Greenleaf, Echoes From A Mass

Greenleaf, hailing from Borlänge Sweden, have been doing their thing for twenty plus years....crafting dark, hard hitting, and at times smoldering stoner and hard rock albums. While not all of them have done it for me, their latest, Echoes From A Mass does and then some. Echoes brings together all of the best aspects of the band and their music including great '90's sludge and grunge vibes from their early days, which is just up my alley.

With so many standout songs, it was hard to pick just one to feature. In the end, I went with Needle in My Eye. As Distorted Sound wrote about it, there's a little more tension and restraint on this one and mostly holds itself back, giving hints of something darker and more urgent lurking just beneath the surface. It's a killer song and Echoes From A Mass a killer album.

Kings Of Convenience, Peace Or Love

For many years, I had accepted the fact that Norwegian indie duo Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye had hung up their Kings of Convenience cloak and called it a day. After three quiet and special albums, they were done making new music together and had moved on. So imagine my surprise when I learned that after twelve years, they were back with a new, forth album. 

Arriving last month, Peace Or Love is quintessential Kings Of Convenience and a welcomed return. The duo break no new ground here, but perfectly recapture what has made them so special. Warm and inviting, song after song, Bøe and Øye's music draws you into their world of navigating love and relationships in a way that is so disarming, relaxing and comforting while expressing their realities in a very human way. This is captured beautifully on Love Is A Lonely Thing as the duo along with Feist sing over their two guitars: 

"If you want someone to enter in your life, show a part of your world they can dream about. It will seem a fair idea if you make it their idea. Go back to your corner. Let them come to you. Patience is the hardest thing to have to learn. Hours seem like oceans when desire burns. Rushing in will ruin all, you must bide your time. Sow a seed in water, wait for love to grow. Love, to you, is given, love is gifted you. No love can be taken, that love is not true. Love is pain and suffering, love can bе a lonely thing. Once you've known that magic, who can livе without it?"

Peace and Love is another lovely, elegant, and nuanced album by Kings of Convenient. Welcome back!

Iceage, Seek Shelter

The evolution of Danish band Iceage has been very cool to watch over the past ten years. But I will say that I was unprepared for their fifth album, Seek Shelter. Wow. What an album! So this is what happens when a band perfectly blends where they have been and what they have done with new ideas and influences, from the Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones to The Verve and Primal Scream, into one grand cohesive collection of songs.

Lead singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt explained in an interview that the music that came before served as a kind of 'jumping board', leaping them from where they had been sonically to where they were when they were working on Seeks Shelter. But he said, it was important for the band that their new place didn't seem too familiar, that it actually felt like what they were doing was true to the life and experiences that surrounded them at the time. Most importantly for Rønnenfelt, when working on new music, he always wants to remain very vigilant when it comes to self-awareness. He said that he doesn't like it at all. "I don't want to be too smart or knowledgeable around what I'm doing. But if you can get to a space where you feel like you're just guided by your gut feeling or certain intuition, that's usually a sign that you're on some kind of right track."

That 'gut' has served Rønnenfelt and the band very well. Seek Shelter is Iceage's most adventurous, innovative, creative, and satisfying album to date and one of the best that I have heard this year.

The Vintage Caravan, Monuments

Formed when they were just twelve years old, the Icelandic trio The Vintage Caravan's songs and sound had always stayed close to the 'hard hitting riff fueled' music of the bands they loved and idolized; Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Mastodon, Rush, and Cream. But, as lead singer and guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson recently said in an interview, they never set out to be a band that sounded like it was frozen in 1971 and then put in the microwave all these years later.

In February of 2020, after extensive touring that brought new attention and fans to the band, they entered the studio to record their fifth album Monuments. Twenty-two days later, after more or less living at the studio, the band walked out feeling that they had really found and stamped their own sound for the first time. And what a sound.

Monuments is a hard hitting, hard rocking, superb album with all the right riffs, hooks, and surprises to keep even the most ardent rock fan totally engrossed in it. For me, it's one of the best albums by a rock trio that I have heard in a long time.

Ulver, Flowers Of Evil

I was unfamiliar with Ulver during their early, dark metal years. I first discovered them with their 2017 release, The Assassination of Julius Caesar. It was one of my favorite albums of that year and continues to be a regular listen for me. Now on their 25^th anniversary, they have released Flowers Of Evil. 

With influences of Depeche Mode and New Order, the band has officially moved as far away from their earlier music and sound as possible. Yet, they have managed to maintain the dark and doom undercurrent that has always defined their sound and storytelling.

As Allmusic exclaimed, 'The music on Flowers of Evil traverses with jarring effectiveness both past and future. Its songs explore grief, hysteria, madness, vulnerability, and romance as inseparable and indelible aspects of the human spirt, resulting in a masterwork of the familiar and the disorienting.

It all makes for thrilling listen.

Airbag, A Day At The Beach

Last August I got excited when I learned that Airbag was back in the studio recording a new album. Since 2009, the band, hailing from Oslo, Norway, had only released four albums. Each one, along with the band itself, have become favorites of mine. I was ready for more. Now almost a year later, A Day At The Beach is here and I’m loving every minute of it.  

One would never say that Airbag has a totally original sound. Influences of bands like Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree have always been present. On A Day At The Beach, the band does move in a bit of a new directly with the addition of electronic elements which they say were inspired by the resurgence of ‘80’s electronica and new wave. In this regard, they have tapped into a bit of The Cure circa Disintegration.

With six songs clocking in at almost fifty minutes, there is plenty of music to consume here. I cannot recommend A Day At The Beach enough. This is a fantastic album and one of my favorites of the year.

TOP ALBUMS OF THE DECADE - THE 2010's

All year I have been listing my favorite albums by decade....all of those lists working up to this one...my favorite albums of the 2010's. These are the albums that I have come back to and listened to the most over the past ten years.

20. Ulver, The Assassination Of Julius Caesar

I was unfamiliar with the Norwegian band Ulver during their early, dark metal years. I first discovered them with their eleventh album, The Assassination of Julius Caesar. It was one of my favorite albums of 2017 and continues to be a regular listen for me. With influences of Depeche Mode and other pop-synth bands of the late '80's and early '90's, the band officially moved as far away from their earlier music and sound as possible. Yet, they have managed to maintain the dark and doom undercurrent that has always defined their sound and storytelling. 

There are not many bands still together and playing after 27 years let alone pushing the envelope of creativity, but here's Ulver. Fusing rock and electronica sounds into a rich musical soundscape, there is no shortage of music to explore on AOJC. And with each listen you find something new that makes the listening experience that much better. And to me, that's what makes a great album.

19. Alt J, An Awesome Wave

Upon its UK release, the BBC called Alt J's debut album, An Awesome Wave "a stunning and encompassing affair of both innovative and electrifying musicianship and exemplary song writing." The Guardian wrote that "the music is rich and quirky enough to match the imagistic literacy of the lyrics, from the majestic cinematic sweep of 'Intro' onwards." For me, An Awesome Wave hit me like a tidal wave when I first heard it. It's an intelligent, innovative, frisky, and a wildly engrossing album.

18. Hippo Campus, Bambi

Bambi is an album I just can't get out of my head. Marked by a shift in their sound, Hippo Campus embraces a more experimental, synth-driven approach compared to their earlier, guitar-heavy indie rock. The album feels both introspective and restless, with lyrics that explore anxiety, change, and emotional vulnerability. Tracks like Golden highlight the band's willingness to play with unconventional song structures, layering shimmering synths and glitchy beats over heartfelt vocals. There’s a looseness to the record, yet it still carries the sharp melodies and youthful energy that define Hippo Campus. I love how the band continues to evolve, balancing personal reflection with a fresh, dynamic sonic landscape.

   

17. Max Jury, Max Jury

Max Jury’s self-titled debut took me by surprise. Paste magazine wrote that it is 'a winning collection of songs with a lot of heart and swagger that defies his young age." So true. PM added that Jury’s songs bring to mind many classic songwriters of the Laurel Canyon area, as well as musicians such as Billy Joel, Elton John and Carole King." Also true. Most of the songs on this album do have elements of those....dare I say vintage songwriters....yet Jury’s songs feel modern and fresh. This album has been a family favorite since its release in 2016.

16. Noah & The Whale, Last Night On Earth 

Last Night On Earth, Noah & The Whale's third studio album was a loose concept album about....the Last Night On Earth, or not. But as far as concept albums go, this one succeeded by not trying to do too much with it. There is a great mid-'80's rock-anthem feel to these songs, but it never feel like the band was pressing hard to deliver them to be bigger-than-life. Honestly, one song is better than the next and singing along becomes an automatic reflex when the music starts.

                                                            

15. Susanne Sundfør, Music For People In Trouble 

In an interview,Susanne Sundfør talked about living in a time of great changes. "Everything is moving so rapidly, sometimes violently, sometimes dauntingly. I think a lot of people experience anxiety these days."The Irish Times wrote that there is something bewitching about the Scandi brand of sadness. Perhaps it is why I fell so hard for Susanne Sundfør’s sixth album, 'a sweeping, seductive cinematic slice of sorrow.' An album that succeeds at 'reaching out to anxious souls to put them at ease in this turbulent time.'

14. Tool, Fear Inoculum

Tool fans, such as myself, waited 13 long years for the band's follow up to 10,000 days. And now, in 2019, we have Fear Inoculum to consume and ponder. As Sputnik Music wrote, this album is a 'massive, compelling piece of music that unfolds beautifully and balances Tool’s unique style with plenty of rewarding new elements. Any fears that they would not live up to their past can be abated; Fear Inoculum is truly groundbreaking and one of the best albums of the decade.' I agree!

13. Little Cub, Still Life

What a debut album! The Line of Best Fit wrote about Still Life, "Masking our flawed humanity with flawless electro, the South London trio fork over a delicious portion of pessimistic pop, drizzled in scrumptious synths and glorious electronic production, but bypassing a sugarcoating of over-hackneyed hedonism." An album 'brimming with English jest', this is 'a refreshingly honest record that holds a confident consciousness of modern reality.' And while Modern life 'might be rubbish', DIY writes, ' Little Cub makes things seem better.'

12. Barna Howard, Quite A Feelin' 

The songs on Barna Howard’s second album, Quite A Feelin’, ruminate on his relationship with home. Now entrenched in Portland, Oregon, many of the album’s tracks immortalize and reflect on the Eureka he once knew, while others focus on the relationships that define his new home out west. Small town life has long been celebrated in country and folk music, but Barna’s knack for capturing his own deeply personal nostalgia resonates in a rarely universal way. Every track on this album is special and it’s one of the many reasons that I come back to this album over and over again.

11. Arcade Fire, Reflektor

Influenced by Haitian rara music, the 1959 film Black Orpheus, and Søren Kierkegaard's essay Two Ages, Reflektor is an album that 'diverged dramatically from the rock conventions.....and coherent narratives that made the band's 2010, album The Suburbs, so accessible.' (Slant Magazine). That's a good thing. The band takes the listener on an epic journey that Spin wrote, is 'long and weird and indulgent and deeply committed.' But, 'you come to prefer the band's big ideas and grand gestures to almost anyone else's.' From the opener Reflektor to the 11 minute closer Supersymmetry, this album should be savored and celebrated.

10. Arctic Monkeys, AM

When AM arrived in 2013, my son said that it was the band's best album to date. It was hard for me to agree or disagree with him. Comparing AM to the band's earlier albums, especially the first two, was a bit like comparing apples to oranges. I loved the explosive energy and roughness of the band's early albums and I never really wanted their sound to change. Yet as we all know, over time things do change. The great news was that over the years the band's songs and songwriting had grown and matured in all the right ways and with AM they set a new standard for themselves. It is why NME recently named AM the best album of the 2010's.

9. Hurray For The Riff Raff, The Navigator

Alynda Mariposa Segarra, who fronts the band Hurray For The Riff Raff, grew up in the Bronx. Over time, they had become increasingly aware of how gentrification had eroded the Puetro Rican culture which stood in stark contrast to how it continued to flourish in Puerto Rico despite the damage being done to so many communities by the many economic and social challenged that they faced. 

This awareness lead Segarra to conceive of The Navigator, which follow a protagonist named Navita, a 16 year old street kid, who is navigating an over-gentrified city sometime in the near future. With a perfectly formed '70's rock storytelling sensibility, in a similar vain to The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Segarra and the band unfold Navita's story and journey in a wonderful fashion. One which brings understanding to the challenges Navita and community face and inspiration from how they ultimately take back their culture.

8. Jonathan Wilson, Gentle Spirit

Gentle Spirit is an album that completely exudes the groove and warmth that reflects what Wilson described as “that golden late ‘60s, early ‘70s period when rural and urban sensibilities colluded in producing some of rock’s most imperishable recordings.” As a longtime student of Los Angles’ Laurel Canyon, its musical heritage, and its Canyon Culture, Wilson wanted his musical ideas to “echo many of an earlier generation.” Slow burning, mellow, and laidback, Gentle Spirit really does carry you off to another time and place and holds you there through 13 songs that span close to an hour and 20 minutes. 

7. Sandro Perri, In Another Life 

Perri defies logic with In Another Life which he has referred to as an experiment in 'infinite songwriting. The title track, all 24 minutes of it, and the three versions of Everybody's Paris that follow, combine to deliver an ambient pop album that Pitchfork best describes as a masterful, dreamlike world. It's mesmerizing, hypnotic, and absolutely unforgettable.

6. Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate

'By any measure, this is an audacious, startlingly mature and powerful album; the kind singer-songwriters aspire to, but seldom deliver....It's an intimate and sprawling, personal and universal, affectionate and daring. It's also not background music. Sit down in front of your largest speakers, turn up the volume, push play, close your eyes and let Michael Kiwanuka's Love & Hate envelop your senses while taking you on a journey to the sonic expanses of your mind.' American Songwriter 

5. Metronomy, The English Riviera

Back in 2011, The English Riviera was nominated for Britain's The Mercury Prize for best album of the year. In an interview, Joseph Mount, the driving force behind the band, described the album as a kind of love letter to both his hometown of Totnes in Devon, and a romantic fantasy of the title's seaside resort he used to drive around in, blasting Ace of Base as a youth. Eccentric, slightly avant-garde leaning British Pop (Drowned In Sound Description) has always been my thing. And this album is, as Allmusic wrote, an unmistakable English Affair, which is perhaps why I was immediately drawn to it. I just love this one.

4. LCD Soundsystem, American Dream

In 2011, James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem played their farewell concert at Madison Square Garden. Seven years later, Murphy had more to say, to share, to question. And so he gave us the gift of American Dream. It's a modern work of art about aging, love, regret, friendship, and ultimately an arduous search for meaning (Paste Magazine). A meticulous sonic architect and exuberant performer (Pretty Much Amazing), Murphy wraps his inner-monologs in "mind-bending knotty, constructs of synth, drum beats, and guitar riffs" that build as the album progresses to epic levels before drifting out in near silence in a fitting tribute to David Bowie (Black Screen). What a return.

3. Damien Rice, My Favorite Faded Fantasy

It had been eight long years between the release of My Favorite Faded Fantasy and Damien Rice's prior album. So where was he? In an interview he did for The Telegraph, he described his self-exile as a time of "transition." One in which he shedded old attitudes to life and explored new ones. "I am really curious about life, about why we are all here. I notice my skin is aging, things are changing, I've seen people dying, so that's the train we are all on. And I would like to figure some shit out before I reach the destination." With this album, Rice takes us into the mind of a man searching and yearning for many answers, but is getting more comfortable with just living the journey.

2. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine

In 2011, Scottish singer-songwriter Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote, and English electro composer and producer Jon Hopkins collaborated to create Diamond Mine, a heartfelt reflection on the town and landscape of Fife, where Anderson lives. This absolutely beautiful and stunning album exemplifies what is possible when two artists marry two very different musical reference points in a cohesive and near perfect way. Together they have created a magnificent and timeless musical space where Anderson's quiet and soulful songs radiate earth, warmth, and richness and perfectly capture his fondness and love for life in this small town. This is a special album.

1. Destroyer, Kaputt

The 9th album from Vancouver, BC native, Daniel Bejar, who records under the name Destroyer, is simply irresistible. Uncompromising, Bejar is one of those artists that seems to change musical direction with each new release. With Kaputt, Bejar creates dreamy-ambient pop songs that pay tribute to the sounds and sensibilities of artists like Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry at their best. The songs here are chalk-full of wonderful musical elements. I love the inclusion of the trumpet, sax, and flute on many of these songs. This album has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it back in 2011. Note: If you can get your hands on it....the European version with the 20 minute The Laziest River is a must! It takes Kaputt to a whole other level.