It was all a blur.
10. Tigers Jaw – Charmer
9. The Copyrights – Report
8. Fucked Up – Glass Boys
7. Strand Of Oaks – Heal
6. Banner Pilot – Souvenir
5. Weatherbox – Flies In All Directions 
Brian Warren is a magnificently creative storyteller, and every Weatherbox album is a new and unique experience because of it. More cohesive than 2007’s American Art and most consistent than 2009’s The Cosmic Drama, Flies In All Directions is a fantastic expression of what he is capable of.
4. The Lawrence Arms – Metropole 
The Lawrence Arms will never been anything but themselves. 15 years into their career, Metropole is as off-the-wall and genuine as the discography that precedes it. The themes of aging and passing time that Brendan Kelly and Chris McCaughan sing about are resonant in a way that your old dad’s ramblings could never be. As one of the most distinct sounds in 00’s era punk, the years have treated the The Lawrence Arms well.
Nuanced, dynamic and artistically developed while still accessible, Restorations’s third album is dramatic and fully realized in its delivery. Tonally, the album is less urgent and the arrangements’ looseness allow the songs the chance to breathe and develop into their complex selves. In fewer words: the most engaging rock album of the year.
2. The Menzingers – Rented World 
While no band could have exceeded the hype of 2012’s iconic On The Impossible Past, The Menzingers created a forward-moving and engaging new chapter with Rented World. Tracks like “Transient Love” and “Nothing Feels Good Anymore” continue to push the limits of the band’s style, and bring an internal storytelling voice to the forefront. Four albums into their already successful career, The Menzingers are only getting better.
1. Pup – Pup 
PUP’s debut is a wonderful mess of recklessness. It moves from loud to soft, from frantic to restrained, and from defiant to yearning, all without any sense of pretense or calculation. Ten songs of concise, immediate rock music that were meant to be blasted through speakers with no regard.
Most Anticipated: Defeater
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