The BEST of 2013 - #4 and #3

Number 4
Stereophonics – Graffiti On The Train
In 2001, Stereophonics took the UK by storm, releasing one of the best albums of that year (or the decade for that matter) Just Enough Education To Perform. It featured some great songwriting, incredible music, and the unmistakable voice of Kelly Jones. When I first heard it, I was onboard with the possibility of a HUGE breakout. The next two records moved the needle a bit, but not to the point I thought it would. Then in 2007 and 2009, they released two records that for lack of better term are better left forgotten. Many (including myself) wrote Stereophonics off, thinking it was time to pack it in. Thankfully, the band knew better than us. Graffiti On The Train is a TREMENDOUS comeback, the kind of record that feels like they are saying “Oh yeah? We’re done? Here you go….”. Jones, one of the best voices in rock music, is at his growling finest, as the lead track, “We Share The Same Sun”, sets the tone for the entire record. The title track follows, taking the tempo down, but not the energy. And as every song envelops the room as the record plays, you take notice that no two sound anything alike, nor like anything they have done up to this point. This record is a triumph, a true front to back experience, and one that gets me excited for whatever comes next….just like 2001 all over again.
Key Tracks – We Share The Same Sun, Graffiti On The Train, Indian Summer, Roll The Dice



Number 3
The Lonely Forest – Adding Up The Wasted Hours
Do you remember the early 90s? Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees….etc..etc… Collectively known as the “Seattle Sound”. I think in 2013, we may have stumbled upon this version 2.0. Maybe not Seattle, per se, but Pacific Northwest. I give you The Lonely Forest. At first listen, they MAY sound like a Death Cab “rip off”….but as you dig deeper, you hear layers of soul that are their own, and expressed in a much different way than Ben, Walla and the rest of DCFC would express. (it should be noted, that this record is their debut on Walla’s Trans-Record label) This was the last record to fall into my hands before finalizing the list, and as I tweeted at the time, as I THOUGHT the top 12 was locked, “they may have blown up the top 3”. Front to back, this is an album of pure joy. “Pull The Pin” sets the tone from the start, with it’s very staccato syncopation before launching into anthem like strains, “Neon Never Changes” turns the car left down a trippy-ish road, and then “Lavender Dress” (which on its own, may seem like a throw away song) segues perfectly into one of the best songs of the year, “Warm/Happy”. There is nothing like the pure joy of “discovering” an artist that .001% of the population may know, RIGHT before the height of their perceived super powers are launched to the mainstream. This record is a run, don’t walk, situation.
Key Tracks: Warm/Happy, Pull The Pin, Fire Breather, Left Hand Man