Top-47 albums of the 2014th year

It took me a while to finally focus on this countdown, just because I suffer from OCD and I changed my mind like 52,461 times. But I did it. And I am proud of it. Or am I? Bipolar, too.

I cannot understand why people still listen to Thom Yorke. I cannot understand why the Swans are still alive and not dead by their own boring music. I cannot understand why my beloved Beck has found himself critically acclaimed with the "Morning Phase". And, at the end of the day, why can't we all accept that Nicki Minaj and her asses have recorded a very good album? Here are the 47 albums of 2014 that I have listened to (horny) with pleasure and respect. Lykke Li #not, too.

47. Metronomy - Love Letters
46. Alt-J - This Is All Yours
45. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything
44. Kiesza - Sound of a Woman
43. La Roux - Trouble In Paradise
42. Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy
41. Kimbra - The Golden Echo
40. Royksopp - The Inevitable End
39. Prince - Plectrumelectrum/Art Official Age
38. Various Artists - Begin Again (OST)
37. Kelis - Food
36. Jessie Ware - Tough Love
35. tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack
34. Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
33.Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour
32.Young Fathers - Dead
31. Various Artists - The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 (OST)
30. Dum Dum Girls - Too True
29. Jack White - Lazaretto
28. The Roots - …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
27. TV on the Radio - Seeds
26. Banks - Goddess
25. Mary J Blige - The London Sessions
24. Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
23.Kele - Trick
22. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
21. Joas As Police Woman - The Classic
20. Katy B - Little Red
19. You+Me - rose ave.
18. Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were
17. Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint
16. Taylor Swift - 1989
15. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
14. Hozier - Hozier
13. The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy
12. Ed Sheeran - x
11. Kasabian - 48:13
10. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want
9. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
8. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
7. Chet Faker - Built on Glass
6. Interpol - El Pintor
5. D'Angelo - Black Messiah
4. Charli XCX - Sucker
3. FKA twigs - LP1
2. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
1. Tinashe - Aquarius

Charli XCX - Sucker

I read somewhere that Charli XCX is the funniest girl around. Well, she is not a friend of mine, so I cannot confirm this piece of information. She surely is, though, the funniest girl in my laptop as far as her music is concerned. "Sucker" may not be the most sophisticated and Sam Smith-esque album in your playlist, but once you listen to it, you are stuck on repeat. And that, to be honest, makes it one of the best albums of the year.

Her sound is unique. But not as unique as you think, since it reminds you of Sia, Sky Ferreira, Haim and other similar power-pop female acts with an indie twist. For her third album she has collaborated with many producers. So many, that you could end up listening to a synth chaos. Nope, though. Greg Kurstin is also one of the album's producers, thus reminding us that the Grammy Academy MUST give him the award for the producer of the year, cause any other choice will be simply annoying at the end of the day.

Her smart songwriting is not as mainstream and straightforward as Taylor Swift's ability to write hits. But it's still fresh in tracks like "Boom Clap", "Breaking up", "London Queen" and "Famous", combining electric guitars, raw synths, drum machines and streetwise wit in the lyrics. Now I am begining to think that it's not fresh or smart, it's just British! Her vocals are not impressive, but her tone is distinctive and that's the case in the music industry today. You are not supposed to sound like the new Whitney or the new Christina, you are just supposed to sound like... yourself?

Anyhow, "Sucker" has the potential to be big, even though it may not be, because Charli XCX's case reminds me of Sky's album last year. Great songs and attitude, great reviews, bad sales. Still, a top-20 album for 2014.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Various Artists - The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 (OST)

Let's start with the fact that Lorde has released a second album or a new EP or something through the "The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 OST". But let's not stick to that, cause it's more ironic than realistic - she has only recorded three new songs plus one remix by her idol, Kanye Kardashian.

The second weird thing about this collection of songs has to do with the really out of the blue collaborations - Ariana Grande with Major Lazer, Charli XCX with Simon Le Bon, The Chemical Brothers with Miguel, Q-Tip with HAIM and Lorde (again, duh). So this is also a crossover project or at least an obvious effort to bridge many different music genres and generations. And that's a wrap, to the point now...

The soundtrack album for the third installment in "The Hunger Games" film series is quite good and consistent actually, despite the Lorde domination (yeap, I will never stop) and the unexpected collaborations. Grace Jones delivers a unique performance in the beautifully produced "Original beast" (I think that even without her vocals, this track still has her signature). "Lost souls" by Raury works as a smart bridge for the tracks in the second half of the album. Tinashe makes you wanna have sex in public. The Chemical Brothers make you feel haunted by the paganism of "This is not a game" (with vocals by Miguel), while Lorde is really like a ghost through the whole album. A ghost that contributes vocals and sounds even in other artists' tracks.

Lorde has been recruited to curate the album. So it's a bit honest that she has control over all the recordings in here. So she has done a very good job. So the whole "oh, Lorde again" joke is... well, a joke. Please, myself, stop teasing Lorde, for the love of Lord(e).

p.s. James Newton Howard's score not included.

AnArtCalled... 8/10