Tonight we bring the first of our two year-end lists to a close with the final 10 songs in our Top 50 Songs of 2014 list. Read on to find out which 10 songs All Things Loud considers as the 10 best of 2014.
10. BRETON – FIFTEEN MINUTES
Breton are one of the most underrated artists of the year. Their second album War Room Stories, one of the finest albums of 2014, encompassed ten fantastic tracks, with Fifteen Minutes its euphoric closer. Starting off with demure piano and reflective vocals from frontman Roman Rappak, the song swiftly turned into a dance anthem with a full-on rave outro which can only truly be appreciated once you see Breton live. “As soon as backs were turned, the cracks returned” crooned Rappak over a mix of raspy beats and a slowly pulsating synth line which eventually explodes.
9. KASABIAN – DOOMSDAY
Kasabian also released one of the best albums of the year, albeit on a much larger scale than Breton. 48:13 was mainly recognized by its fluorescent pink album cover named after its respective length, with the album itself featuring various festival bangers and campfire anthems. Doomsday is nestled in amongst two such tracks, not slowing down whatsoever with a spaghetti western riff and skanky solo courtesy of Serge Pizzorno. Okay, the chorus DOES sound like Livin’ La Vida Loca, but it’s on an even grander scale than the aforementioned Ricky Martin hit. Doomsday is fun, uplifting and an all-round banger of a track.
8. OK GO – I WON’T LET YOU DOWN
“OK Go? Aren’t they the guys with the fun music videos?”. Yes, that’s how 95% of the world’s conscious music fan will know OK Go, a band who have more often than not been famed for their stellar videography. I Won’t You Let Down does exactly as the title says – it doesn’t let us down. Its accompanying video was supposedly filmed in one take, but the song itself is just as exciting. Featuring a more electronic groove, I Won’t Let You Down encompasses handclap beats, doo-wop backing vocals and an overall sense of “I love my life! Let’s get wasted and lose our minds!”. Need we say more? No, so just watch the video.
7. FOO FIGHTERS – WHAT DID I DO?/GOD AS MY WITNESS
Rock behemoths Foo Fighters kept us all on our toes this year as we all eagerly awaited their eigth studio album. The 8-track Sonic Highways and its accompanying HBO documentary were the result of this process, as the Foos recorded each song in a different American city with a rich musical history. What Did I Do?/Gos As My Witness is the standout track on Sonic Highways, as an opening crescendo of instruments makes way for Dave Grohl’s story-like lyrics and catchy chorus. The real magic, though, comes in the second half of the song as we all get our lighters on and cry along to its beautiful closing section. “God as my witness, yeah it’s gonna heal my soul”. He sure will, Dave.
6. ALVVAYS – ARCHIE, MARRY ME
Another contender for most beautiful chorus of the year is Archie, Marry Me by the Canadian-quintet Alvvays. This lo-fi indie pop ballad documents the commercialization of marriage in the most encapsulating way as frontwoman Molly Rankin’s voice soothes you for just longer than 3 minutes. “Hey, hey. Marry me, Archie” she sings in the chorus as you sit back and re-evaluate what you just heard. It’s special stuff, especially for a band who are at such an early stage in their careers.
5. ENTER SHIKARI – THE LAST GARRISON
Enter Shikari returned this year with the promise of new music, the result of which is the January-bound The Mindsweep. Ever since its announcement in October we’ve been waiting with baited breath as the St Albans quartet tease us with snippets and the odd new song. The Last Garrison, the lead single on the album, comes at you with full force as frontman Rou Reynolds furiously shouts “can you hear the war cry?!” before screeching his way through the verses with such power. A mega Drum and Bass influence prevails in the background, stepping into the limelight towards the end as the song speeds up and gets really, really epic. “Let’s toast to the fact that we got this far”. We sure will, Rou. It can only get better from here.
4. ALT J – BLOODFLOOD PT. II
Do you ever hear a song so good that you wish there was more of it? That’s how we felt when we first heard Bloodflood on Alt J’s debut album, An Awesome Wave. Thankfully, the now-trio have made a second part to Bloodflood, Bloodflood Pt. II, which features on their sophomore record This Is All Yours. It’s a whole mix of swirling strings, brass and an eargasmic “dead in the middle of the C, double M, O, N”. Thom Green’s trip-hop/tribal drumming and the occassional vocal sample made this track the standout on This Is All Yours with good reason. Don’t believe us? Check it out below and see for yourself.
3. MARMOZETS – WHY DO YOU HATE ME?
Marmozets may well be the fiercest new band we heard this year, mainly thanks to manic vocalist Becca MacIntyre and their respective live shows, which breed nothing less than chaos. Debut album The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets was released in September, with Why Do You Hate Me? being one of the catchiest, riff heavy tracks on the album. “Take my money! Take my heart and soul” screams MacIntyre over a mixture of distorted guitars and tight drums which precede a massive chorus and even bigger outro. If you haven’t seen Marmozets live, go do it now.
2. TEMPLES – MOVE WITH THE SEASON
Ever since Temples released their debut album Sun Structures earlier this year it’s been on repeat through our speakers. As we constructed this list, a whole host of different Sun Structures songs kept being added and replaced in the Top 50, with Move With the Season the ultimate victor. It’s dreamy guitar intro and powerful bass and drum combo take you on a journey through the psychedelic realms of reality with such serene beauty that it’s hard to not repeat it over and over again. James Bagshaw’s vocals are beautifully hypnotic, and Move With the Season definitely demonstrates it best. “Lend your ears, to the sound of day” he sings as we sit and listen in awe. The song eventually spirals into beautiful serenity, and there’s nothing else like it.
1. JUNGLE – BUSY EARNIN’
So there you have it, number 1. This was always going to be the hardest song to pick, especially as so much rides on a number 1. It means that this song is basically considered better than the 49 preceding songs, but we think we got it right with this one. Enter Jungle, the hype band of 2014 for all the right reasons. Early single Busy Earnin’ is a song you’ve probably heard before, with its signature brass melody and super funky bassline becoming earworms you can’t get away from. Pair that with a cacophony of sounds and silky smooth vocals and you’ve got yourselves a winner. Busy Earnin’ is the song of 2014, and we really can’t get enough of it. Everything about the song is flawless, from it’s opening synths to bassline breakdown. If anything is deserving of the top spot, it’s this song.
And with that, Jungle’s Busy Earnin’ is our best song of 2014. You can listen to a full playlist of the Top 50 by scrolling to the top of this post.
