Album of the Year 2016 – Number 12

Welcome to day 19 of my ‘Album of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. Anyone else getting excited as I near the top 10? I hope so, otherwise all this effort has been for nothing!

Anyway, no long introduction today as I’m eager to bring you my choice at number 12. Just a reminder to check out the other posts in this series via links at the bottom of this page. In addition you’ll find links to my previous countdowns too, from 2012-2015 inclusive. I hope you enjoy reading them.

But now, on to number 12 for 2016…

Number 12

Long Distance Calling
Trips
Superball Music

“…with Long Distance Calling…all this hyperbole and fancy rhetoric is absolutely, unequivocally true and deserved. I have lived with ‘Trips’ for a good few weeks now and, despite being instantly likeable, it has blossomed into one hell of an album that I enjoy even more now than I did at the beginning. What’s more, the German band have genuinely made an album that’s almost impossible to define accurately. Genre defying? I’d say so and all power to them for it, I reckon.

The overall result with ‘Trips’ is an album which is bold, concise and thoroughly compelling. It remains vaguely post-rock at its core but as I said before, Long Distance Calling offer listeners much more than that alone. The textures, the tones, the sounds that they create are fascinating and are thoroughly unique to this talented group of musicians.

‘Trips’ by Long Distance Calling is easily one of the best albums I have had the pleasure of hearing in 2016. Genres be damned, it is the music that counts and the feelings it invokes. On that score, ‘Trips’ is a resounding success, a masterpiece and easily the best of their career to date.”

Read the full review here

I wrote the review for this record back in April and I stand by my lofty observations and quotes above. I haven’t listened to ‘Trips’ for a month or two given the amount of music that has bombarded me this year but even after a little hiatus, I have returned to it and am still blown away by it. In such a strong year for music, this is testament to the quality of ‘Trips’ and the Long Distance Calling lads.

This album is a multi-faceted, genre-defying thrill-ride from start to finish. From the more up-tempo and punchy tracks right through to the more sombre, atmospheric pieces, it is a record that takes listeners on a journey of emotion and enjoyment where you never quite know what you’ll be faced with next.

Long Distance Calling might have deep roots within the progressive and post-rock subgenres, but like the branches of a giant oak tree, the additional influences and ideas spread far and wide, from 80s synth pop to groovy metal and from ambient to psychedelic. The addition of more vocals means that the once instrumental outfit now have a further important and welcome string to their collective bow.

I urge you all to check out Long Distance Calling at once.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13KVmcUp9r0&w=560&h=315]

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 12

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