25 Best Albums Of 2013

15. Haim - Days Are Gone Influenced by Blondie, TLC and The Pretenders, the debut gives us a hefty portion of smutty indie jingle-jangle grrrrrl rock to feast on. LA troika Haim's throwback record combines 80's synth pop and 70's soft rock together with 90's R n'B, and created a buzz in the industry after the group were signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation label - think Stevie Nicks, Chrissy Hynd and En Vogue in a swirling cocktail of soundscapes. Songs like Falling embody funk-inspired guitar patterns while Danielle's empowering vocal line "never look back, never give up" effortlessly soar above, while Forever is a song that hits you first in the face with a loud kick-drum along with Este's funk-injected tight bassline that makes for an infectious listen. Title track Days Are Gone has a disco feel with Este taking lead vocals against stretched-sheer synths and languid disco beats. Don't Save Me wouldn't sound out of place on Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album and a total curveball is My Song 5 which moves in direction to an ear-bleedingly loud burst of cacophonous bedlam, coexisting with self indulgent tender harmonies. The band have said that being a family means they've been writing together since before they could legally drink in the LA bars so some of the tracks on the album are very old whilst their epic travelling schedules have influenced many new songs, like If I Could Change Your Mind and Go Through which incorporate dirty pop against rhythmic guitar elements along with interesting vocal inflections and glottal stops from Danielle. Born hipsters and now teetering on the edge of becoming global pop stars, adjectives that spring to mind when listening to Haim are sharp, carefree and colourful. Words by Rosie Marsh

14. Disclosure - Settle

Volunteering ones iPod at a house-party can be a risky move. Your taste in music is scrutinised, your every song choice maliciously dissected and your social status is quite frankly on the line. But in May of this year, Guy and Howard Lawrence, aka Disclosure, brought an end to this teenage tyranny with their debut album 'Settle'. Laden with the singles 'Latch' and 'White Noise', the boys proved themselves as reigning supreme in the UK house and garage scene, collaborating with the likes of Sam Smith, AlunaGeorge and London Grammar. The album can instigate a little bump n' grind easier than R. Kelly ever could, with the suave chorus of 'Latch' no doubt the cause to many a teenage pregnancy! There's plenty of variety on the album, spanning every crevice of the house genre, appealing to the lovebirds on the stairs, the hedonists slamming shots in the kitchen or the morose drunks in the hallway. 'Grab Her', 'You And Me' and even the minimalistic 'Stimulation' all have you pulsating around the speakers in the kitchen, raising the temperature higher than the oven your mate has accidentally switched on whilst on his way to the fridge. The album finishes with 'Help Me Lose My Mind', a collaboration with trip hop trio London Grammar. The track is the closest to perfection the boys come on the album, with the ethereal vocals of London Grammar complementing the smooth synths of the Lawrence brothers. It's the perfect track to set the mood with the lucky lad or lass you've bagged and magnificently winds down the atmosphere to what you hope has been an awesome night. The album is masterfully done and without doubt the best dance album to come from Britain this year. There, it's settled (ba dum dum tsss)! Words by Jordan Webb