2. The 1975 - The 1975
The 1975's self titled debut album has been everywhere this year thanks to its radio-friendly, unit-shifting appeal. Frontman Matthew Healy may possess a Marmite voice but in a world where we're constantly striving to find 'individuality' on reality TV it's about time we celebrated one of the most genuinely distinctive voices to emerge this year. The record was produced by Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Foals, The Kooks) and was five years in the making, formed through several incarnations of the band including BigSleep and TalkHouse, but after settling on The 1975 they also settled on experimenting with styles. From their hit lead singles The City and Chocolate which are now synonymous with the Manchester band, you simply couldn't escape their cheery anthems this year. Sex is another mega tune that reeks of stadium crowds singing at the top of their lungs "She's got a boyfriend anyway!". Heart Out is a smorgasbord of 80's coolly electronic synth patterns that could easily feature on a cult eighties movie soundtrack "Why don't you figure my heart out?" asks the hefty chorus we could imagine accompanying a Molly Ringwald kiss scene. And those aren't the only nostalgic references as Girls and Settle Down also embody Prince and Michael Jackson influences circa 1986, along with the band's signature upbeat style. Healy has stated that every track on this album could be a potential single and he wasn't just being cocky, as the record boasts many styles and influences. Hard at the alter of bands they'll no doubt be forever compared to, they've done a better job than many of their contemporaries at establishing their own sound.