With countless online mediums available, access to music is now easier than ever before. Now this sounds all good and glamorous and definitely makes everything more convenient, doesn’t it? However, this is also becoming the main cause of the decline in the popularity of albums. CD sales have declined significantly over the last decade, causing the sale of albums to suffer.

Accustomed to fast-paced lives, many people nowadays barely have the patience to wait for a kettle to boil–never mind the patience to be able listen to an entire album from start to finish. However, despite this predicament it must not be forgotten that albums are works of art–from the first track right up to the very last note–an adventure through a world created by the musicians. Thankfully, there are still a few recording artists around that reward patient listeners.

Albums that are worth a thorough listen: 2014

48:13 – Kasabian

So, what is this magic number? Simply enough, it is the total running time of the album, or as Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist and chief songwriter of the band puts it, “the sum of all its parts”. Three years after the release of their previous record Velociraptor!, the band is back, bigger than ever, with an all new “distilled Kasabian” sound. Indeed, this fresh, stripped back record reveals Kasabian in their purest form; electro takes a leading role in this work, though the guitars and riffs still follow closely behind. The album contains a whole variety of tracks from massive moshpit riffs to groovy dance tunes, giving us a taste of their unique style found on their self-titled debut album; and yet this album still manages to impress with an all-new, reinvented sound of “futuristic rock and roll”.

Royal Blood – Royal Blood

Formed in 2013, this British rock duo released their self-titled debut album just last month. The fastest-selling rock debut album in three years, any house that plays this album on a stereo, full-blast, will definitely make said house collapse. The heavy riffs and sick beats, as well as the mewling voice of vocalist/bassist Mike Kerr hints at influences from bands like Led Zeppelin, only these guys are holding ten tonne hammers in their hands, poised and ready to smash things up.