Pop albums of the year: Plan B | Richard Hawley | Fiona Apple | The XX | Grizzly Bear
Plan B
Ill Manors
Atlantic
From the opening cascade of pseudo strings on the title track, this was the crowning glory of hip-hop beats. A melting pot of dub reggae and punky pop with an r’n’b sheen, this is modern music free of polish and photo hop, with violence in every verse.
Richard Hawley
Standing At The Sky’s Edge
Parlophone
From being a fixture on Radio 2 playlists with a baritone 1950s crooners would kill for, Hawley put his colourful musical past in firm context this year with an old-fashioned prog rock outing. Down In The Woods borders on the psychobilly, all-slashing guitar and phased riffing. He succeeded in evoking the spirit of Roy Orbison and Nat King Cole.
Fiona Apple
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Epic
Quirky and quixotic, the erstwhile diva terrible of American alternative rock returned to form with poise and panache. Rolling old piano tunes like Periphery set her voice swooping and soaring, diving into valleys a lesser vocal would struggle to negotiate. Lovely to have her back, and still so very young.
The XX
Coexist
XL
Having been immune to the charms of their debut, Coexist’s slight strength proved intoxicating. The gentle electro simmer of Try and Swept Away soothe while stimulating, caress and cajole in equal measure. It is an old-fashioned album, rewarding listening from beginning to end rather than having any obvious stand-out moments. Embrace the modern soulless soul.
Grizzly Bear
Shields
Warp
Timeless and tantalisingly textured, the Brooklyn band’s fourth record was their most accomplished to date, brilliantly simple yet cunningly complex. Half Gate’s guitar motif glistens in the brilliance of the production, powered by Chris Bear’s precise percussion. A modern classic steeped in Americana, of European sensibilities.