Top 20 Albums of 2014 (PART 1)

2014 was a great year for music; some have released impressive follow ups where artists really show their creativity and appeal more audience, while most debut albums have made a brilliant impression and will likely dominate 2015 or in the near future. Here I will reveal my top 20 albums of 2014.

20. Lonely The Brave - The Day's War

They have been on the down low for the past four years to construct their first effort and it is definitely a surprising debut album from the Cambridge rockers. The mixture of anthemic ballads and riff-grinding hard rock tunes works really well as a whole album. The vocals and rhythmic guitars complement each other, and there is a lot of precision throughout. Fans of Biffy Clyro should check this band out.

Check out: Trick of the Light, Victory Line, Islands

19. Foxes - Glorious

The Southampton singer-songwriter's debut album is dark, dramatic pop at its best as it is packed with emotional punches with its lyrics and powerful vocals and there is enough radio friendly tracks that will please the general audience.

Check out: Glorious, Count The Saints

18. Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis

Their eponymous fourth effort certainly strands away from their punk-rock roots but their radio friendly tracks have proven themselves as the cheeky and confident lads that fans have adored, and they have a mixture of heavy tracks, alternative ballads and summer tunes that are worth repetitive listens. They're definitely on their peak of becoming one of the best bands of the British rock scene at the moment.

Check out: Criminal, Damn Nation, Time

17. Mallory Knox - Asymmetry

The alternative rockers' second album may have less addictive tunes but their creativity has increasingly improved and is lot more powerful than their last effort. Chapman's vocals soars louder than ever and there are still some hidden gems in the album that will become anthems in live shows.

Check out: Dying to Survive, She Took Him to the Lake, Ghost in the Mirror

16. The Kooks - Listen

Despite the commercial failure of this album, their latest effort have shown so much talent that deserved more recognition. They have dispersed into different genres to create an interesting set of tracks. From electronic to R&B, they experimented creatively without distancing their funky, catchy style.

Check out: Bad Habit, Around Town

15. Halfnoise - Volcano Crowe

This impressive debut album by ex-Paramore's Zac Farro gives out some atmospheric sounds, intricate beats and surprising vocals from Farro that are very soothing and relaxing, this is one breathtaking album that Coldplay and Beck fans will admire.

Check out: Mountain, Fire You Set

14. Issues - Issues

The Californian post hardcore band are currently dominating the US after supporting the best post hardcore bands out there, and they're off to a great start. The whole album maybe filled with riffs that sounds too familiar to the metalcore genre but it adds something new with its hip-hop influences and energetic synths. It’s boisterous and aggressive at the same time and it’s a brilliant first record for them.

Check out: Personality Cult, Tears on the Runway Pt. 2 (feat. Nylo), Life of a Nine

13. The Horrors - Luminous

Their fourth album bursts with so much atmospheric sounds, blasting synths that fans have admired. The long instrumental outros sounds hypnotic, there's so much mind-altering textures and layers throughout of their tracks. It's safe to say that Luminous is definitely a dense record.

Check out: I See You, Sleepwalk

12. Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love

Nutini's comeback album boasts with so much soul and his rasping vocal talents alone spurges with emotion that complements the Motown-inspired music. There's offbeat and catchy tunes, it succeeds on reviving the vintage retro-music that Amy Winehouse achieved, but still exploring different styles and still igniting them with originality.

Check out: Let Me Down Easy, Iron Sky

11. Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

The Welsh indie rockers are back for their fourth effort and they've marked a different shift from their previous albums. With the frontman Jack Steadman's inspiration from his travels throughout India, Turkey and Japan, the album takes influences from world music, and uses a wider range of instrumentation, there's definitely Blollywood-esque qualities here, it is sincerely captivating and euphorically playful. It's melodic and organic.

Check out: Luna, Come To

 Watch out for PART 2 of Top 20 Albums of 2014!