Best Albums of 2014

Here it is.
Yet again, I'm posting my ~*opinions*~ on the internet, and it's terrifying. Should I put a disclaimer right up front? Sure. I just want to make sure everyone understands that something I might consider "good", isn't necessarily what you might think is good. WOW. What a concept. People like different things.
With that being said, I'm going to string together a top 10 of 2014. I did this last year and frankly, that list is better. For some reason I'm feeling that the music this year is very blah and I'm not sure why. I feel like everything in 2014 was either very artistic, and conceptual, or on the opposite end of the spectrum and very pop and radio-play driven. It's all great music, I just feel different about things this year. We'll see what you guys think.

Top 10 Albums of 2014

10. Iggy Azalea - The New Classic

I could literally hear 80% of you clicking out of this blog post as soon as you read this choice - LET ME EXPLAIN. I honestly don't understand the hatred that is being aimed at Iggy Azalea lately. Yes, I've listened to everyone's ~*opinions*~ (there's that word again) and I can see the validity I suppose but to me, she's just doing her thing. If we are going to condemn every artist for taking influence from another music style then we should just push everyone and their dog off a bridge. I think she's talented, yes, she's drawn from other people and styles, but she has worked hard for a really long time (she's been around for a while y'all) and I love her album. She genuinely is a really good rapper, it's full of fun and interesting songs and the variety is really great.
Favorite Track: New Bitch

9. Jessie Ware - Tough Love

I've been a fan of Jessie Ware for a really long time so I was excited to hear she was coming out with a new album after 2012's Devotion.  She's a wonderful vocalist with a soft and expressive sound and this album really showcases her range. It's a great mix of ballads, electronic, r&b, something else and something else. I honestly don't know. I think we've established I'm not the best at describing music (good thing I have a music blog). It's sort of like Adele, but if Adele was floating through a cloud.
Favorite Track: Cruel

8. Passenger - Whispers

My love for Passenger knows no bounds. Before even discussing the great music on this album, we need to address the album design and art. It's gorgeous. This is one of the most beautiful albums I own, with the case resembling a children's book. It has a cute little pop-up scene and beautiful artwork throughout. Just a sidenote, but this is the kind of thing that is keeping physical music alive. If you're a fan of singer-songwriter-type music, this is sort of as good as it gets. The lyrics are amazing and each one of the songs tells a very vivid story. Truly a concept album.
Favorite Track: Scare Away the Dark

7. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

Annie Clark is owning everything with this album. She's amazing and her album is amazing and everything is amazing. She's the kind of musician that has it all and can do everything and anything and this album is so representative of that. The sound and melodies are very eclectic/pop/electronic but the concept is so much more complex. It's one of those art-type-albums I try to understand, really can't completely, but totally enjoy to regardless. Catchy, fun, and intelligent music.
Favorite Track: Digital Witness

6. Taylor Swift - 1989

Here it is. I don't even know what to say. It's a good pop album. A lot of the lyrics are dumb, but hey, it's still good. I don't know. I think that's it. If you want to listen to it, I'm sure you already have, and there's nothing I can say that's going to change anything. This is the end of this blurb.
Favorite Track: I Know Places

5. Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love

If you're in the mood for some gritty blues type whatever, this is it. I'm so happy with this album it's ridiculous. I've always liked Paolo Nutini but this is totally the album he was meant to do, you know? Yeah. It's jazzy, bluesy, gospel-y, all-of-that-y. It feels like everything that happened with this album was really well thought out and it just works. Listen to this, immediately.
Favorite Track: One Day

4. Hozier - Hozier

You really can't escape Hozier lately. Every time I turn on the radio, Take Me To Church is playing on multiple stations and I immediately turn it off. I can't have radio ruining good music (like it always does). Although Take Me To Church has been out for a while, his self-titled album came out in 2014 and it's a stunning album that doesn't disappoint. When an artist has one song that really gets buzz, the rest of their music tends to just pass by unnoticed but I refuse to let that happen with Hozier. His album is amazing through and through and I'm just obsessed with his sound. It's all really powerful vocal-driven music and...I can't even talk about how attractive he is. I'm going to stop.
Favorite Track: From Eden

3. Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso

(Hey look another self-titled album) I completely and totally love Sylvan Esso. Their whole "band" consists of two people, and despite that their sound is so complex and complete. It's such fun music and a lot of it makes you want to get up and dance, which is rare for me, because I don't dance. At all. I had the opportunity to see them live a couple months ago and damn. Blew me away. I had so much fun and I love to see bands that sound better live than they do on their album. It's all so great. I'm glad something like this came out this year because I just love hearing something totally and uniquely new.

Favorite Track: Dress

2. Ed Sheeran - X (Multiply)

I already wrote a whole blog post reviewing this album track-by-track (Link!) so I don't know how much I can add except that this album has withstood the test of time since I wrote it. Again, like with Hozier, I refuse to listen to Ed Sheeran on the radio because I know it will ruin it. He's getting so much hype and publicity and well-deserved recognition for this album and I'm just so happy. It's a wonderful album and has a huge variety of styles and sounds that so many people can enjoy. Nothing else to say. It's just damn good. Oh yeah, and get the Deluxe Edition because there's no reason not to.

Favorite Track: Runaway or The Man

1. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2

I'm not sure if I put these in an actual order but I'm probably going to say this is my favorite album of 2014. Run the Jewels are a hip hop duo from New York made up of El-P and Killer Mike and I've only recently heard about them. A friend of mine was listening to this album and I was instantly hooked. It's insanely good hip hop and is super catchy, energetic and smart. I'll be listening to this well into 2015. 

Favorite Track: Blockbuster Night Part 1

Honorable Mentions:

iamamiwhoami - BLUE

Nina Nesbitt - Peroxide

Beck - Morning Phase

FKA Twigs - LP1

The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 Soundtrack Compilation Thing