46. Touché Amoré - "Spiral in a Straight Line"

Wow. This is one of several albums this year that just blew me away on first listen. Their forthright strident style, laced with great strands of melody reminds me of early REM and my utterly beloved Fugazi. Jeremy Bolan’s caustic vocal style juxtaposes well with the downbeat and subtle music accompanying it. It is melodically moody, heavy in places but also restrained and slight. It has connotations of punk but in many places happily strays into the territory of Americana.

As I’m sure is becoming evident I love records that exhibit raw passionate emotion. This is an album that is absolutely shot through with regret. The tales being told are heartfelt and haunting. It may outwardly be rather musically accessible, but it never lets the listener become comfortable.  As another critic has prescribed, this is “arena hardcore”, big songs laced with an ingrained emotional literacy.