Top Albums 2015

I’m going to change it up a little this time. To start, I was getting a little bored with the format I’ve been writing over the years. Also, 2015 presented me with a bit of a problem as an audiophile - too much music. I don’t mean this in a bad way at all. I just bought too many records and as a result, found myself listening to so much that a clear top ten was too difficult to come up with. So, what I’m giving you is my top five and the other top picks that I found myself unable to take off my record player this year.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

1. Tame Impala - Currents

I was really concerned when I heard Kevin Parker was going to head in a new direction. Album after album of perfect psych rock is something a fan hopes isn’t going to be tampered with. Then, in the middle of a balmy summer, I heard Let it Happen. It was then that I realized Tame Impala had been making us dance all along. This time, Parker just decided to add a little more synth, a few more loops.  

What’s more, is that this is another upbeat album that is largely written around heartache.

Hidden away on many tracks, out in the open like a wound on others. Parker’s skill of having a heavy album masquerade as a dancehall favourite is immense. The last record I’ve seen it done so well, was Of Montreal’s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

It makes me think back to that great Nick Hornby line; “Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” Whichever way Parker felt while writing it, it’s perfect.

2. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear

Yet again Josh Tillman finds a way to cram the most visual tales into impressively musical tunes. And again, he seems to do it so easily. From the slow drawl of the opening title track, this album could punch you in the face with the subtle jabs doled out by Tillman’s lyrics. Bright tunes, with dark undertones are something he’s always excelled at. But always with a splash of acidic humor.

Whether it’s the condemnation of a nation in Bored in the USA, or the utter disgust at being attracted to someone that you so despise on The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment. It’s poetry, it has soul, and most of all - it has the distinct character of something that can only be Father John Misty.

3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

If you have a chance, find the interview with Kendrick Lamar where he watches old Tupac videos and reflect on them. The insight he shows in those quick vignettes only magnifies the way he has picked up the torch of what rap music should do. To Pimp A Butterfly once again sees Lamar at conflict with where he’s come from, where he’s going, and those who are profiting from it.  

While doing all this, he does it in the most diverse and musical way. Like on good kid, m.A.A.D. city, every song is really first and foremost about the story. Like the rap albums I always find myself returning to, this one is all about surprises. It means you’ll just be getting used to the frenetic skat jazz Lamar is spitting over an interlude featuring two women bickering - when the raucous beat of King Kunta begins.

What a ride. Kanye who? In Kendrick, we trust.

4. Viet Cong - S/T

Dark, brooding, and noisy. All in the best possible ways. The amount of depth in this album is hard to fathom.

At its highs, there are hints Joy Division record with Godspeed accents. Like all great albums of this energy, it knows not to overstay its welcome while not seeming short. When a song appears to be hitting its crescendo, Viet Cong know where to pull back and shift tempo.

Get noisy in a dark 80’s kind of way. Literally begins with an ominous din of clamour, before banging its way into the room. Only letting up when the band says so.

5. Ryan Adams - 1989

Trust me, I know. An album of Taylor Swift covers? What, in the hell Bingley?

This record proved a couple of things to me. First, that I really have an issue with Taylor Swift. I find the woman intolerable. Sure, she can saturate the radio with catchy tunes - but she is just - so - ANNOYING!

But, the songs she and her collaborators write are at their core, pretty darn good. So take her out of the mix and sub in someone with both the skill and credibility as Ryan Adams and you have something that is really great.

One of the best things about this record, is that while it is at its core a cover album - Adams has made it his own. Staying true to the essence of some songs, he really does warp them into something way more complex.

Essential Listening:

Beach House - Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars

Not one, but TWO Beach House records within the same year. An embarrassment of riches really, but also a bit of a problem. While both of these are good albums, neither is incredibly great. There are quite a few gems, and if I would have to pick, Thank Your Lucky Stars is the stronger of the two. Both are adequate, but I have a strong feeling that the band could do well to take some time off after this tour to craft something that will be in line with their last two masterpieces.

Deerhunter - Fading Frontier

Another great album from a band I’ve loved for years. But while listening to it, I was left with a question “is this weird enough for a Deerhunter record?” Even as I found myself asking that, the band would almost answer “yes, it is - see?” But it’s not nearly weird enough. Lead singer Bradford Cox has taken to opening up the band’s sets with his own solo material. In the past, those songs often become a template for some amazing Deerhunter tunes. I hope he stops hoarding his bizarre nature and lets it all out next time.

D’Angelo and the Vanguard - The Black Messiah

Technically this came out in late December of 2014, but when someone has waited 15 years between records - they’re getting on my list. This is some dark, heavy, sexy music. I asked a friend if he was going to pick it up and he said “no, I don’t want to grind up on stuff at work.” That’s a perfect description for how this record will get you moving. And it’s like that from start to finish.

Leon Bridges - Coming Home

When I first heard this on the radio, I thought it was an old song. Nope - brand new. Bridges has crammed so much soul into one album, that I hope he still has one for himself. While he may be playing an homage to a bygone era, he does it without making it seem like a schtick. Put this on and sway.

Grimes - Art Angels

I haven’t even had a chance to listen to this yet! My damn record store hasn’t managed to get it in and I don’t want to steal it. Why is it on here? Because it’s sure as hell going to be a good record. At least I have something to look forward to next year.

El Vy - Return to the Moon

Don’t write this off as something dependant of Matt Beringer’s success with the National. This is a record of upbeat songs, while still managing to have a great deal of depth. I’m a big fan of my favourite artists taking time to find something to do with their time in between records. It shows a range of Beringer that is likely restricted of him with his other band.

The Flaming Lips - Entire Catalogue

I made the plunge and completed my collection of Flaming Lips records this year. And you should too. This is a perfect band and it will hopefully be respected for what it does in the years to come. Maybe one reason I wasn’t able to do a proper top ten, was because I spent too much time gazing into the past with these.

TOP ALBUMS - 2014

2014 was a good year for music. Really, REALLY good. In March, most of us were already greedily devouring records produced by long- absent favourites. By mid-summer I was wondering incredulously how it was possible to keep up such a blistering pace of hits. Yet, here we sit at the end of another year full of heart aching disasters and horrific atrocities in the world around us. The one constant; the soul-repairing crutch of music. 

So here are my favourite records of 2014 - once again presented after agonizing consideration that has almost certainly been...unnecessary.

10 - timber timbre - hot dreams

Oh, Timber Timbre, how do you keep pulling this off? So incredibly mellow in some places, dizzyingly frenetic in others; Hot Dreams oozes with the same bluesy magic we'e now grown accustomed to. Even in its brightest - and surprisingly sexiest moments - this record manages to remains dark, shrouded in mystery. As important as he ever was, Colin Stetson is back on e sax kicking songs in the ass where needed. If you think this is the record to lull you into submission, boy are you mistaken.

9 - owen pallett - in conflict

I have this fantasy where Owen Pallett is tapped to score the next James Bond film. There are so many songs on In Conflict that are so anthemic, they could have been stolen straight out of those opening dance sequences. Go ahead, listen to On a Path and tell me you can't picture women dancing, psychedelic colours projected over their bodies as the opening titles roll. The thing that always keeps me coming back to Owen Pallett albums, is his talent at creating a highbrow opus that remains incredibly accessible to all music fans. The thought of layered strings on an indie album is enough to make even the most open-minded music fan shudder. Yet, Pallett manages to pull it off in a way that still shows a level of vulnerability others would collapse under.

8 - st. vincent - s/t

Ever wonder what happens when a rapidly developing musical genius starts hanging out with a veteran genius like David Byrne? This. Annie Clake's year with Byrne could be looked at as a fantasy camp for music geeks. In reality it was much, much more important than that. All you need to do is sit and concentrate on everything that is going on AROUND the melodies on these songs and you'll hear that experience shining through. This could easily have been a busy, overly complicated record. Instead it's the perfect next step for St. Vincent. I don't even want to wager a guess of what Clarke will do next. It's becoming increasingly obvious with each album, that one word you'll never be able to use to describe a St. Vincent record is: "predictable."

7 - ty segall - manipulator

I have a vast amount of respect for artists doing their part to keep one of the best eras of rock-and-roll alive. With Manipulator, Ty Segall grabs the 70's by the throat and shakes loose every bit of magic it has to give. All the while, there's a punk attitude giving the record swagger, charm, and decadence. Manipulator is rough and dirty, but somehow remains polished. Kind of like cracking open a giant rock to reveal a geode inside, Ty Segall has made a collection of rock songs that will make you want to burst your speakers while calmly reaching for another beer.

6 - death from above 1979 - the physical world

This could have gone wrong in such a bad way. After so many years away from the writing music together, Sebastian Grainger and Jesse Keeler could have put out a record that burned a lot of faithful fans. Luckily, for those who waited for the last decade (!!!) - those years of touring their previous hits had kept their style intact. This may not be a perfect album, but as it chugs along like a train, it is at its core a Death From Above album. It hits the familiar tones of You're a Woman, I'm a Machine  - and still manages to set itself apart. A huge part of me really hopes they don't wait another ten years to produce another album...but a little part of me does. Especially if the result after such a long gestation period is a record like this.

5 - alvvways - s/t

What's this? Bright and cheery songs about heartache? What's that you say? You've been waiting until the summer because that's what those songs are made for? You're right. This is the surf-rock album everyone needs during the middle months. Short and punchy, but still so heavy. Any record that can devote a whole song to matrimonial intentions toward Archie Andrews without being bubblegum pop, deserves accolades. The record that does that AND turns it into a late contender for song of the summer deserves to be blasted. This band seemed to come out of nowhere and managed to wedge themselves in the realm of "what are they going to do next, and more importantly; WHEN." Hopefully next year, just in time for those summer days when love is weighing on your chest as heavily as the shadows of an August sun. 

4 - spoon - they want my soul

Shame on me for keeping closed mind with Spoon. After harbouring ill feelings toward their last album Transference and associating it with a lousy ex who loved that record, I was far too quick to write this one off. Then one day I heard a dreamy song called Inside Out. With a tempo that beats like a heart, Spoon won me back by reminding me they can do things others may not be talented - or brave enough to pull off. They Want My Soul has all the elements of a classic Spoon album, the knee slapping rock tunes that make you want to dance and the shoe gazing hypnotic tunes interludes that trap you in a daydream. Never, EVER write-off Spoon.

3 - beck - morning phase

This, simply put, is a beautiful record. I like to think in the big picture when it come to those who write consistently good music. In Beck's case, I'm sure Morning Phase will be remembered as one of the best examples of songwriting in this decade. After a far-too-long hiatus, he returned with a reminder that he's still getting better. I heard some complain that by revisiting his mellow Sea Change style was something to be accepted begrudgingly. But if you listen really close on Morning Phase, not for what's there, but what isn't - you can hear why this was such a good path to go down. On tracks like Blue Moon, Beck finds the missing element to a song - that one important piano crescendo, or on Waking Light's case, a guitar riff just as the song is building to a triumphant crescendo. Instead of repeating them, he lets them appear at the right moment before leaving them to return no more. In many ways, Morning Phase is a like a magic trick showing restraint while remaining spectacular in all the write places. 

2 - future islands - singles

I felt pretty lucky a few years back when I found this band. In the middle of watching tv, a song came on that was so powerful, I needed to rewind several times - with my phone next to the speaker just so I could shazam it. It turned out to be Future Islands. I immediately went to my record store and special ordered In Evening Air. Now fast forward to 2014 and they pop up on NPR with a song so powerful it made me want to get up and dance around my office. And there was more - a video of lead singer Samuel T. Herring showing his band's song Seasons was SUPPOSED to make you feel that way. That song and that dance quickly captured everyone's imagination catapulting it into the "song of the summer" realm. Don't believe me? Well somehow I found myself backstage at a festival this summer. When Seasons came on, a good portion of Broken Social Scene started dancing. When you see Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning having the same reaction everyone has to a song - it reminds you that good music is universal. But where other summer tunes can quickly enter the realm of one-hit-wonders, Future Islands backed it all up with an album full of songs that matched that intensity. Put this record on and dance. The sillier, the better.

1 - mac demarco - salad days

"Shit..." breathes an exasperated Mac Demarco before launching into the opening chords of Brother. We've all been there, man. I felt that way several times this year, especially while listening to this record. Mostly because I just couldn't get how good it was. Salad Days always has an element of something you haven't seen quite before while remaining familiar at the same time. Like a dream you can't quite remember after you've woken up, there's something to this record you can never put a finger on. It has the dark drawls of a Lou Reed some places, the heavy, forlorn lyrics of Elliot Smith in others. Salad Days was my biggest surprise of the year; heavily recommended by friends back home, I bought it before listening to any of it. After the 10th straight play-through, I was certain it was one of the best tips I got in a long time.

Top Albums of 2013

10. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

I know, I know...I'm still sick of hearing the hits overplayed. On Every. Single. Station.

That being said, think back to when Discovery came out. One More Time was played over, and over...and over. Enough to be SO sick of it. But look in most people's record collections now. It's in there. Play it at any party, everyone will light up. I have a strong feeling the same thing will happen with R.A.M. 

Overplays aside, this is just a great album. From the early teases of having Nile Rodgers on Get Lucky, to the eventual release of everything. R.A.M. is full of fun, disco tunes - but all with that Daft Punk feel. The robots really know how to draw on talented folk to big up a song. Pharell, Julian Casablancas, Panda Bear. No surprise either, if Daft Punk asked me for the sandwich I was eating, I would gladly fork it over. 

The last album on this list is always just as difficult to decided on. Almost as much as figuring out the order of my top five. R.A.M. almost lost its spot to Austra's Olympia. An extremely enjoyable follow-up by the operatic group that always makes you dance. It actually came down to a final listen between the two, and in the end, as they often do, Daft Punk prevailed. 

Top Tracks: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Doin' It Right


9. The National - Trouble Will Find Me

The National have been on a roll for few albums now. Since Boxer began gaining momentum, they've really gone from being a well-kept secret, to international starts. After the huge success of High Violet, it would be so easy for them to sit back and coast, or even lay off for a while. Things are good at home, they have some neat side projects on the go, why keep it up? Probably because they love what they're doing. 

At Bonnaroo this year, lead singer Matt Beringer did a Q&A before a screening of their doc "Mistaken for Strangers." Someone asked him if it was harder to write because things were so good. He shut down that notion by explaining how there's always something to draw on. That's why this record isn't a let-down. And, like others by the National, it has that tendency to grow on you over time. It also happens to have one of the best record covers of the year.

Top Tracks: Sea of Love, Don't Swallow the Cap

8. Phoenix - Bankrupt!

It's hard to believe it took this long for a new Phoenix record. It really shouldn't though, Wolfgang Amadeus was for many, the first appearance of the band. It's only because it was so good that you can forgive the Parisoners for milking it for so long. The other reason, is because Bankrupt! is a worthy follow-up.

Called by many a "natural-next-step" - Bankrupt! is a continuation from where they left off from Wolfgang Amadeus. The last four records by Phoenix really did shift in feel as they moved onto the next. This one really carries on with everything they were doing right. In a good way.

Infectious, dance-able, pop music is what Phoenix have made a name for themselves in performing. On this one however, you get a real sense that touring in Japan rubbed off on them. Where it could be a little hokey to have that eastern sound though, they again manage to pull it off. 

Top Tracks: Trying to Be Cool, Chloroform


7. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Yeah, yeah...why isn't this number one? Whatever. It's a great record, but not the best of the year. Deal. Arcade Fire could have probably put out anything this year and gotten on someone's top ten. Luckily, they actually put the work into Reflektor. 

James Murphy and Bowie's involvement always helps give it an extra push, but the talent of the band always shines through the most. I like that they decided to up the beat and let people dance around a bit. Ignore all the pomposity that they've been accused of lately and simply pop this record on. If you don't dance around or even nod your head, you have no soul.

Top Tracks: Reflektor, Porno



6. Still Corners - Strange Pleasures

This was my go-to day dreaming record of the year. With the absence of a good moody, synth-pop record to the tune of Purity Ring, Strange Pleasures filled a great void. I'll be brief with this record, simply because my mind is usually blank when it's on. I turn it on, gap out, and usually feel something around the general area of my heart. 

Top Tracks: The Trip, Fireflies, Berlin Lovers


5. Deerhunter - Monomania

This is one of the most accessible Deerhunter albums in years, all while still keeping on with 
Bradford Cox's bizarre, and genius mind. Case in point; the spine of the Monomania says "File under: Nocturnal Garage." What other band can get away with making up an obscure genre like that? And for their own band! The reason why Deerhunter gets away with it, is because it perfectly defines the sound of this record. 

Monomania is rough, grungy, and moody. Even in its most chaotic moments, the band is as centred
as ever. Anchored by their strong bassist and drummer, who never let anything go off the rails. 

Every track on Monomania gets better as the record progresses. It could have made "Nocturnal Garage" may be my new favourite type of music. At least when someone asks me what it is, I can smugly reply: "Deerhunter." 

Top Tracks: The Missing, T.H.M 



4. Arctic Monkeys - AM

If you were to tell me last year, that I would be listening to an Arctic Monkeys record on repeat, I would have laughed you out of the room. The band was always just so...juvenile, sophomoric, even predictable. I just didn't get what was the big deal. It didn't help that on their debut, people were heralding them as the next Beatles.

Finally, I think (some of) the praise is merited. Partly I think because the band finally grew up. Maybe it took some life experience, perhaps even a few shitty relationships. Maybe hanging out with Josh Homme has finally rubbed off on them.  Or giving the band credit where it's due, maybe they just grew into themselves a lot more. 

Whatever it is, they've created a hell of a record with lyrics you can actually relate to. I hope this reinvention is something they stick with. The fear I have is that praise they've received for straying from the original formula, will drive them back to it. 

Top Tracks: Do I Wanna Know,  I Wanna be Yours, Why'd you only call me when you get high?


3. Beach Fossils - Clash the Truth

The eight tracks on What a Pleasure was never enough. It hit all the buttons, made you dream, and think, and then it was gone. It was a record that made you miss it, while it was still playing. Luckily Clash the Truth sticks around for so much longer. 

This was my go-to surf rock record of the year. While keeping the dreamy elements of their debut, this entry has a lot more energy and even more attitude. With a refrain on the title track where the band begins chanting "Dream, rebel, trust, youth, free, life, clash, truth" by the time they finish with "Charge, train, hate, proof, nothing real, nothing true" I already had an anthem for my summer.

Top Tracks: Taking Off, In Vertigo, Shallow


2. Grizzly Bear - Shields

Trying to top Veckatimest would be a pretty hard task. So Grizzly Bear went a step further than that. Shields is a near-perfect record, one which I found myself comparing to a Pink Floyd album quite a bit. Not because of siliarities in its sound, but because of its presence. 

To start, this is a record that sounds very BIG. Multi-layered songs shift midway through, becoming something completely different, before tying it all together. Once again, they prove themselves to be quite the wordsmiths with lyrics full of imagery while remaining mysterious. One of my favourites of the year, is how they begin Speak in Rounds; "If I draw you upside down, I can't let go."

Shields is a record that pushes the listener to the point of almost being overwhelming, before it's gone. You're left almost exhausted by the end of it, but still yearning for more. 

Top Tracks: Yet Again, Speak In Rounds, Sun In Your Eyes


1. Local Natives - Hummingbird

It's hardly irrational to cringe before a second album is released from a band riding high on success. Is this going to be the next step in an amazing career, or was the debut a fluke? In Local Natives' case, Gorilla Manor was no fluke.  Within the first hum of a synth on Hummingbird, any fear of a let-down evaporates. 

The magic of everything they did so well before with harmonies, is still there. Lyrics so vivid, drawn out in three, sometimes four parts at a time. "Stare down my nose, watching. Colour drained from my eyes" sounds almost haunting. And then there's the toms. So much TOMS! 

If only more bands were as much of a sure thing as Local Natives. Record executives would sure breathe easier. And more importantly, fans wouldn't have to worry so much. But then again, that's part of the fun. 

Top Tracks: You and I, Ceilings, Breakers, Black Balloons

#1 - Beach House – Bloom

#1 - Beach House – Bloom

Beach Housealways know how to deliver dreamy music that you feel deep in your heart. While some of their earlier work had the tendency to get bogged down in moodiness, they've outgrown that in their last two records.

Bloom has the whispery vocals that are standard to a Beach House album. Like they're telling you a secret. But it has a brighter tone to it than Teen Dream did. It always feels like there's something going on in the subtext that only they know. Because of that, this is a record that evokes a sense of loss and gain at the same time. It really just depends on the mood of who is listening.

The thing that always stands out is how the lyrics are arranged. Victoria Legrande is a master of phrasings that are no more than a few thoughts per breath. What she accomplishes by doing that are a few words that get trapped in your head at a time. That makes all the songs stay with you well after they’re done. 

I once described Beach House as what I would imagine listening to a cloud would be like. Bloom is no different. It’s what I thought was the most beautiful music of the year – and for that reason, my favourite record of 2012. 

Top Tracks: Lazuli, Myth, New Year, Irene (this is a record worth listening start to finish each time)

#2 - Grizzly Bear – Shields

#2 - Grizzly Bear – Shields

At times, this record feels like something a band like Pink Floyd would have put out. It does that in the way it carries your mood both up and down. With Shields, Grizzly Bear drifts each song into the other in a way that makes it flow unlike any other record this year.

This was the record that made me the most nervous this year. The band's last release Veckamatist was so good, topping it almost seemed impossible. The Fleet Foxes had a similar problem with Helplessness Blues; how do you follow up an amazing record while still pushing the band forward? Unfortunately for them, it didn't work out.  Shields however, does not not fall victim to the same trap.

It's a new record that feels like the band has grown, but not like they have started over. I've always felt it was important for bands to move forward, but remain the same band. In this instance, Shields feels like a natural progression for a band to take. 

Top tracks: Sleeping Ute, Yet Again, Sun In Your Eyes, Speak in Rounds

#3 - Grimes -Visions

#3 - Grimes -Visions

While Madonna pranced around arena shows in a cheerleader outfit - Grimes was tearing up small gigs with little more than her synth set-up.

Why invite the comparison between the two? Well there is the obvious juxtaposition of one act struggling vainly to stay in the spotlight, while another career takes off. But, if you listen closely, you can hear the early Madonna influence inside Visions. It’s a record built on strong vocals and incredibly catchy songs. But that's ultimately where the comparison ends.

I'll admit that more than half of the time, I have no idea what the lyrics are. In fact, I've been guilty of singing along "meow, meow, meow" during some of the higher pitched sections. Despite that lyrical ambiguity, this is an album that makes you want to sing along with the words you don't know.

From all accounts I've seen and heard, Grimes is one of those perfectionists that wants you to hear what she does. I’d like to think she accomplished that with most of us.

Top Tracks: Genesis, Circumambient, Oblivion 

#4 – Father John Misty – Fear Fun

#4 – Father John Misty – Fear Fun

 

J. Tillman is the funny one. I once spoke to him after a solo gig in between Fleet Foxes albums, and he claimed he didn’t do it intentionally. But whether he likes it or not, he's hilarious.

That sense of humour doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of letting up either. Found inside the best looking album cover of the year, where you would typically look for the lyrics, is something completely different. Two massive posters containing what is best described as a short story called “Mostly Hypothetical Mountains.” Amazing.

Once you get through all of that, there’s the music. Fear Fun knocks the socks off anything Tillman ever did with Fleet Foxes. It’s full of bright and often strange tales that are only appropriate after the small novel that accompanies them.

It’s great to hear Tillman’s voice on the entire record too. The main reason Helplessness Blues ended up being so boring, was that it didn’t feature enough of him singing behind the drums. Back in the spotlight on his own project once again, he shines. 

I almost wore out a Sub-Pop sampler on record store day this year thanks to a sneak peak of FJM. Luckily there wasn't too much time in between it and the full record.

Top Tracks: Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings, Misty's Nightmares 1&2, This Is Sally Hatchet, Well, You Can Do It Without Me