Great to hear I'm getting people into Frank Turner, I absolutely love his stuff!
Anyway, here comes number 1...
1. Anathema – Weather Systems [2012]Also recommended:
We’re Here Because We’re Here [2010]; Judgement [1999]So here it is – the album that somehow manages to beat out Act III as my favourite album ever. I love it so much that it’s actually somewhat difficult to explain why, but basically it comes down to how it makes me feel. While it doesn’t have the same perfection in pacing as Act III, it has a sort of spirituality to it, which makes me feel happy and lucky to be alive every time I listen to it. I’ve said before that it’s difficult to make rock music that is positive in vibe without getting into cheesy territory, but where this album succeeds is not in making music that is inherently happy (indeed much of it is not) but in creating moods and atmospheres that make the listener feel so upbeat. The album is built around slow crescendos and peaks and troughs that really take me on such a beautiful journey. The lyrics are also very spiritual without being religious, and so complement the music perfectly. Anathema have been creating great music for a while, and really hit their stride with this album, so it’ll be interesting to see where they go next.
Recommended tracks: Untouchable (parts 1 + 2); Lightning Song; The Beginning and the EndI know many would place WHBWH higher than Weather Systems, and indeed it is another wonderful album, it just doesn’t quite get to me emotionally the way WS does. Still fantastic though. And Judgement is a much older album, but is top-notch and really was when some of the beautiful spiritual side was starting to shine through in some of their music.
Recommended tracks: Dreaming Light; A Simple Mistake; One Last Goodbye