Wild Beasts - Present Tense (2014)
These guys manage to be so remarkably consistent despite evolving from album to album. It would be too early to determine whether this is their best work yet but it's right up there with their previous two albums Two Dancers and Smother. It has more electronic elements than their previous output and manages to be a very enjoyable listen.
Sun Kil Moon - Benji (2014)
First of all, this album really does deserve all the praise it's getting. It really is that good. The album almost plays like the story of Mark Kozelek's life, telling us about childhood memories and the deaths of relatives and friends. It strikes me as the most painfully honest and soul-bearing album that he has written and his delivery and songwriting here makes you give all your attention to the stories he's telling you through his songs. This album is definitely up there with the best of Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters material.
Phantogram - Voices (2014)
I enjoyed Eyelid Movies so naturally enough I was looking forward to this. This album has some killer tracks, unfortunately it also has some very mediocre ones too. The album is okay overall despite being a mixed bag, but when it's good it offers some solid electronica.
Polaris - Music From the Adventures of Pete & Pete (1999)
I only have vague memories of the 90's TV show Pete & Pete, so I decided to listen to this mainly for the music. Polaris were a once-off band put together to provide songs for the show's soundtrack but they were actually damn good one too. There's a bit of an early-R.E.M. college rock vibe to this collection of songs, and they're the type of songs that will stick in your head for a few days. It's probably something I'll get sick off after a while but I'm going to enjoy it for what it is.