The Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2026...so far

 

As the Doomsday Clock races, time speeds up, as 2026 is at its midpoint. With the impending end of times comes the need to get high, and these bands are making substantial soundtracks for that. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they will need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. For the mid-year report card list, I'm combining shoegaze with its close cousin, indie rock.  They are all more surreal than post-punk, not punk, and left of center when it comes to rock n roll.  I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 indie-rock / shoegaze albums of 2026 so far. 

10-Voxtrot- "Dreamer's In Exile" 

The brand of indie pop this band deals in is more organic than, say, the 1975. Lead singer Ramesh's vocals anchor this in a more conventional pop vibe. He is emotive but plays it safe. Devoid of any punk tension, they jangle peacfully along and write some catchy songs in the process. As far as indie pop goes, they are doing the best so far. It's better than the new Modest Mouse. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/voxtrot-dreamers-in-exile.html

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9-Nothing -  "a short history of decay" 

Nothing's 5th album is a more organic excursion, with strummed acoustic guitar and vocals stepping out from behind the indifferent haze of effects. This is not to say Domenic has shed the idea of being a shoe-gaze, in fact, after some experimentation, the album begins to align itself even clsoer with conventional shoe-gaze losing some of the grungey edge.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/02/nothing-short-history-of-decay.html

 

8-Basement-"Wired"

The band's new album brings a late 90s sound that blends indie rock, pop-tinged hooks, and some post-hardcore grit; the vocals add needed grit to belt it out. I like that you can still hear the punk that is in the DNA of this kind of music that originally merged in the 90s. It takes you back to a time when songwriting mattered, as things evolved from the grunge explosion and began to form their own identity. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/basement-wired.html

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7- Xiu Xiu "Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1"

Cover albums can be hit or miss unless the band doing them is adventurous, as Xiu Xiu. They find the perfect balance of being true to who they are and honoring the song even amid the filter of weirdness they subject the song to; it captures the mood needed while staying true to who they are. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/xiu-xiu-xiu-mutha-fuckin-xiu-vol1.html

6-Bad Stuff- "s/t"

Former members of True Widow are some of the founding members of this project, so it obviously has to be worth a listen. 'm sure someone will try to throw some kind of doom tag on this because it is slow and melancholy, something like "doom noir,"  but I am not hearing the sense of loss, and the darkness is there, but in light mysterious ocean-side haze. They create a unique mood with familiar sounds, and they captured what they intended here in a very endearing manner.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/bad-stuff-st.html

 

5-Iceage-" For the Love Of Grace & the Hereafter"

The Danish punks are back to rock n roll after 5 years. Elias's voice is not as sullen, and the more Rolling Stones direction they were heading in is more subtle on some songs than others, with a rowdy jangle possessing some songs. With some pretty great songs on this album amid this more upbeat 90s indie rock vibe, I prefer them a little more downtrodden, but their talent still shines through.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/iceage-for-love-of-grace-hereafter.html

4-AA Williams - "Solstice"

Right from the start of this album, she makes it clear that she is not just another haunted folk crooner by locking into solid grooves and building the depressive vibes up into shimmering post-rock grandeur. At times, her voice has to carry the more minimal droning sections, which she builds back into dynamic crashes, making this an album full of twists and turns.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/aa-williams-solstice.html

 

3-Soft cult-"When a Flower Doesn't Grow"

This band took the number three spot in the top 10 Shoegaze albums of 2024. Their new full-length is even more polished, and songwriting is on point. Here they continue to prove themselves to be very consistent, and the full-length show off more musical range as a band. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/softcult-when-flower-doesnt-grow.html

 

2-Tori Amos-"In Times of Dragons"

This is a concept album in which Tori uses allegory to convey a political message. Nothing new for her, but it's done in an even more deliberate fashion. For a double album, she manages to be very consistent when it comes to songwriting, leaving little filler, so the sound of Tori aging gracefully and not fading away.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/tori-amos-in-times-of-dragons.html

1-Morrissey-"Make Up Is a Lie"

There is a reason Morrissey has a fanatical cult following outside of the Smiths. He is one of my favorite singers, even as his croon has aged. It's been six years since "I am Not a Dog on a Chain." E Moz is almost 67 rather than the 58 years he was when he recorded his last album. He keeps things at more of a reserved croon, which is pushed up further in the mix than the 2017 album, which sounded more like he does live. Overall, this album holds up his legacy in the manner expected.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/morrissey-make-up-is-lie.html

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Nothing : "a short history of decay"

 

Nothing's 5th album is a more organic excursion, with strummed acoustic guitar and vocals stepping out from behind the indifferent haze of effects. This is not so say Domenic has shed the idea of being a shoe-gaze, in fact he more closely aligns himself with that sound on the second song and lead single 'Cannibal World' that finds a break beat drum samplele moving things in a manner much different from what you expectg from shoe -gaze while still bathing you inthe woozy swirl of My Bloody Valentine influenced guitars. Even then, you learn to get too comfortable with what you assume this band to be. 

Guitarist Doyle Martin is the only member to carry over from the "Great Dismal" sessions. The title track finds the more programmed drum beat leading the way into the song again, until they kick through the haze. It's only three songs in, but I am not hearing the more fuzzed-out guitar punch that once gave a nod in the direction of grunge. The vocals sit further back on the title track, which shifts through a slow-burning dynamic that adds intensity with each progressive step in the arrangement. The vocals are more thoughtful than your average shoe-gaze band, even when sitting back in the guitars. 

Things drop back down to a more delicate strum for "The Rain don't care."  There is a great, lonely reverb haunting the guitar tone of this song, which makes it sound more like something Chris Isaak might do, until the breathy plea of the vocals comes in to create more of a Smashing Pumpkins feel. It's dreamy, but the vocal arrangement is not as hooky, leaving the guitar to do most of the heavy lifting. Overall, the vocals have expanded the range of color they use on this album. 

The acoustic guitar opening "Purple Strings" feels more like early Radiohead. It's fragile like their 90s era ballads. When the drums come in it even feels like it is building like "Creep". But unlike Radiohead, here they are not kicking in with grungy guitar and busting out power chords; they are just floating further down the dreamy trail. There is also more of a 90s feel to "Toothless coal," which does bring the power chords with it. It might be the album's best song as the melody works really well and is subtle. Sure, the band has it harder before, but this is a great compromise. 

There is a more David Lynch feel to "Baller of the Traitor". It's like the nuance in the guitar riff that keeps the song floating in its introspection. The breathy vocals are another layer of sound. I appreciate how they weave around the guitar. The interplay of drums and guitar is more defined on "Nerve scale." This leads to the vocals fading more from the spotlight to a ghostly croon. The album closes with the hesitant strum of 'Essential Tremors.' it touches on the crossroads where early emo intersected with the atmosphere of shoe-gaze, before building into a more Hum-like rock climax.They had moved away from your typical shoe-gaze sound on the last couple of albums so taking a step back into this introspective atmosphere is an odd choice, but it works from a songwriting perspective, so I will give this one a 9.5, and see how it grows on me.Coming out on Run For Cover Records 

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Full of Hell & Nothing : "When No Birds Sing"

 

The first song in this collaborative effort between Full of Hell and Nothing, finds Full of Hell the overpowering force, that leans the song in their favor. Screamed vocals gnash their teeth as the jagged riffs slice at your ears. In the last couple of minutes the song drones off into samples., strummed guitar and kind of ambient experimentation you could see Nothing getting into. "Like Stars in the Firmament" leans as vigorously in the other direction. If you know what Nothing does, then it's on the more dream-like shoegazing and less of the grungey 90s-flavored alt-rock that colored their most recent output. This song is a fair introduction to the band, but drifts and never really explores the full range of what they do, but we are only on the second song so it's too soon to tell. 

"Forever Well" is comprised of an atmosphere so intangible, that it is barely a shimmer in the waves of sound, until the drums come in.  That is not until the halfway point, but when the dynamic shifts Full of Hell does what they do. This is the first song where it felt like the two bands were blending what they do with one another. We get both the airy shoe gaze singing, and the throat wrenching screams toward the end of the song. I waited to cast dispersion on "Wild Blue" since the previous song took its time before the dynamic shift got to the point. There are only six songs on this album, so everyone should count, and that track feels like a wasted opportunity.

The title track takes less time ebbing into motion. A choir of surreal vocal layers chimes in. It feels more like another instrument joining in rather than a verse being established. I can appreciate the experiment here, as it pays off. Full of Hell drummer Dave Bland , is behind the kit for the duration of the album, as Nothing's drummer is touring with his other band Night Sins. Bland brings an interesting energy to the title track, that counterbalances the pulse of the guitar. 

It is hard for expectations to not be high for the last song, as if they are going to make some magic like they did on "Forever Well" then it has got to happen here. It takes almost two minutes for things to darken before a metallic explosion. There are both screamed and sung vocals, and the atmosphere takes the place of where a distorted guitar might normally sit.  I will around this up to an 8.5, which means it's a cool album, that is better than most of the new shit you are going to hear today, my expectations were a little high, but there are moments where it comes together better than I hoped. 

nothing,nowhere. : "Void Eternal"

 

If you were going to create the perfect hybrid of music for millennials who were too young to really embrace the music of Myspace, but are still yearning for it's nostalgia as they seek to find a culture of their own , outside of Tik Tok, this project seems like it was dreamed up in a lab to meet those needs. His fifth album has a bigger production value to help him fully realize this sound. There is a nu-metal groove to the opening track that marries to a pop punk sense of melody that is run through a enough auto-tune to pull it all together. If Blink 182 hit harder and had a Linkin Park fetish the results would be similar. The second song finds him getting help from Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos. The pop punk hooks are heavier than any of the metal post-nasal drip coating the back of the song. For pop textured music, it is effective with the hooks.  The pastel and neon color schemes of millennials is sonically captured here, even the heavier metal core break down lacks the balls of a Goatwhore or even Cannibal Corpse. The difference in actually being metal and trying to get the sound of metal. 

Sass-core band SeeYouSpaceCowboy, joins him for the more hip hop tinged "Psycho Psychiatry" . Joseph has been public with his mental illness so the lyrics touch on this. Though it is more about being a victim than taking responsibility and self regulating. There is more of a Deftones like sound to "Chromakill3r", who would be the main purveyors of nu-metal power ballads to take influence from. There is more honesty in this song, as I do not think trying to be metal core is really who he is. I do think he is an aggressive person. His rapping is decent but brings more Linkin Park comparisons. "Suicide Pact' continues on this emo/ rap path with break downs included . The cohesion of songwriting is a surprising challenge for someone so into pop adjacent music.  

"Thirst4violence" features Canadian Rapper Freddie Dredd and the band Siliverstein. It hard to take a skinny little kid seriously when they rap about violence . It's a feeling of posturing similar to that when you hear a metal band growling about the occult , and it's all just for show. Pete Wentz helps him out with "Cyan1de" which is a better investment of talent. This feels more authentic than the pretend tough guy act. "Er4ser" is like the Blink 182 of Hip-hop. It is not the album's worst moment , though the chorus does not connect. Then it's back to more of a Linkin Park feel with "Fortune Teller". Buddy Nielsen from Senses Fail joins him on "M1sery Syndrome". It feels like generic emo rock. The hook of the vocals might feel more impressive if it did not feel so cut & paste . 

"Venom" finds him teaming up with Underoath, but the results do not have much of a marked difference from the other songs on this album. Some are just more rapped than others. There is more nuance to the production, but knowing this guy is straight edge , makes his references to drugs seem very vacant. "Memory Fracture" closes the album with more atmosphere which feels like vibe truer to who he is. This album is very scattered and the song writing not that focused despite being consistent in the over all vision. It's very well produced pop chaos that want to be from the Myspace era. I will give it an 8 for the effective moods it does capture, in many ways he set out to make the album he wanted to , what he wanted to make is just not who he is. Faking it till he makes it works sometimes though. 

The Top 10 Shoe Gaze / Post Rock Albums OF 2020

I changed things up a bit this year and got rid of the indie rock list and made this shoe-gaze / post -rock list . In years past the indie rock list had turned into this any ways or those bands got lumped in with post punk. Post rock is about atmosphere , post rock is about tension , ya know like Joy Division.  Ok now that that is out of the way , much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes there more new bands on this list than most. 

 The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Shoe gaze and  Post-rock albums of 2020 

10-Mogwai - "Zero, Zero, Zero" 

This is more of an honorable mention. Granted they were not trying to write songs as they normally would due to the fact this was the score to a tv show.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/mogwai-zerozerozero.html

9- Midwife- " Forever" 

This album has a more minimalist indie rock garage vibe to the droning nature of what they are conjuring here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/midwife-forever.html

8-Ascension of the Watchers - " Apocrypha"

Burton C Bell takes another step away from metal with this project and out into a surreal blend of post rock and shoe gaze. I do not think he has anything against metal, it sounds like he is just smoking hella weed. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/ascension-of-watchers-apocrypha.html

 

7-O Brother- "You and I" 

More of a Radiohead direction than their harder rock edged records of the past. The yare still good song writers able to lure you in with the more subdued direction. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/obrother-you-and-i.html

6- Close the Hatch- " Modern Witchcraft" 

Many of the bands on this list have a heavy side. You did not think I was going to sing the praises of some castrated bull shit did you ? This one lumbers in a way that borders on being sludge. But the crunch is outweighed by the surreal .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/close-hatch-modern-witchcraft.html

5- Spotlights - 'We are All Atomic" 

A different shade of dark. Which considering where you are reading this it is almost redundant as almost every album I review has a dark side. Happy music does nothing for me. This albums lingers in the narcotic shadows it hypnotizes you with. They also have a heavy side. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/spotlights-we-are-all-atomic.html

4-   Bound- " Haunts" 

Like a darker more progressive version of Alcest. This album sweeps you away with it's dream like atmosphere, but still has some balls to it.  In many ways the fey nature of what they do now occupies a place Sigur Rios once held for me before they started doing symphonies. .

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/bound-haunts.html

3-Nothing - "the Great Dismal"

This band has been good at evolving from album to album. They are great at capturing their sound but not being defined by it in a way that hinders the dynamic scope of what they do.  Their song writing which pulls from familiar influences continues to captive. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/nothing-great-dismal.html

2- Hum - " Inlet"

Their unexpected return was everything I could have asked from them. They remember to not just ponder why there shoes are untied and also wrote fucking killer songs . The guitar tones on this album rule really hard. Nothing has nothing to be ashamed of by being beating out for the number two spot these guys as I am sure they also agree. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/hum-inlet.html

1-Iress- "Flaw" 

This late entry can in and swept it out from under Hum. Hum made a great album and it would have taken the number one spot if not for me finally hearing this album. It had been on my list of things to check out but everything I went to Bandcamp, there was never anything up, so I forgot then rediscovered it. Dark beautiful and hypnotic, the emotion invested into the vocals is really what beat out Hum. This album is catchier/ 

Abysmal Hymns: Iress : "Flaw"

Nothing : " the Great Dismal"

 The first song is the kind of atmospheric wandering you might expect from your average shoe gaze band. Nothing is 4 albums in now and have proven they are not your average shoe gaze band so " Say Less" meets my expectations. This is the second time I have heard this song and it connects with me more here. "April Haha" has the woozy My Bloody Valentine and the breathy vocals , but also a great deal of driving groove. The drums sound great on this album. The production so far is dialed in. The is more of an indie rock jangle to "Catch a Fade".  The vocals have purpose and are not an after thought. Eventually the song gain fuzzed out heft while mainintaing the more light hearted mood. 

"Famine Asylum " coasts in a pleasing manner , but feels a little more like filler than the previous couple of songs. I am givng this one the first listen with head phones rather than just the lap top speakers like I normally do , and it's a good choice as I suspect this bass is thumping more. But not as much as it thumps going into "Bernie Sanders" . It is hard to say which way their thought are leaning towards Bernie Sanders, But I am fine without knowing either way. When it comes to Bernie at this point he is a done deal so I really doesn't matter. "In Blueberry Memories" is not as compelling as the Bernie tune. They do punch their accents harder than what you expect from a shoegazey band. 

"Blue Mecca" is even breezier than the first song. It is on a narcotic cloud. The drums help ground it a little. There are some great guitar tones on it though. They wait untildig out their grungier side until "Just a Story". I like where this song goes sonically. "Ask the Rust " has some of this grunge sound but not as much as the previous song. Overall this album has some really strong song, this album is not as adventurous as their last , but steps back into more of the shoe gaze thing, but that is not getting a complaint from me I will give this album a 9.5 

the Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. I broke up what was the punk / harcore list and made them two seperate lists. What was the deciding factor here was what album had the  best songs that are  worth listening to again and again.  Maybe these are not the hippest albums of the decade when it comes to this genre, but what matters more is the fact these are the albums I listened to the most when it came to this sort of thing. ; Any ways here are the Top 10 Indie Rock  albums of the decade.




10- Whirr- "Sway" 2014 









9-No Joy - "More Faithful" 2015












8-Slothrust - "the Pact " 2018 












7-Ride - the Weather Diaries" 2017













6-Pianos Become Teeth -"Wait For Love" 2018 













5-Nothing - Guilty of Everything- "2014" 












4- the Drums -'s/t"  2010














3- the Twilight Sad- "Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants Leave" - 2014 













2 - The National - "Trouble Will Find Me"- 2013













1- Morrissey - "World Peace is None of Your Business"- 2014




 

Nothing : "Dance on the Blacktop"

I found "Tired of Tomorrow" to be too happy and was underwhelmed. While this album might not be full return to the grunge tinged "Guilty of Everything" it does make shoe-gaze great again with more balls behind it than the previous album. Opening with the strong dreamy fuzz of "Zero Day" . This mood is maintained with "Blue Line Baby" that keeps the surreal step back into the 90s going . There are authentic guitar tones and the songs builds into a hooky melody at the end. The new element being introduced on this album is the kind of vintage slacker rock that bands like Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh used to crank out. This first surfaces on "You Wind Me Up". Having listened to a great deal of this back in the day it feels pretty spot on and is a good song on it's own two feet not totally dependent on the nostalgia.

I think I had to listen to "Plastic Migraine" four times before I plugged in and connected to the song. Some of this is due to the highly floating atmosphere the song is thick with. Upon a more focused listen the vocal melody was found hiding behind the guitar. Granted as I write this I am listening to it with only one ear bud in my right ear , but it seems to be capturing everything enough for me to get the point and last night I listened to this with both working for the stereo effect. "Us / We / Are " feels more like earlier Radiohead. The vocals have really improved on this album. The sense of dynamics is also more polished and proves they can play are more conventional radio rock if they want and are not hiding behind all the effects.

"Hail on Palace Pier" has a more fragile atmosphere as it is stripped down to vocals, bass and drums. This gives it a more post-punk feel. Not surprising since some of these guys are also in Death of Lovers. This song is the closest these two projects have come to having a middle ground. It does build into a more guitar driven style of alternative rock. There more grungey side is indulged on "I Hate the Flowers". While it is not pure Nirvana worship it is easy to hear these influences. "the Carpenters Son" embarks on a more delicate drift into the clouds. Compared to the more compact punch of what they have done earlier in the album this might be pleasant but not as compelling. There bass player is so good until any song where he is not at the center is not among their best work, but for what this is it works. "Hope is Just Another Word With a Hole in It" is a balance of rock drive and ambiance from the surreal guitar tones. It kinda of floats around without solidly hooking me into, but is still pretty decent and spot on for what they do . I'll give this album a 9.5 as it is a pretty solid return for them and was highly enjoyed even if it floats away at the end.

Death of Lovers : "the Acrobat"

Their first album was darker falling somewhere between death rock and shoe-gaze. Their sophomore release finds the band now  growing up through the 80s into new wave. You can here touches of Flock of Seagulls on the opener, then on the second the synths take over. It bouncy and upbeat, detached but happy. The vocals show signs of improvement as the melodies slide smoother over the arrangements and they are singing out rather than allowing the vocals to lose themselves in the murky mix. "Ursula" is more Gary Numan like in it's dance floor pulse. I like how the vocals were produced on this album and they also got some pretty crisp clear guitar tones that let the melodies ring out. The drums could stand to come up some though.

Some of the old familiar sounds like the Cure inflected guitar tone returns on "the Lowly People", though it's largely a more electronic affair with the vocals staying in the calm Gary Numan range. Things go in a more New Order direction with "Perfect Direction". Vocally it owes more to their shoe gazing other band.  There is a more organic feel to "Quai d' Orsay" that falls somewhere in between The Church and the Cure. The chorus has a more understated melody either of those bands typically employs. The vocals also more detached in their plaintive plea. The guitar solo in this song is pretty cool. They make a slight retreat back to the shadows with the bass line of "Divine Song" that is a return to their darker past sound, though more reflective than brooding.

The sax solo tagged onto "the Absolute" is a nice touch and helps break things up, for some reasons this song makes me think of that band Vhs or Beta. I'll round this down to a 9 since it's not as dark as the first album. I might round it back up you never know how an album is going to grow on you and it might just need a few more listens. Obviously to as high as it did it's not shabby and I plan on giving it the chance to ride for a few weeks and my iPod which is one of the biggest compliments I can give an album since those gb's are landscape in high demand.

nothing,nowhere : "Who are You?"

This is some weird emo-rap. Yes, you read that right. I have always been a sucker for those Punk Goes Pop compilations, so this falls along those lines, but with less of the Myspace attitude and something more honest to it. Not much to tell about these guys as they give away their albums on Bandcamp and leave little clue as to who they are. This is the right kind of anonymity as it keeps them from being to ego pop focused and lets the music do the talking. The self deprecating side of the lyrics is one of the things that really helps to sell me on this. "Gutter" is more along the lines of Atmosphere, with the rap side of what this project does at the fore front. While the white boy rapping  is better than most who attempt this, when they try to go a little harder lyrically it loses the honesty factor that they have going for them, still it's not too bad for what it is . The guitar to "Everything" has a dreamy quality to it that reminds me of earlier Modest Mouse. The vocals have more of an auto tuned pop feel. The lo-fi production is what separates this from Justin Bieber along with the fact there might be a guest producer on this Oilcolor, but not a whole team of producers and I never get the feeling these kids are trying to be something they are not.

There is a interlude that features samples from various movies before going into the last song "Fair Trade" that hovers over a guitar riff that reminds me of Metallica's "One". I'll round this one up to a 9, the bordering on more tough guy rap that crops up is a little too b-boy for me and they need to drop the 'tude and just do what they do best as there are some pretty awesome song on here if you like more chill melodic hip-hop inflected emotion. Not what I normally listen to, but it does appease a certain side of me.

Nothing : " Tired of Tomorrow"

It's important to listen to the band's second album in sequential context rather than on a shuffle for a few songs when you first hear it. Failing to do so will give you spoilers in regards to the changes in their sound you might not want. Though by not hearing the opener "Fever Queen" there is a little more truth in advertising in regards to what you are actually going to get. "Fever Queen" has more of a pound to it's drone than the bulk of these day dream lullabies are going to muster. "The Dead Are Dumb" is very well put together and unlike the opener, the vocals are sedate, but not as sugar smitten with out the extra layer of harmonies. The more grunge tinged sound eluded to on the first album returns on the first single they released earlier in the year, the more uptempo "Vertigo Flowers". The drummer is well showcased on this song. It almost sounds like a more care free version of Hum. The production is a little over the top in terms of how clean all the tones are. It does pay off to give them an almost Pink Floyd like tone in the solo like section of the previous here, but when it comes to getting heavier sonically, the lushness twinkling more than it sweeps you away.

 The first moment that really rocks and connects with me is "ACD". There is almost a emo feel to the vocal melody, not Sunny Day emo more like Appleseed Cast or Mineral's more post-rock moments, if they were coiled into a more solid grunge groove.The shift in slicker production does benefit the drum sound that opens "Nineteen Ninety Heaven". They come back with a more solid drive behind "Curse of the Sun". Though this puts them in the neighborhood of Sliversun Pickups and Smashing Pumpkins, with the turn around on one riff almost sounding like Collective Soul.This album is without a doubt more accessible then "Guilty Of Everything". Some of the more shoe gazey and experimental guitar tones surface on this song, so it's a well balanced compromise. I remember when "Eaten By Worms" came out weeks ago, but wanted to hear the album as a whole so didn't check it out and I normally avoid pre-release singles. I want to hear the album or ironically nothing. This one is straight ahead alternative rock, that sounds like if Elliot Smith was covering "Creep" with the Catherine Wheel. They do add some noise around the edges when the song builds up to give it more sonic punch.
 It's time to dive back into to clouds of cotton candy on "Everyone is Happy" even super sweet textures here are more easily digested after a couple of listens. There is an increased presence of piano.This gives it a more post-rock pop texture. The guitars are perfectly recorded so that evens the score a great deal to make up for some of the changes.The winning drum sound once again leads the way into "Our Plague". There is a more pop sense to the song writing employed in this song but bathed in such stoned apathy that you almost don't notice. They step back onto the distortion in the final two minutes. The album's most questionable moment comes on the last song which is piano and vocals that are up close on the mic yet barely there, it reminds me of all the things I don't like about Smashing Pumpkins. It's the only song that won't make it cover onto the iPod, so I'll round this up to an 8.5, which puts it behind their first album. There is some growth in how they capture the sounds and this is a more subtle album. It might still grow on me over the course of the summer .

Camera Shy : "S/T"

If you seem him onstage you might think Bassist Nick Basset is on drugs, but there is no way he can be if he keeps this busy, not only does he play in Whirr, Nothing and the goth side project Death of Lovers , but he now has this indie rock band Camera Shy. It's not shoe-gaze , but there is a dreamy element to it, but it's focus it poppy indie rock. This album came out back in January, so I am surprised it did not garner enough buzz to be brought to my attention earlier. Acoustic guitars are more common than not. The female vocals are sometimes more hushed and breathy like a shoe band might use on songs like "Colors Radiate". Nick has a pretty dope Morrissey tattoo, so it's not mistake that the guitar strum has some Smiths to it. You see how much this project relies on Basset as it feels like his influence takes a back eat on "Glowing", which is just acoustic guitar and none of his bass playing to give it any depth. The Smiths' like guitar returns on the more upbeat"New Something" that finds her vocal melody taking a gleefully poppy turn, but think 90s alt like the Cranberries rather than Taylor Swift."Under Water Day" is a slower more acoustic based song , but it works better than the previous tab at a similar sounds, it's not as happy so maybe thats why I like it and her vocals border on Cocteau Twins like intervals, she is not trying to be Elizabeth Fraiser an stays in a youthful mid range. There is a slight 50s slant to the guitar on "Take Your Time" another upbeat more pop inflected song, with sappy lyrics.

T

They close the album with the very delicate " Seemingly Ill". The song is so fragile it seems a wind might blow it away. Dream pop might be an apt genre to say many portions of the album lean toward. You could say that of all his projects this one is the most mainstream, but even then this is much more thoughtful than anything gracing the radio. It fits well on the landscape of indie rock and I think they were very successful in creating what this album seeks to accomplish, breezy pop songs heavy on the atmosphere.I'll round it up to an eight and see how it grows on me, it was happier than expected and given his past work I went into it expecting something more down trodden in some form or fashion, it's not shoe-gaze so don't go in expecting that, but if you like girl fronted indie rock that is introspective yet poppy this should be up your alley.

The Top 15 Rock Albums of 2014

I hate it when people say in no particular order,  have some conviction do some thinking and say here it is this album was the best. So here we go, the Top 15 best Rock albums of 2014. If you want to hear them or read a full review click on the urls under each entry.

15-Interpol-El Pintor

Remember when these guys seemed dark? In some ways,despite it's hooks the album winks to their legacy, wandering in circles around it wondering where do they stand in a post- Cold Play world and do they want to be a part of it. Considering the post- rock revival these guys feel more like Radiohead than Joy Division now.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/interpol-el-pintor.html

14-  Thee Sliver Mt. Zion Orchestra-"Fuck off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything

This album has some good grooves and answers the question what would Godspeedyoublackemperor sound like with vocals.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/thee-silver-mt-zion-memorial-orchestra.html



13-House of Capricorn-Morning Star Rise

If you miss H.I.M. these guys fill that hole, but with half the calories from all the cheese and more balls,

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-house-of-capricorn-morning-star-rise.html

12- St. Vincent -s/t

She nails Bowie's Scary Monsters sound and gives it a does of dance inducing pop that still manages to rock.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/st-vincent-st.html


11-the Estranged-s/t

This Portland band had a more Exile on Mainstream take on post-punk, which landed this on the rock list rather than the goth/industrial list coming next week.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-estranged-st.html


10-Nothing- Guilty of Everything

This shoegazing gem really grew on me over the past year. They come across as slightly more grunge like live.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/03/nothing-guilty-of-everything.html

9-Pig Eyes-s/t

Jeez didn't realize how many people put out self titled albums til I made this list. The guitar player from In Solitude shows you his punk side.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/pig-eyes-st.html

8- Whirr-"Sway"

The other big band of the shoe gaze revival, this one barely edged out Nothing, but it did on originality alone.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/whirr-sway.html


7- Cult of Youth-"Final Days"

For these guys to have come in at 7 rather than the top five means the competition was rather stiff, this might not be their best album , but it is a great one.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/cult-of-youth-final-days.html

6- Esben & the Witch - "A New Nature"

Female fronted post- rock that  at times invokes both Forget Cassettes and Chelsea Wolfe . How can you argue with that?

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/esben-witch-new-nature.html

5-Swans - To Be Kind

My favorite band this side of the Smiths only made it to number 5. These are a series of live jams they translated to the studio, but even when Gira is just playing around he is still better than most.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/swans-to-be-kind.html

4- Ice Age -"Plowing into the Field of Love"

These guys have grown in leaps and bounds, so much so the rock swagger injected on this album now makes them much more qualified for this list than being called post-punk.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/iceage-plowing-fields-of-love.html

3- Morrissey- "World Peace is None of Your Business"

Stiff competition for sure if Moz didn't take home the number one spot, it came down to two albums that I listened to more and were a tad more focused.



2-Merchandise-"After the End"

They really edged out Moz by the sheer fact I listened to this album much more than "World Peace is ..." . These guys matured as songwriters, the melodies are very memorable, even if this album is oddly upbeat and almost sounds like 70's rock in places.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/07/merchandiseafter-end.html

1- Wovenhand -"Refractory Obdurate"

This album kept drawing me in for more. It's amazing in all most every way.  Edwards really out did himself . This might be his heaviest album yet.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/04/wovenhand-refractory-obdurate.html

Nothing @ the Mammal Gallery

If you ever go to the Mammal Gallery do not use GPS. It is hidden away on the outskirts of the GA State campus and the only reliable guides are crack heads and Marta police.The search would have been daunting expect for the fact I have missed Nothing in the past and was not taking no for answer this evening.

 The shop front entrance was deceptive and if not for the gaggle of punk rock hipsters gathered out side it would have blended in with the surrounding area. Inside the venue was a lot bigger than expected, about the size of say the Masquerade.The heat vicious and the turnout which was way more than expected only added to this. I did not know headliners Ceremony, another band I seem to miss every time they swing through was that popular. Iron Lung was the first band we caught. They are a sludgey taken on grind core. The snare was rather flat, but the drummer spent half of his time handling the shouted punk like vocals and the guitarist took to the more growled vocals.They did blend a mix of varied influences, despite the boomy loudness of their set.. Some of the riffs earned a head nod a most.

 We moved up closer for Nothing's set. They took the stage with Bright Eye's "Devil Town" , playing over the p.a as their fanfare.The first thing that stood out about there set and maybe it was do to being on tour with Ceremony, but these guys launched into their set with an energy more reserved for punk bands than shoe-gaze.The band's punk roots might be hinted at on their new album "Guilty of Everything", live they are paraded on full display. So a song like "Bent Nail" came across much more pounding. Thus answering the question I went in with... How is what they do going to translate to this crowd.

Their bassist held the most frantic energy live. He seemed to throw himself into every note.Not to mention I honed right in on the Morrissey tattoo he sported on his forearm, of course making him one of my favorite members of the band. He actually stood center stage while the two guitarists flanked him on either side.This also allowed me to hear which guitarist sang what part on the albums . Dominic Palermo handled the lower more monotone Hum like vocals, while Brandon Setta, took the higher airy more androgynous ones. The vocals were largely buried in the mix though being up close to the stage we more than likely caught the monitor mix so we caught more of Brandon's vocals.

Drummer Kyle Kimball clearly comes from more of a hardcore background the way he held his sticks as if prepared to bust into a break down. He made the most of the four piece set and kept the intensity level higher than the recorded work. Dominic midway through the set apologized with a slurred speech the fact he had way too much to drink, admitting they had come across some Moonshine, which Brandon confirmed was real deal moonshine. It might have made Dominic's vocals come across more mumbled, but didn't seem to after his playing otherwise and truth be told Shoegaze certainly lends its self to conveying an altered state of some sort. The bulk of the set was from their new album and the way in which the band took these songs to the stage continues to challenge and redefine what shoe gaze can be and doesn't limited itself to the 90's. Speaking of the 90's some of their more rambunctious moments gave the songs more of a Mudhoney like grunge feel.

We enjoyed the show, my ears rang the next day, but my girl friend who wore ear plugs was not bothered. The venue's heat did prompt us to leave before Ceremony took the stage as going home and catching up on True Blood after our week long tv cleanse, had more appeal than sweating it out. I hope to catch the west coast punks eventually in a venue with better ventilation or during the winter, my Norse blood just isn't cut out to swelter.    

Nothing : "Guilty of Everything"

The Shoe gaze movement is poised to be the next big thing in indie rock . If you were going to pick a band to bet on to break the biggest waves, the money would be on the  Philly band Nothing. Blending a  dreamy natures with 90's rock sensibility. They are by no means metal , but are still band heavier than Alcest's most recent outing. The vocals  retain their smooth whisper even when the guitar tenses up around them.

Songs like "Bent Nail", carry the propulsion of  rock while floating  away with you. "Guilty of Everything"  earns repeat listens  as these songs breeze right by you. The juxtaposition  more pronounced on the shift in  " Endlessly" . While "Get Well" runs into more rock territory not unlike Sliversun Pick Ups or Smashing Pumpkins. They don't care about radio friendly production as their guitars take on a more indie rock fuzz to them.

The only draw back a few of these song's has is the way the breeze by sometimes doesn't even register , if you haven't had your first cup of coffee and it fades into background music. There are some really great guitar sounds on here like how "Somersault" almost nails the Cocteau Twins heavenly tone. I do think when they allow their guitars to revert to the more indie punk jangle after hearing them able to conjure the clouds down that it's dumbing it down.

"B&E"  is not black metal, but  builds a crescendo into the albums heaviest moment, a blistering tremolo picked section,   closer to black metal than Russian Circles attempt to head in that direction on their last album. The title track closes out the album, with a distorted guitar ringing against the deliberate pound of the drums. This song works off a similar ebb and flow the album seems to work best on, its a formula the band doesn't deviate from , but they approach with a different twist on each song.

They recreate the best of the early 90's on "Beat Around the Bush".They languish on the riffs letting them drone by like water flowing under a sheet of ice.They chant of " god and man our souls are spent" rings out in an eerily. They tend to shimmer even more than Hum, though that would be the band their guitar tone most closely resembles when the distortion pedals are stomped upon. Overall I'll give this album delivers what it needs to and secures there place at the top of the shoe gaze heap.I'll give it a 9 as it's dips into garage punk are the only parts that keep it from perfection.