Top Favorite Albums of 2014 - Strange Desire by Bleachers

Favorite Tracks 
“I Wanna Get Better”
“Rollercoaster”
“Take Me Away”

I’m so madly in love with Jack Antonoff. As one third of one of my favorite indie pop bands Fun., I already knew Antonoff is a brilliant guitarist and songwriter. However, this year Antonoff showed off his expert songwriting skills and just overall mastery of what it means to be a musician with his solo side project, Bleachers, and his debut album, Strange Desire. When the first single, “I Wanna Get Better,” came out, I was a little taken aback; it was brash and loud and unapologetic. However, a second listen made me really latch into the lyrics and there is just an honest and true heart behind this song and the others on Strange Desire. Antonoff knows how to express himself so candidly within his lyrics and his music takes shape behind them in a way that really forces you to take notice. Antonoff does exactly what he wanted to do with “I Wanna Get Better.” It is an anthem and a plea, filled with confusion and desperation, and it sets the tone for the success of Strange Desire. Songs like “Like A River Runs” highlight the varying influences Antonoff carries with him from his many years making music. The remaining songs on the album continue to carry a classic punk attitude mixed with a healthy dose of indie pop and expert production. Bleachers feels like a total representation of who Antonoff is both as a musician and as a person. His honesty is what really sells Strange Desire and it is why I am just so flipped over Jack Antonoff.