December Hotel's favorite albums bring together familiar classics, independent releases and overlooked records that deserve a wider audience.
The selections span a broad musical landscape, connected by memorable songs, distinctive performances and the lasting impression they leave. Explore the reviews, revisit an old favorite or discover an artist whose music has yet to find its way into your collection.
Having become a huge fan of Future of Forestry over the previous three years, my expectations for Young Man Follow were high, to say the least. In my eyes and ears, they could really do no wrong. When I heard new music was coming, the excitement was barely containable, especially after the album's originally anticipated fall 2011 release was delayed.
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Before I write anything, you must understand how much I love Nada Surf's previous album, Let Go. I would certainly put it among my top 20 favorite albums of all time. When you have a situation like that, you cross your fingers that the next album can be nearly as good. I would go so far as to say The Weight Is a Gift is better, but in a different way.
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Well, what do you know? Hammock returns with another great release. This is music that completely surrounds the listener with sound. There is a wonderfully uncomplicated feel to it, even though the arrangements are quite complex. Plenty of bands could benefit from learning that trick. Listening to Hammock is an experience I never regret.
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Mockingbird offers a challenging companion for the Christian navigating the modern landscape. A consistent effort, it examines personal and societal obligations through the lens of love. Surprisingly engaging, it contains a number of songs worth taking to heart.
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The best compliment I can give this work of art is that it means more with each listen. It keeps finding its way back to my player, only to be rediscovered. How can an album heard so often still feel like a discovery? The answer lies in the complexity of its songs, their placement on the record, and the moods the music takes the listener through.
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It is not often that I stumble across a collection of songs that leaves me breathless. With On the Verge of Collapsing, it has happened again. Listening to it, I imagine myself sitting on the front porch of my family's cabin in the mountains, sipping hot chocolate while a fire crackles in the front yard.
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When Stone Temple Pilots broke through with Core, their association with the grunge scene earned them plenty of criticism. Looking past those comparisons revealed a band with a sharp understanding of hard rock and melody. Purple gives those strengths room to develop, making it an album that continues to reward a fresh listen.
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The Autumns' debut is an entrancing set of dream-pop, drawing on swelling feedback and ethereal harmonies. The group's sound sometimes takes precedence over its songwriting, but it is hard not to get swept up in the cascading atmosphere. This is a great album. Sometimes that is all that needs to be said.
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Ghosts introduced many listeners to Sleeping at Last through the band's first major-label release on Interscope. Coming out of the Chicago music scene with a strong local following, the group offered songs that deserved to reach a much wider audience. This remains an inviting entry into their music.
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