was no exception.

With songs that rise up from a whisper of ambient guitar dwindling into colossal walls of distortion fuelled fuzz, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is an album that deals in dynamics. There’s loud and soft. There’s light and dark. There’s moments of serenity that are pierced by crescendos of layered guitars, bass and drums. It’s music that elicits an emotional response. It’s not just there to make you tap your feet – it’s there to make you feel and think. And that’s why Mogwai are so important.

 SBTRKT – SBTRKT

Dubstep is crap. C’mon, just admit it. It’s a passing fad. A trend. It won’t be long and it will be replaced by the next hip genre. I bet you’re never going to hear a genuine music critic utter, “Oh yes, that was a classic dubstep album”. Some people say that SBTRKT is post-dubstep. I’m not really sure what they mean by that, but, for me personally, SBTRKT’s music and the gurgling vacuum noises of contemporary dubstep are worlds apart. SBTRKT’s debut LP encapsulates something far more powerful and emotive. The UK producer’s richly layered bass music fluctuates between chilled soundscapes and glossy upbeat pop, narrated by hand-picked guest vocalists that fit the mood of the album like a glove (including Sampha and Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano). There’s elements of R&B, drum’n’bass, electro and glitch-pop in there but it’s always contorted and twisted in such a manner that it’s not instantly recognisable and familiar. It’s exciting. It’s fresh. And that’s why it’s so damn good.

The Horrors – Skying

 Skying is the album that vanquished any lingering notions that the Horrors were simply gloomy looking goths worshipping at the alter of 60s garage rock. This, their third album, was a game changer. Like the brightly lit Polaroid overlooking an ocean that graces the album’s cover, Skying is an expansive listen. It takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey that dips and weaves between moments of giddy psychedelia (`I Can See Through You’), romantic new wave (`Still Life’) and My Bloody Valentine-esque shoegaze (`Changing the Rain’). There’s an unshakeable feeling of tranquility and freedom too, that was perhaps influenced by The Horrors’decision to produce it themselves at their own self-built studio in London (whoever said you need a top-shelf producer to get the best results?). They set the bar high with Primary Colours but went above and beyond on Skying, and for that fans of innovative rock should be thankful.

 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

It must be a gamble being a musician and making a double-album. I imagine it would be a huge feat stretching your ideas out over two discs. And then there are the costs inherent in organising studio time and producers, not to mention the mounting pressure from record labels breathing down necks and looking over shoulders. It sounds like a nightmare, but one that M83’s Anthony Gonzalez must have avoided to create the wistful and uplifting Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

Never delving into boring or overly self-indulgent territory, M83’s sixth studio album is a monolithic slab of sickly sweet synthpop stretched out over the course of two discs. There’s so much on offer here that it takes a few spins of the album to properly soak up all the aural goodness, from the weeping ballad of `Wait’ through to the buzzing pop hooks of `OK Pal’ and `Midnight City’ (the latter being complete with a smokin’ saxophone solo, making it one of my favourite songs of last year). If you haven’t already picked up a copy of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming do it right away, throw on a pair of headphones and prepare to be swept away in a sea of synthpop delight.

 Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

This one was a late entry in my favourite albums of last year. I didn’t even really know who Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) were until the Meredith Music Festival last December. It was here that I was coaxed along by a few friends to go see them perform on a balmy summer evening. It was hot and the sun was steadily dropping in the sky. I clutched a beer and made small talk with friends while the band set up onstage. I wasn’t expecting too much. Then, as UMO launched into a set of hazy and nostalgic retro rock, I stopped talking to my friends. My full attention was drawn to the stage. I realised I knew almost every song, having heard them in the office and on the radio but having never stopped to ask who it was. UMO’s performance reeled me in hook, line and sinker. It was a great start to the camping festival for me, and when it was all done and dusted, I raced out and brought a copy of their debut self-titled album. I was not disappointed. It’s full of lo-fi rock `n’ roll that’s riddled with an underlying pop sensibility. It’s honest, stripped-back and full of carefully placed hooks. Just have a listen to `Ffunny Ffriends’ and get back to me when you realise you’ve been humming it for days.

 King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Willoughby’s Beach EP

Here’s another late addition to my favourite albums of last year.  Okay, yeah, I know, this one is not technically an album - it’s an EP. But before you go grilling me over the technicalities of my own blog entry, I’d like to ask you if you’ve even listened to the ridiculously titled King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard before?No? Well, then I get the last laugh because you’re missing out. These guys are all kinds of awesome and so is this EP. Willoughby’s Beach is proof that sometimes keeping it simple is best. This is scuzzy, warts-and-all garage rock that’s doused in psychedelia and wrapped up in surfy, summery goodtime vibes. You don’t have to overthink the Gizzard’s music – you just have to throw your hands up in the air and have a good time.

* bonus points for naming a song `Dustbin Fletcher’ after the Essendon great.

Ok, so I’ve been a little quiet on here lately, but it’s not really my fault. Time is finite. I’ve been working during the week, trying to listen to new music so I can write CD reviews to get my name out there and nursing a nasty hangover yesterday (yeah, I ended up going to Karova Lounge’s 7th birthday bash over the weekend and drinking my bodyweight in beer. Was fun at the time. My crippled body and throbbing head disagreed the following day).

Anyways, I always find a new CD a great hangover cure. At the moment, I’ve just been blasting The Horrors’ new one Skying at every given moment: in the car, in the shower, at the neighbours (which I’m certain they appreciate). And I like it so much I’ve written this nifty little review which you are welcome to cast your eyes over.

The Horrors - Skying

For fans of: My Bloody Valentine – Joy Division – Cat’s Eyes

Like a caterpillar forming a cocoon and later emerging as a butterfly, UK five-piece The Horrors are a band undergoing a metamorphosis. When they first emerged in 2005 they were gloomy looking goths who worshipped at the alter of 60s garage punk. Their 2007 debut album Strange House was full of noisy and chaotic rock that paid homage to their garage punk predecessors and caused a modest stir in underground circles. However, it was not until the release of the band’s second record, Primary Colours, that the masses really took notice. Their second album signaled a change in musical direction, with its refined combination of shoegaze, psychedelic and post-rock influences earning the band near universal praise from both fans and critics alike. The mounting pressure to follow up an album like this could prove the undoing of some bands. Where does a band go when there are such high expectations riding on their next release? In this case, The Horrors have overcome the strains of hype by taking control of production, recording at their own studio and further evolving their already complex sound on album number three.

On Skying, the gloomy aura that once hovered above the band’s gothic demeanor has cleared to reveal a more optimistic sounding Horrors, reflected in the brightly lit Polaroid overlooking an ocean that graces the album’s cover. Like the various references to the seaside that feature throughout Skying (see `Dive In’, `Oceans Burning’ and `Endless Blue’), the album has a essence of tranquility and freedom that was perhaps influenced by The Horrors’ decision to produce it themselves at their own self-built studio in London.

Opener `Changing the Rain’ sets the tone as it plods along with swirling synthesizers that summon a dreamlike soundscape before exploding into a shimmering chorus. It’s a track that drifts further away from the screechy garage punk of their debut and instead sees the band drawing influence from shoegazers My Bloody Valentine and new wavers Simple Minds. Likewise, `You Said’ has more in common with the current chillwave genre than it does with conventional rock, as it revolves around sparkling keys and vocalist Faris Badwan’s plea of “you’ve got to give me love/you’ve got to give me more’’. The track shakes off any notions that The Horrors need to stick to a certain sound/genre while displaying an uplifting side to their usual gloom-riddled sentiment.

As the album progresses, the material on Skying becomes increasingly diverse. As previously mentioned, The Horrors took complete control over the direction of this album, and as a result, there’s an evident mix in their personal tastes and influences. The retro rock of `Monica Gems’ and `Dive In’ push Joshua Hayward’s electric guitar to the foreground, while the euphoric explosion of `I Can See Through You’ ups the tempo with its spun out psychedelia and pounding rhythm until a track like `Wild Eyed’ slows down proceedings with ambient horns that drift on a sea of guitars and keys. Somewhere in the middle is `Still Life’, which perfectly encapsulates The Horrors’ current musical incline: it’s melancholy, melodic and memorable. Its sparkling keys float amongst thumping bass, bustling horns and Badwan’s chant of “when you wake up you will find me’’.

Nestled around the end of the album is highlight `Moving Further Away’. This sprawling epic lures the listener into a hazy trance as it journeys through the motions during its eight and a half minutes of sonic bliss. It’s reminiscent of `Sea Within A Sea’ from Primary Colours with added drug-inspired incongruity courtesy of some dolphin-like (or are they bird?) sounds in the middle. It’s a great one to just lose yourself in (along with equally drawn out Pink Floyd-esque closer, `Oceans Burning’).

Like the endless horizon on the cover of Skying, The Horrors are proving they have no boundaries in sight to restrict their creativity. Their critically acclaimed second album, Primary Colours, was never going to be easy to follow, but against the odds, they have unified to create an intriguing new chapter in their sound. Produced by the band and recorded at their own studio, Skying is an expansive and engaging listen from start to end.