Top Ten Albums of 2014 - 5 through 1

5. Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else - This got my attention in the middle of the year.  She is slotting into the Lucinda Williams genre, but with a little more rock to her country and not as world weary.  I enjoy women doing original country rock with a bit of an edge.

4. Bob Mould - Beauty & Ruin - On first listen, I thought, "Look, it's another Bob Mould album." And I wrote it off because there is nothing new here.  Except, at the end of the year, I don't think anyone is playing this type of music with this much passion.  He's not as angry as he used to be, but, he is still able to play as hard as he always has.

3. The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams - One of the two best bar bands in the country (and Lucero put out a live album this year), their previous release was not up to snuff and they admit it now.  They are back, doing that Springsteen/Replacements thing that they do.  But mostly, they are still making you believe in the old fashioned rock and roll show.






2. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music -Most of the time, I enjoy my country music traditional.  I saw this on a bunch of best of lists at the end of the year and I decided to chase it down.  It sounds like traditional country music, but the songs have elements that place them in modern times.  Plus, it is just good music.

1. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything - I don't know how they do it.  The last three albums have all been different and all been great.  I originally thought this album was too quiet and slow.  It's not.  It just doesn't feel the need to hit you over the head to get your attention.  As always, with Elbow, great melodies, excellent song construction, just enough meaning in the lyrics to get your attention. And, at the end of it all is Guy Garvey's voice, probably the best in the business.