This past year proved to be one of the most musically fruitful periods for both new and resurging bands. Many artists broke through the pre-established sonic and business conventions that plague the industry, and put the fire back into what many consider a dying industry. From the looks of it, 2014 should be no different, with both new and veteran artists stepping out into the limelight with highly anticipated new material. Here is a list of the top five albums I am most excited about for 2014.

1.      David Crosby – “Croz”(Jan. 28)

In discussing this latest record with Rolling Stone magazine, Crosby said, “I wanted to challenge myself. Most guys my age would have done a covers record or duets on old material.” After a twenty-year silence, Crosby is back with a unique mellowed out sound that is distinctively his own. Always the most innovative and thoughtful lyricist in Crosby Stills and Nash/Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the songs on “Croz”tackle a variety of diverse subjects, from female prostitutes in Belgium to political policies and even AA, which Crosby has been in and out of for almost14 years.

2.      Ryley Walker – TBA (April)

Chicago native Ryley Walker is the modern day Bert Jansch folk guitar wizard. After releasing an album with folk guitarist Daniel Bachman and a seven-inch this year, Walker will release his sophomore record sometime in April. While his sound is reflective of British folk jazz guitarists Bert Jansch, Davy Graham and John Renbourn, Walker also implements swirling psychedelics into his music a la the late, great John Fahey. With the modern folk landscape being dominated by “old timey” acts like Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers, Walker’s original style is a breath of fresh air.

3.      Bruce Springsteen – “High Hopes” (Jan. 14)

The Boss is back. Springsteen’s 18th (!!) studio album culls from a mixture of covers, re-recordings of previously released and unreleased 2000s-era tracks, making it one of the most unusual Springsteen albums to date. With the help from Tom Morello, who briefly replaced Steve Van Zandt in the E Street band while Van Zandt was working on his show Lily Hammer, fans can expect Morello to bring his raw and unboundedly powerful guitar style to the table. Easily the album’s shining moment is Springsteen’s recording of “Dream Baby Dream,” by the ’70’s proto-punk group Suicide, a longtime personal favorite of Springsteen and fans alike. 

4.      Temples -“Sun Structures” (Feb. 11)

The British psychedelic four piece straddles the line between British glam rock and early ’60’s songwriting (“Keeping in the Dark”) while dually resurrecting the spirits of Syd Barrett and The Byrds’ West Coast psych (“Shelter Song”). Given the level of emerging ’60s-sounding groups of recent years, unlike many of those bands, Temples do not seem hindered by their sound, rather they use the somewhat dated and easily traceable psychedelic guitars and vocal feedback in a fresh and modern way, similar to that of the Flaming Lips. For music fans, it’s quite an interesting question – are they dated? Are they modern? Whatever the case may be, it is unquestionable that Temples are one of the most exciting new bands, and their debut album will more than likely showcase why they deserve a spot in the indie rock pantheon.

5.      Jeff Beck – TBA (TBA)

Easily one of the most continually relevant guitarists of the ’60s, Jeff Beck always pushes the boundaries of rock guitar prowess, fitting into almost every musical category, from jazz fusion, to blues and straight ahead classic rock. While his latest release has no set date, Beck has said that the album will be released sometime this year. This is the first album for Beck since 2010’s Emotion and Commotion, and since that release, he has formed a brand new band featuring violin and for the first time, a rhythm guitarist. He has said in interviews that this release was inspired by Middle Eastern music, and Beck’s potential foray into this genre makes it one of my most anticipated releases.